PROGRESS OF THE OPIUM WAR.
By the overland India mail, intelligence has been received from Can- ton to the 31st March. Hostilities had been renewed, and Canton re- mained in the power of the British. While Captain Elliot was nego- tiating, the Chinese were fortifying : they strengthened both sides of the river, and converted the island of North Wangtung, in the words of the official despatches, into " one mass of cannon." We copy the follow- ing narrative of the recommencement of the war from the Bombay Overland Courier of May 1st- " Keshen's continued procrastination having at length exhausted Captain Elliot's patience, the Nemesis steamer was despatched from Macao on the 14th February, with the draft of a treaty for the approval and ratification of the Imperial High Commissioner. The commander of the steamer was ordered to wait at the Bogue for a reply until the 18th, and in the event of his not re- ceiving one by that date, to return immediately to Macao. This he accord- ingly did on the 19th, Keshen not having made his appearance. [And the steamer, says another account, was fired on from the Bogue forts.] A circular was then published, stating that the squadron were moving towards the Bocca Tigris. On the following day Captain Elliot received a message from Keshen, in which the latter stated his willingness to sign the treaty, and excused his delay in not coming to the Bogue when the steamer was there, by alleging that he had been detained by some piratical boa.ts. This appears to have been a mere ruse to gain time. On the 2Ith February a notification of the renewal of hostilities was issued to her Britannic Majesty's subjects. " Towards the morning of the 25th February, three howitzers and a party of Sepoys were landed at South Wantung from the Nemesis and the boats of the squadron. The Chinese kept up a desultory fire while the darkness lasted. Before the dawn of day a battery had been erected with sand-bags, and the guns got into position. From these, as soon as it was sufficiently light, the British returned the fire of the Chinese. At eleven a.m. the tide served, and the signal was made for the squadron to weigh. Her Majesty's ship Calliopes bearing the broad peudant of the Commodore, led the attack against North Wantung, followed by the Samarange, Druid, Wellesley, Sulphur, and Modeste. The Blenheim and Melville, with the Queen steamer, opened their fire on the fort of Anunghoy. By noon the action had become general, and the firing constant Mid heavy on all sides. In the mean time, the Nemesis and Madagascar steamer'', with numerous boats in tow, ran in close to North Wantung, and landed the troops under the command of Major Pratt. Shortly afterwards, the whole of the forts were in possession of the British forces. Official notifica- tions were issued in the course of the day : one by the Plenipoteutiary, inti- mating the capture of the forts; the other by the Commodore, authorizing merchant-vessels to proceed to the Bogue.
" The number of prisoners taken at Wantung is estimated at 1,300, and the killed and wounded on the side of the Chinese are said to be very numerous."
Another account supplies one or two curious particulars in addition-
" The Chinese officers deserted North Wantung early in the morning, taking all the boats with them; leaving their troops to their fate, who, to exasperation at such cowardly and treacherous conduct, fired on their flying officers; thus deserting their own men, post, and colours, and leaving them to contend, unaided, uncommanded, exarnpleless, with such a fearful force ! " The priscners were being turned adrift on the Tykoktow, or western side of the Bogue • and the light division of the fleet, led by the Calliope, were proceed- ing towards Tiger Island. The hills on the Tykoktow side, which had been covered all day with Chinese troops, were observed to be in a blaze. The transports had run up to North Wantung, and a regiment was to remain in sliarge of the fort."
The Chinese retired, and took up a position higher up the river. The British followed. We now quote the official despatches of Sir Gordon Bremer, published in an Extraordinary Gazette on Thursday evening-
" On the morning of the 27th, the light squadron proceeded up the river, under the command of Captain Herbert, of the Calliope ; and on the day fol- lowing, I was gratified by receiving a despatch from him, reporting that on their arrival off the first bar, the enemy were observed strongly fortified on the left bank of the river, close to Whampoa Reach, with upwards of forty war- junks, and the Cambridge, formerly an East lndiaman, of 900 tons. On approaching within three miles, the Madagascar and Nemesis steamers, having on board his Excellency and Captain Herbert, proceeded to reconnoitre and find out a clear passage, a number of vessels having been sunk. On advancing, *heavy fire was opened on the steamers; which was returned with great effect. The ships were now brought up, and opened fire on the junks, Cambridge, and batteries ; which in an hour were nearly silenced; when the marines and small- arm men were landed, and stormed the works, driving before them upwards of two thousand of the Chinese troops, and killing nearly three hundred. In about half an hour after landing, all the deli:uces were carried, though in several places brave and obstinate resistance was made. In the mean time, the Cambridge was boarded, and carried by the boats of the Calliope, Nemesis, and Modeste, and almost immediately set on fire : the explosion of this vessel's magazine must have been heard at Canton. The fort (mu-!) mounted, on the over front, forty-seven guns; on the left flank, three ; a field-work, four ; the Cambridge, thirty-four ; besides ten mounted in a junk ; making altogether ninety-eight guns."
The enemy again entrenched their naval force in Junk Reach, still higher up the river, with support on the land. Here the British took a low battery on the 1st March. On the 4th they took possession of ano- ther, which bad been abandoned. On the 5th, Captain Elliot tried the effect of a proclamation permitting trade, and reassuring the inhabitants of safety ; and he suspended military operations. He afterwards tried a second proclamation, threatening to lay an embargo on the city if the trade were not placed on a fair footing, but all without effect ; and hostilities were continued. On the 15th, the last fort in the approaches to Canton was taken by jt force under Capt.* Herbert of the Calliope and on the 18th, the British ensign was planted on the British Factory in the city. Altogether the British are calculated to have lost but 25 men and one lieutenant killed, with 26 men wounded.
Captain Elliot afterwards took possession of the town ; but a provisional Chinese Government was formed. On the 20th, the Plenipotentiary an- nounced in a circular to the British subjects, that a truce had been con- cluded with the new Commissioner who had been appointed ; that the trade was open, under the usual charges, until further arrangements had been made ; and that, though no bond would be required by the Provi- sional Government, the British authorities would have no objection to the infliction of the penal consequences on the introduction of prohibited. merchandise, which would have followed the like offence in England.. The trade, however, could not have been very briskly prosecuted ; for though the Hong merchants remained at Canton, the city was nearly deserted by the Chinese. In the mean time, the former capture of the Bogue forts had been made known in Pekin ; and the Imperial replies which had been re- ceived in Canton evinced the utmost surprise and indignation on the part of the Emperor at the incapacity of his officers AUG the audacity of the English. Keshen and the Chinese Admiral were degraded, though not deprived of their command. The Emperor declared that nothing remained for the British but extermination ; and it was reported that orders had been sent in various quarters to concentrate troops upon Canton. Afterwards, the Emperor having been made aware of the second attack, another violent proclamation was issued. The notices posted by the Canton authorities on the walls to announce the reopen- ing of trade were torn down ; all communication with the English wad ordered to be cut off ; and Keshen was sent a prisoner to Pekin, by order of the Emperor. Thus stood matters at the latest date ; when Sir Gordon Bremer followed the vessel that departed with the mail, and arrived at Calcutta two days after it—to ask advice, it is supposed, and reinforcements.
Sir H. Gough had arrived at Macao. Three Englishmen, two of them officers of the Blenheim, were carried off from a passage-boat near Macao, on the 26th March, and had not since been heard of. It is supposed they were captured by order of the Mandarins.
The island of Chusan had been evacuated and delivered up to the Chinese ; orders to that effect having been transmitted by Captain Elliot. The British who were detained prisoners at Ningpo, Captain Anstruther, Lieutenant Douglas, R.N., Mrs. Nable, and their compa- nions in captivity, were released as soon as the evacuation of Chusan was completed. The whole of the European troops on leaving Chusan proceeded to Hong-Kong.
It is mentioned as a proof of Captain Elliot's incapacity, that three transports With several hundreds of the Bengal Volunteers were ordered to proceed direct from Chusan to Calcutta. On their arrival at Singa- pore, they heard of the renewal of hostilities, and were detained at that port awaiting further instructions. The troops were so diminished in numbers by death and sickness during their sojourn at Chusan, that the Bengal Volunteers might be considered as forming one-third part of the effective land forces attached to the expedition.
The Pestonjee Bomanjee had gone to Chusan with stores. On her arrival, the captain was stoned to death by the Chinese. The Colum- bine had gone up to inquire into the matter and seek satisfaction.
Previous page
