The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

label not glilitarg ntalligentt.

THE EMBARKATION OF TROOPS FOR INDIA continues
to be pushed on apparently with vigour at the prin-
cipal naval ports. Four additional regiments of in-
fantry, two of cavalry, and a powerful artillery force,
under the immediate command of Major-General
llnpuis, are under orders. Her Majesty this week
visited the ships James Baines and Lady Jocelin,
and inspected the troops under orders at Ports-
mouth.
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR PHIPPS HORNBY is to have the
good-service pension at the disposal of the First Lord
of the Admiralty by the demise of Admiral Sir Hugh
Pigott, K.C.B.
CAPTAIN CHARLES FREDERICK iS to have the good-
service pension vacant b 3 the promotion of Captain
the lion. Henry Keppel to flag rank by the death of
Admiral Sir Hugh Pigott, K.C.B.

MAJOR•GENERAL THE HOS. SIR JAMES YORKE
SCARLET?, K.C.8., the newly-appointed Lieutenant-
Governor of Portsmouth Garrison, and Commander•
in-Chief of the South-West District, has assumed the
command of the fortress, relieving Major. General
Henry Breton, who goes to the Mauritius as Major-
General on the Staff of the Governor and Com-
mander•in-Chief of the Mauritius.

CHINA,

THE Government despatches upon the recent ope.
rations in the Fatshan Creek have this week been
published. The details given in our second edition
last week comprised everything which has taken
place. It appears that Admiral Seymour, upon the
arrival of the gunboats at Hong Kong, determined
to attack the naval forces of Canton, so as to open
up the river for ulterior operations. Upon the 25th
of May, intelligence having been received that a fleet
of war-junks was at anchor in Escape Creek, one of
the numerous creeks at the mouth of the Canton
River, Commodore Elliot, with a small squadron of
gunboats, proceeded in search. In his despatch,
the commodore details his proceedings as follows :
The fleet of junks, which formerly remained near the
main branch of the river, had moved to a position about
five or six miles up the creek. As it was very doubtful
whether our small steamers could get up to them, it
was necessary to have a sufficient boat force to follow up
the creek, independent of gunboat support. .

At da3light, on the 26th, our force was in the creek,
and soon afterwards a mandarin fleet of about forty junks
was moored in good order across the stream. The tide
was a strong ebb, which rendered it less easy for the
junks to escape, and, although it made our progress
slow, it enabled us the better to thread the way among
the shoals.

A heavy fire from the junks opened upon the leading
steamers as they approached, but at too great a distance to
tell with effect. Shortly afterwards, as the Hongkong got
within good range, she opened fire, and was soon sup-
ported by the Bullard and Starling, the others being at
distant range. The fire from the junks then slackened,
and they got under way. Some were soon afterwards
abandoned, and the rest, plying their oars, endeavoured to
escape up the creek.
The steamers followed, though very slowly, on account
of the shoal water. The Sir Charles Forbes and Stanch
grounded early, then the Starling, and eventually the
Hongkong ran ashore. The signal was immediately made
for the boats to go ahead, and a general chase took place.
The junk force divided; the main body of about fifteen
continuing up the main channel were followed by the
boats, led by Captain Edgell, who detached four pinnaces
up a creek to the left to follow the smaller division. Com-
mander Forsyth accompanied these pinnaces, which suc-
ceeded in capturing them all (ten in number). Com-
mander Forsyth speaks highly of the gallant way th;. Hor-
net's pinnace, under Mr. R A. Brown, acting mate, dashed
in, unsupported by the other boats, which she had dis-
tanced, against three of these heavy-armed junks, which
struck to her.

The main body, followed by Captain Edgell, were soon
beyond range of all except the Hornet's rocket boat and
Sybille's pinnace, which kept within reach of them for a
long time; and Captain Edgell brings to my notice the
behaviour and most accurate fire kept up by Lieut. Brock
in the former bcat, and by Mr. Hudson, acting mate, in
the latter. The chase was continued by this division,
which I accompanied for about twelve or fourteen miles
above the place where the steamers had grounded, when
the work for the men at the oars having been excessive, I
determined to turn back, but with the view of getting at
the junks, which we still had in sight, at a future time, by
another passage.
Near the point at which we turned, at the village of
Tseen Twe, we found the lorcha Anonyma, which was
captured last December, whilst in tow of the steamer
Thistle. I burnt her.

On getting back to the gunboats at night, I found that
Commander Corbett, who had very properly remained
with the Stanch on her grounding—the other commanders
having gone on—had sent the Inflexible's paddle•box boat
after a junk that tried to escape down a creek to the right
and captured her. Commander Forsyth had returned with
his party, and Lieut. Dent, assisted by the officers of the
other gunboats, had secured or destroyed all the prizes.
The Chinese having returned to one of the junks below,
she was recaptured by Mr. Molley, second master, with
the Starling's and Hong Kong's boats. Lieut. Dent
brought to my notice the conduct of that officer.
In all, twenty•seven beavilyarmed snake boats (belong-
ing to the Admiral Su Hoy) were capturr d or destroyed.
Their armament consist of one heavy gun in the bow,
generally a long 32 or 34 pounder, with from four to six
lighter guns ; each vessel pulls about forty ears. This
service was fortunately accomplished with the loss of two
men only wounied. The day was excessively hot, and I
cannot speak too highly of the spirit with which the men
stuck to their oars• through a harder day's work than I have
ever before witnessed under a tropical sun. One or two
cases (but not severe) of sunstroke occurred in the gun-
boats.

The next morning at daylight the chase was con-
tinued after the missing junks. Proceeding up the
Sawshee Channel for twenty-one miles, the squadron
at length rounding a point came abreast of a large
and populous city, close to which were anchored the
missing junks
The boats now gave way with a will, and though the
junks wire in sight fully two miles off, they succeeded in
taking them completely by surprise; the boats, as they
dashed in, firing into a small battery which commanded
the river, and into the war junks, caused them to be
immediately abandoned. The junks lay scattered along
the whole length of the town, through which the river
runs, mid preparations are now made to destroy them,

with the exception of one, the finest and heaviest armed
war junk I have seen in Chins, which I hoped to be able
to take away.

The Chinese were utterly unprepared for this
sudden meeting. The English boats fired all their
guns, gave a cheer, and made a rush ; the Chinese
jumped overboard without firing a shot. But the
braves" of the town would not permit the junks
to be captured or carried off with impunity :

It soon became apparent that the Chinese troops were
not going quietly to submit to this proceeding without
further resistance, and the creek being narrow, with houses
on either side, they had every facility to pick off our men.
As we first passed up, only a few gingalls and matchlocks
opened ; these increasing in number, presently gave con-
siderable annoyance, and it was necessary to keep up a
continued fire with some of the boats' guns, from musketry,
and from the Tribune's rocket-boat, which did good service,
while other parties were employed destroying the j unks,
which occupied some time, and it was necessary to burn
those at the upper end of the town first, and so on in suc•
cession, to enable our boats to get back.

The chief attacks from the shore took place towards our
rear, at the battery at the lower end of the town, where
most of the casualties occurred. Commander Turnour
was active and useful, and on two occasions landed in a
very gallant manner with small parties of marines, under
Lieut. G. L. Blake. R.M., charged some two hundred well.
armed men, and drove them beyond the embankments.
An attempt was made to tow down the fire war-junk
already noticed, but she accidently caught fire, and she was
therefore destroyed with the others. That being accom-
plished the boats returned down the creek.
So ended this gallant but arduous operation. A few
days afterwards it was succeeded by one which will
long be remembered in the annals of Canton.
Admiral Seymour in person commanded on this
occasion, and, it is needless to say, was well supported
by Commodores Keppel and Elliot. A powerful
fleet of junks was known to be moored in a com-
manding position up the Fatshan Creek, above
Hyacinth Island, and supported by batteries mount-
ing 6 and 19 guns respectively upon each river-bank.
Seventy two junks, armed with 32-pounders in the
bow, with from four to six 9-pound broadside guns,
were so disposed across the channel as with the
forts to completely command the passage. The 19-
gun fort was the key of the position. On the Ist
of June, a little after three a.m., the Coromandel,
with Admiral Seymour aboard, towing the boats con-
taining the marines, who were to land under the fort
and to carry it, weighed anchor, followed by the
gunboats and favoured by the darkness. The plan
of operations was simple. The Coromandel was
to dash in among the junks, the gunboats and row-
boats following ; the marines were to be landed, the
fort stormed, and as many junks captured as
possible. But John Chinaman was not to be caught
napping. When the steamer had arrived at some-
what less than a mile from the fort her advance was
noted by the enemy. A rocket shot up into the
air, and the action began

When within about 1,500 yards of the fort the Coro-
tnandel grounded on a barrier of sunken junks filled with
atones, and the enemy opened fire. Tho landing party of
seamen and marines were immediately put in the boats
and sent ahead, and under a very heavy fire of round and
grape, in which the junk fleet joined, the fort was almost
immediately in our possession, Commodore Elliot setting
the good example of being one of the first in it. The
landing was partially covered by the fire from the Haughty.
One or two of the guns in the fort were immediately
turned on the war junks. Happily this important service
was effected without loss. The position was a remarkably
strong one, and, defended by a body of resolute troops,
might have bid defiance to any attack. The Haughty,
having landed her party, went on with Commodore Elliot
and the boats of the first division, to co-operate with Com-
modore Keppel. I ordered a portion of the Royal Marines,
under Lieutenant and Adjutant Burton. to remain as a
garrison in the fort, and sent Captain Boyle, with the
remainder, about 150 in number, to the scene of opera-
tions by land, to cut off the enemy retreating from the
junks, and to prevent the advancing boats being annoyed
by gingalls or matchlocks fro u a large village adjoining—a
favourite tactic with the Chinese. One half of this force
was ultimately sent brck to the fort, and the remainder
rejoined the souadron up the creek.
As soon as Commodore the Hon. H. Keppel perceived
the men of the first division ascending the heights, he
advanced up the channel on the east side of Hyacinth
Island, with the gun and other boats of the second, third,
and fourth divisions, in the order stated in the programme.
With the exception of the Haughty and Plorer, the gun.
boats soon grounded, but, agreeably with my instructions,
the boats were pushed ahead. The junks, which were
admirably moored in position to enfilade the whole of the
attacking force, soon opened a very heavy fire, keeping it
up with great spirit until our boats were close alongside,
when the crews commenced to abandon their vessels, and
to effect their escape across the paddy fields. The blowing
up of one or two junks hastened this movement. In
about twenty minutes we had possession of fifty junks.

Commodore Keppel, scenting more game higher
up the creek, made his way past the six-gun fort,
on the right channel, and past the burning junks,
driving out the crews as he went. With seven boats