The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-12 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION

di ately commenced firing upon us from the fort of Hochung and
their war junks (now under sail), which was replied to by the Na.
melds with the usual effect, while the boats opened a passage
through the stakes, and dashed on to the attack of Hochung and
the junks. Lieutenant Bower gallantly leading on the di..
vision under his orders against the latter, whilst the others
secured the fort by evading the ditch and entering the enemy's
embrasures. Seeing the fall of the fort, the war-junks became
panic-struck on the approach of the boats, and were thrown into
e% utter confusion that seseral got ashore, the crews jumping over.
board immediately they grounded, two junks alone escaping.
Lieutenant Bower, in pushing to cut the latter off, discovered
Fiesha..kok on the left bank of the river, within a hundred yards of
the advanced junk aground, which fort mounting seven guns,
opened out a heavy fire of grape upon him. Observing that the
junks were abandoned by their crews, he nobly turned all his at-
tention to his new opponents, whom he drove out of their strong.
hold, by passing through the adjoining town and taking them in
reverse.

In the meantime Mr. Hall dexterously managed in getting his
♦essel through the centre passage of the stakes, which fortunately
was just sufficiently wide to admit of her passing, without detain..
ing or giving us the trouble of : emoving any of them.
At forty-five minutes past two we returned on board the steamer,
after having destroyed all the guns and set tire to Feisha.Kok
Fort and the seven war junks, as per margin,* which all blew up
be _.re we were out of sight of them.
Chase to the two escaped junks recommenced, during which we
passed two dismantled forts. At four P.M., we arrived at the large
provincial town of Hiangshang, one of the large war junks preceded

us about a mile a-head. The dense population thickly crowded the
banks, boats, junks, house tops, the large pagoda, and surrounding
hill ; both sides of the river were packed by the trading craft of
the country in the closest possible order, the centre of the river
(which is very narrow here) having merely sufficient space to allow
the steamer's paddles hoes to pass clear of the junks moored to its
banks. Not the slightest fear was manifested by the people, but
several mandarins took to their boats and followed the war junk.
We passed a small one anchored in the centre of the town aban-
doned by her crew ; but fearful of setting fire to the town, which
must inevitably have been the case had I consigned her to the

flames, and anxious at the same time to secure the large one a-head,
- • • '
• •

with the mandarin boats, I left her untouched; we closed the two
. latter so rapidly that the junk, which mounted five guns, and one
of the larger boats ran ashore; all their cress jumped overboard,
and left them to their fate; I brought up abreast of them, and de.
stroyed both. 'While thus employed the fort of Sheungchap,
within two hundred yards of Us, but hidden by some intervening
trees, opened its fire upon us, which was instantly returned. I im-
mediately directed Lieutenant Bower to storm it with the marines ;
in five minutes my orders were carried into execution, and its
eight guns were demolished ; but from its proximity to the houses
I ordered the greatest portion of the powder to be thrown into the
river, leaving merely sufncient in the magazine to destroy
the fort. A number of troops coming down towards the
fort, obliged me to fire two or three shot, which going
direc'ly in among the body, scattered and dispersed them in au in-
stant. At six P.m. the Rink and fart were :ired, and we passed on
into a narrow shallow channel, scarcely more than the breadth of a

canal, in which we anchored head and stern for the night.
At day.light on the morning of the 14th, we weighed and pro-
ceeded up the river in the steamer's draught of water, and not
broader than her own length, grounding occasionally on both sides.
At fifty minutes past seven arrived at the large village of Kong_
how ; at eight observed the fort of the same name, at the upper
pars of the village, which flanked a strong and broad line of stakes,
twenty feet wide, completely across the river, tilled up in the centre
by large sunken junks, laden with stones. On discovering the
fort we opened cur fire, which was instantly returned by the
enemy. As in a:1 the preceding actions, they fled the moment
we landed to attack them. They had evidently expected one from
the opposite side to that by which we approached them, the walls
being piled up with sand-bags outside in that direction. Nine
gcns were destroyed here and the fort blown up, after the Ne-
mesis had made good her passage through the stakes, which was
effected after four hours, incessant hard labour, at thirty mi.
nutes past twelve P. M assisted by the native; who flocked aboard
and round us in great numbers, after the firing had ceased, all ap.
parently anxious to aid us in destroying the stakes.

At four P.M. arrived off a military station originally consisting
of a hundred men, but on our arrival consisting only of fifty;
,tined a shot at the Mandarin's house, which, striking the centre,
drove out the small garrison who had screened themselves from
our view in it. ; the boats were then sent on shore, and destroyed
the whole establishment, and a large Mandarin war-boat, mounting
one large gun and two jingalls, and pulling sixty.iour oars. At
ten minutes past four proceeded up the river, at thirty minutes past
six anchored for the night.

At daylight this morning we continued our course upwards; at
thirty minutes past seven arrived off the lane village Tamchow,
nuclei the banks of the upper part of which a number of soldiers,
with matchlocks, were descried, endeavouring to conceal them-
selves, upon whom a fire of musketry was opened as we passed,
which dispersed all those who were unhurt in less than a minute.
On moving up to Tsgnei, a large town on the left bank of the
river, three forts were passed, all dismantled and abandoned. The
custom-house of the latter place was destroyed, as well as a man.
ot:.war junk, mounting seven guns, which the crew had quitted
on our approach. On proceeding up to 'Whampoa, we passed
through a very beautiful country ; three snore dismantled forts
were observed in our route. At four P. M . we arrived at this an.
chorage, having destroyed five forts, one battery, two military
statibqs, and nine men-of-war junks, in which were one hundred
and fifteen guns, and eight jingails; thus completing our object
by proving to the enemy that the British 11.. g is capable of being
displayed throughout their inner waters wherever and whenever
it is thought p►oper by us, against any defence or mode they may
adopt to prevent it.

It is a pleasing gratincation on my part, in being enabled to in.
IJrrn your Excellency, that this service has been accomplished with-
out the loss of a single man on our side, and only thrt•e seamen
slightly wounded belonging to her Majesty's ship Semarang.
o his Excellency Captain Elliot, my warmest and best thanks
are due, for the very ab!e• and friendly acsistanca I received from
him throughout the whole of our little expedition; to Messrs.
Morrison and Thorns, who accompanied him, 1 felt under the
greatest ob:igations for the efficient aid I reeeived from them, by
tile knowledge of these gentlemen in the Chinese language, thus
affording me the means cf communication through them with the
na'ircs in our route, which proved of the highest imoortance ; they
fully participated in all the dangers of the expedition, as did like-
wise Captain Larkins, late of the Honourable East India Company's
service, who was an amateur upon the occasion.
Of Mr. Hall, master, commanding the Nemesis, it Is impossible
for me to speak too highly ; the cool, unwearied, zealous perfor-
mance of his duties, under circumstances of frequent (longer and
difficulty, in traversing a navigation never before passed by
an European • boat or vessel ; his gallantry, and the
effective aid Ureceived from the N..mesis, repeatedly called forth
my warmest admiration. It is unnecessary for me to say more
than that, in my humble opinion, he is deserving of every reward
that can be bestowed upon him.
To Lieutenant William Pedder, R.N., acting as chief officer of
the Nemesis, I fret indebted for the able and gallant manner in
whichte at all times supported the boats with those of the steamer
under his command.

The fi,ing of Mr. Edward Crouch, ginmery mate of the " Wel_
lesley," lent to Nemesis, was perfect rifle practice. Our rapid
success I regard as mainly attributable to the admirable manner in
which he punished the enemy. I beg leave earnestly to recom-
mend him to your favourable notice and consideration.
The conduct of my gallant Firet Lieutenant, J. P. Bower, has
always met with my highest approbation. Nothing could have
surpassed his anxious zeal and gallantry the last three days. It
again becomes my pleasing duty, to draw your particular attention
and favourable consideration to this meritorious olficet.

Lieutenant Maitland, acting Lieutenant Lysaght, and Lieute_
nant Gordon, of the Royal Marines, as well as Messrs. Noble,
Parkhurst, Luard, and Armitage (mates), Mr. Tucker, second
master, and Dr. Mackay, assistant-surgeon, are entitled to my best
acknow cdg sects for the gallantry and seal they displayed
throat bout our operations.

Z,CZ n sn and Marines vied with each other in being foremost upon

every rtc,sion.

inclosed I forward herewith the list of wounded, and have the
honour to remain, &c.

(Signed) JAMES SCOTT, Captain.
Commodore Sir J. J. Gordon Bremer, C. 8., K.C.}L,

Commander.in-Chief.

List of Wounded on the Expedition up the Inner Passage to

Canton.
Hon. Company's steamer Nemesis, at Whampoa,
March 15, 1841.
_ _

Three seamen, slightly.
(Signed) GEORGE MACKA.Y, M.D.
Assistant.Eurgeon of her 'Majesty's ship Samarang,
Medical Officer to the Expedition.

One large junk, mounting nine long guns ; one ditto, mount-
ing eight long guns; two ditto, mounting six eats; one 'mailer
ditto, mounting four guns ; two ditto, ditto, mounting two guns.