The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-07 00:00:00

I Johnston, Acting-Master, late of the Bittern, having
I ascertained, by personal examination, and at considerable
risk, the practicability of the breach, the force painice-
larised in the enclosed return was told off for the assault
under the command of Commodore the Hon. C. Eliot.
The landing was effected at 2 p.m., and the men hey-
in;; formed, were at once led to the attack (accompanied
by field pieces in charge of Lieutenants Bushnell and
Twysden), the seamen by the Commodore, Captain the
Hon. Keith Stewart, and Commanders Bute and Rol-
' laud ; :the Royal Matinee by Captains P. C. Penrose
aed R. Boyle. The way was {host gallantly shown by
Commander Bate, whom I observed alone, waving an
ensign on the top of the breach. Tee parapet of the
wall was immediately afterwards covered with the ma
tines and seamen, who, diverging to the left and right,
had, within ten minutes, complete possession of the de-
fences between two of the gates, with the field pieces in
tie° breach.
Captain Penrose, on gaining the wall, hastened to the
gate to the right, on which he hoisted a small flag, to
show its position to Captain Hall, who then promptly
landed with the boats' crews of the Calcutta and Barra-
couta, and, having pushed his way through the streets to
tee city gate, quickly effected an entrance, with the as-
sistance of- Commander Fortescue, Lieutenant G. C.
Fowler, my flag-lieutenant, Captain Rotten, R.A., and
four gunners of that corps.
The gate was then blown to pieces, and the archway
partially destroyed, by two large charges of gunpowder.
Little opposition was offered by the Chinese troops
(though the guns were loaded on the parapet) beyond keep-
ing up a scattered and desultory fire from the streets and
houses, by which we sustained a loss of 3 private marines
killed and 11 men wounded. The wounded were conveyed
to the Dutch Folly, where they received every attention
from Dr. C. A. Anderson, staff-surgeon of the flag-ship,
and Assistant-Suieon Newton, of the Bittern.
I bad the satisfaction of entering the city thretugh the
gate, soon after its passage had been secured, and accom-
panied by the Cornmddere, her Majesty's Consul, and a
poi Lion of the force, I visited and inspected the house
and prernises of the High ''Commissioner. We re-eas•
barked at sunset, and the officers and men werereturned
to their respective quarters ; my ehject, which was to
show his Excellency that I bad the power to enter the
city, having been fully accomplished.
Before the landing took place, I assembled the officers
and urgently impressed upon them (as I had previously
done by written order) the necessity of restraining the
men from molesting the persons and property of ate in-
habitants, confining warlike operations against the
troope only ; and I have pleasure in bearing testimony
to the forbearance and good conduct of the seamen and
marines. No straggling took place, and when the orders
were given to re-embark the men returned to their boats
with regularity and despatch.
About 5 p.m. a second fire broke out in the suburbs,
bordering on the first one, which consumed a large
number of houses.
At daylight on the 30th, it was discovered that the
breach had been filled up during the night with sand
bags and timber ; a few shot, however, soon cleared it
again, as we►l as on the mornings of the 31st and the Ist
of November.
I now judged it expedient to personally address the
High Commissioner, in the hope of inducing him to ac-
cede to our demands. I p tinted out that the steps which
had been taken were occasioned by his refusal to afford
reparation in the case of the Arrow ; that the city of
Canton was at my mercy ; and that it was in his power
by an immediate consultation with me to terminate a
state of affairs so likely to lead to the most serious
calamities. His Excellency's reply consisted of a resume
of his letters to Mr. Parkes ; he defended his conduct,
and intimated that he hal already appointed his deputy
to consult with me (this was an officer of very inferior
rank to my own).
I sent an immediate answer, and informed the High
Commissioner that unless I received, an explicit assur-
ance of his assent of what I had proppsed, I should at
once resume operations. I added that the deliberation
with which I had so far proceeded should hive convinced
his Excellency of my reluctance to visit the consequences
of his acts on the inhabitants of Canton, but that should
he persist in his present policy, he would be responsible
for the result, and would learn, when too late, that we
bad the power to execute what we undertook. His
Excellency rejoined on the 3d November, and after re-
capitulating his former correspondence, avoided touching
on the subject of our demands.
Fears being entertained that the Chinese would set
fire to the houses round the factory, to insure its de-
struction, a party was employed for three days in
pulling down such houses as were necessary to our safety,
leaving an open space between the town and the factory.
One of the rows of houses (called Hog-lane) penetrated
the whole length between two of the factories, and had
long been a source of disquiet to the mercantile commu-
nity.. The officer commanding the troops at Hong
Kong subsequently sent me a company of gun Lascars
to clear away the debris.

Captain Thomas Wilson arrived on the 31st with
90 officers and seamen of her Majesty'sahip Winchester.
As the Chinese boats continued to furnish supplies
to our ships during the operations, I considered it of
great importance to inform the public of the nature of
our grievances, ;the mere particularly as various placards
had been issued against us with a view to excite enmity
against us. I therefore had copies of my letters to the
High Commissioner printed, and Captain Hall distri
buted them from his boat. They were eagerly sought
for. Mr. Parkes also promulgated a precis of the whole
affair.
At 11 o'ciock in the morning of the 3d of November, I
commenced a slow firing on the G _merriment buildings
in the Tartar city, and -at Gough's Fort, from the En.
counter, Sampson, and the Dutch Folly, and continued
it till ,5 p.m. At midnight an explosion took place in a
small boat inserted under the platform of the Clubhouse,
whera the seamen and marines are lodged. It was evi-
dently intended to blow up and set Ere to the building.
Fortunateay it did no damage beyond slightly burning
one of the sentries. All the Chinese boats which had
heretofore been allowed to remain unmolested round the
factory sea-wall were now driven away.
Being most anxious to avoid the necessity :of further
coercive measures, I again addressed the High Commis-
sioner on the 3d, but as he could not be brought to en-
tertain the justice of our demands, I was compelled to
re-open fire on the 4th, and again on the sth, from one
of the Sampson's 68-pounders, mounted in the Dutch
Folly. It was principally directed at a fortification
crowning a hill in the rear of the city, hitherto consi-
dered impregnable ; but, although at extreme range,
several shells burst within the works, the effects of which
must have undeceived the authorities as to their supposed
security in that position.
On the sth inst. I received information that an attack
was intended to be made on our ships and the factory,
and that twenty-three war junks were at anchor below
the Dutch Folly, protected by the French Folly Fort,
mounting twenty-six heavy guns. Captain Hall having
ascertained the correctness of the statement about the
junks, I directed Commodore Elliot to take the Barra-
couta, Coromandel, and the ships' boats, and either dis-
perse or capture them. The narrow channel having
been buoyed by Commander Bate at daylight of the 6th,
the Barracouta procaeded, followed by the Coromandel
with a detachment of Royal Marines, and towing the
ships' boats. 'Commander Fortescue anchored his ship
about 800 Yards above the French Folly, and within
200 yards of the nearest junks, which were perfectly
prepared for attack, and drawn np in line of battle.
As the Chineie were observed training and pointing their
guns, the Barracouta was obliged to open fire from her
bow pivot gun to check their deliberate arrangements,
before her broadside could be brought to bear. A most
animated fire was returned instantly by the junks and
fort from more than, 150 guns, which was maintained
with great spirit for at least 36 minutes ; but when the
ship was sprung, her grape and canister, with the aid of
the boats in charge of Capt. T. Wilson, which pulling in
opened a most effective fire, soon drove the people out
of the junks. The Barracouta was then enabled to give
her undivided attention to the fort, and having silenced
it, Capt. Hall pulled in and took possession. The guns
and ammunition were destroyed. Two 3d-pounders in
the Dutch Folly, from whence I had the opportunity of
witnessing the engagement, greatly assisted the Barra-
couta by the excelleace of their fire.
Many of the junks being aground, and ethers sunk by
our shot, they were all consequently burnt, except the
Admiral's ship, which was brought off. Only two escaped,
and one of them was afterwards burnt,by Capt. Hall.
I was much pleased with the conduct of all the officers
and men engaged on this service, especially of Comman-
der Fortescue, his officers, and ships company,* under
the heavy fire to which they were exposed. Commander
Fortescue mentions the gallant conduct of Lieut. W. K.
Bush, senior lieutenant of the Barracouta. The commo-
dore has also brought to my notice the cool courage of
Lieut. H Beamish, of my flag-ship, in carrying out
an anchor during the heaviest of the fire, to enable the
Barracouta to spring her broadside.
lam happy to state that our loss only amounted to
one seaman, of the Calcutta, killed in Lieut. Beanaish's
boat, and four men wounded on board the Barracouta.
H.M. steam ship Niger arrived on the 7th from Eng-
land ; and 44 officers and seamen from the French fri-
gate Virginie, came up to the factory to protect t heir
interests.
At 4 a.m. on the Bth, a bold attempt was made to de-
stroy our ships with fire-rafts. Four were sent down
with the tide ; one was anchored close ahead of the Bar-
racouta, and but for the promptitude with which her
cable was slipped, might have been productive of disas-
trous consequences. One raft burnt at her anchor, the
others drifted clear to leeward. To prevent a similar oc-
currence, I caused a line of junks to be drawn across'the
river, both and above and below the squadron. One of
the junks in the upper boom was burnt by a stinkpot
thrown on board on the morning of the 12th, and two
fire-boats exploded alongside the Niger at 9 a.m. on the
13tb. This led to all boats, with which the river is
thronged, being ordered beyond the lines of junks.
Between the Bth and 12th Nov., the Consul received
three deputations from the principal merchants and
gentry of Canton, who seemed anxious to bring about a
settlement of the present disastrous state of affairs.
They were obliged to admit that our demands were not
unreasonable ; but that such was the inflexibility of the
High Commissioner's character, that they feared it
would be useless to attempt to alter his expressed deter-
mination not to admit our representatives in the city.
They denied the accusation made by the High Commis-
sioner, that be had been compelled by clamour to offer a
reward for our heads, and loudly expressed their disap-
probation o: it. Even if they have the disposition to
settle this dispute in our favour, I fear they lack the
power to do so.
Strenuous efforts having been made, without effect,
to compel a compliance with our demands, Sir John
Bowring, on the Bth, submitted that the next step should
be the destruction of the Bogue Forts. Concuiring in
this opinion, I informed the High Commissioner that
unless he submitted within 24 hours, I should resume
hostile measures. I waited more than the stipulated

* Commander Bate was on board the Bartaeonta.