The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-07 00:00:00

Tllll SUN, LONE

CHINA.

" CITY OF NING-PO-FOO, OCT. 17,1841.

, .
" Before detailing our operations, and the successes '
of our arms since we left Amoy, I must .set you right
upon one or two leetle points. The Chinese forts are
not so miserable as you imagine them to be. The bat- '
teries at Atnoy, after four hours of cannonading from
our ships of war, remained unbreached and almost unin- '
jured, and those which we have more recently seen
evince the highest proofs of their knowledge of engi-
neering. They are, however, as yet unacquainted with
one very material point, which is the advantage of a
flanking fire, for the lack of which their batteries are
turned, and consequently rendered unavailable. From
the great improvement which within the last twelve-
month thky have made in the art of war, I doubt not at
no very remote period to see them constructing their
fortifications upon that principle. Nor are they such a
vile set of (towards. In their late encounters with our
troops they have fought well, and stood their ground
bravely, clearly evincing that there is no want of moral
courage on their part. Men who will stand their ground
at the point.of the bayonet, can scarcely be cowards ; but
it is vain to expect men, almost undisciplined, to with-
stand the noble rush which the British soldier, with a
deafening cheer, makes upon his foe. The French never
could, much less the Chinese ; but it cannot be denied
that, with the discipline and weapons of the English, the
Tartar troops would be a truly formidable foe.
" OcT. 18.—And now for our adventures by flood and
field. Amoy fell to our arms on the 28th of August.
After leaving a garrison on an island adjoining; with
three vessels of war, the remainder of the troops re-
embarked, and we weighed anchor on the 4th September.
From the light and variable winds which now prevailed,
it was too evident that tha S.W. monsoon was rapidly
drawing to a close, and fears were entertained" that
if the northerly winds set in with any strength, it
would be impossible for the : fleet to .weather the
Island of Formosa. It had been intended to have taken
the city of Fuh-chow-foo, the capital of the province in
which Amoy is situated, and a place of great trade, but
now all idea of that was abandoned. During the first
week we made about fifty miles a day, the fleet managing
to keep in company tolerably well ; but upon the 12th
the wind came rig-ht a-head, and the heavy clouds, thick
weather, and falling of the barometer, portended a
coming gale. During that night we had a narrow escape
from being' run down by the Blenheim, one of the seventy-
fours, which ran into us, and struck the Palmyra amid
ships. The force of the encounter was most fortunately
stopped by a very thick spar intended for a bowsprit,
lashed alongside of our vessel, and which was cut in two.
The Blenheim then paid off, and with the exception of her
jib-boom being carried away, and a few of our ropes
broken, the damage done was trifling, though it
was truly awful to see such an immense vessel over-
hanging us, very little more way upon her being sufficient
to have cut us to the water's edge. Next morning it was
very thick, and blowing a double-reefed-topsail breeze.
In the course of the day the fleet was totally dispersed,
each-ship waking the best of her way to the northward.
From this time until the 18th it blew a complete gale of
wind, and the weather so thick that we could never get an
observation, but were obliged to trust to our dead reck-
oning, which cannot-be-much depended upon where un-
certain tides and currents prevail. Notwithstanding,
upon that day we managed to make the islands outside
of Chusan, and anchored for the night under the land.
Next day we stood in to Buffalo's Nose, the rendezvous
of the fleet, and found that only one vessel of war and
two or three of the transports had arrived. In the course
of the two ensuing days a great number came in, and on
the 22d we moved about 15 miles further, to Keetoe
Point. A mate and a couple of sailors of an opium
vessel had been killed here a few days previously.
They had been on shore with an armed party obtain-
ing I'resh provisions, and when returning were attacked
by a party of Chinese soldiers. There is not the slightest
demand for opium in this part of China at present, but
whether the people are influenced by fear of the authori-
ties, and the severe penalties attached to those using it,
or have determined to expel the drug, I do not know.
Upon the 24th we moved into Silver Island, about seven
miles distant from Chusan. The original intention had
been to leave that place alone in the first instance, and
move on to Chinhae and Ningpo, but after we had an-
chored off Silver Island the'weather again became very
thick and unsettled, and, a heavy sea running, it was
deemed impracticable to make any attempt upon Chin-
hae, it being a lee-shore, and exceedingly unsafe for
shipping. We, therefore, waited for the first fine day
to attack Chusan. In paSsing up we had obtained a
glimpse of the island, and could distinctly see
that it was a mass of fortiacations. We had,
moreover, learnt from our spies that they had
•five thousand troops there; all good men and true.
"The next day, passed, and the next, and so on, without
any change for the better in the weather, heavy rain and
high wind prevailing: At last, upon the 28th; ?re got a
glimpse of the sun, and the order was giVen to weigh.
During that day and the ensuing one, most of the ves-
sels got into what is called the outer anchorage, and the
necessary preparations were made for landirg the troops.
The men-of-sear were only to act a secondary part.
Upon our first coming into the, anchorage,- the Chinese
had kept up a heavy fire upon the different vessels as
they passed, but our present anchorage being protected
from their batteries, they gave it up, continuing, how-
ever,. to annoy us from one gun which they managed to
get into . a position to bear upon us. Three or our of
the men,of- war were occupied nearly the whole day in
shelling the Chinese in a fortified encampment which they
had formed in the gorge of a hill cora manding the anchor-
age. Upon the Ist inst., about nine o'clock, the troops were
landed, in two divisions, from small steamers. The Chi-
nese, perceivin7 that it 'was not our intention to enter
the harbour in front of their ;ong line of batteries, had
assembled in considerable- numbers upon the hills over-
lookmg, the landing-place, and immediately our men got
on shore they assailed them with a brisk fire from their
matchlocks and gingals. The first division moved up the
hill to dislodge them, %%Mist the second proceeded round
its base to flank a long line of batteries, upon which our
howitzers now opened, and created no small disturba. 'e
amongst the defenders. As our men ascended the h I,
the Chinese came boldly. down to meet them, and y
loud shouts and waving,of flags defied them to the con-
flict, and though the men-of-war covered our ad-
vance with their shot, and which partially drove them
back, still there were many who stood their ground.
and waited till we got up. As they neared the summit,
the Tartars, who had retired for shelter, again made
a bold stand, but our men steadily moved on, and, when
at about twenty paces, poured in a deadly volley, and
succeeding it by a rush, effectually drove them from
their position. They retreated towards the city, every
now and then making a stand to fire their matchlocks.
Meanwhile the second division had moved round the hill,
and entered the batteries in which the Chinese were still
in considerable numbers, though our guns had annoyed
them exceedingly. Notwithstanding they met the in-
fantry as they advanced with considerable steadiness,
and though the greater number made a hasty retreat
after the first volley at close quarters had been given,
some there were who could not be driven from their post
until the bayonet came into play. The first division fol-
lowed the enemy towards the city, while the second drove
them out of the batteries. About eleven o'clock our guns
and rockets were got by great exertions " over ground
almost impracticable "(as Sir Hugh Gough calls it in-his
orders, whilst thanking the troops under his command),
to a hill overlooking the city, from whence we began to
shell the place, whilst a body of troops went forward
with scaling-ladders. The opposition offered to them
w:s trifling, and they were speedily within the walls. It
was yet some time before the second division had cleared
the batteries, but by half-past twelve, all opposition
N% as at an end, and once more the English were masters
of Chusan.

"'The two following days we were employed destroy-
ing the Chinese arsenals and magazines, at Chinhae, and
securing the public property, which I must tell you' is to
be given to the troops and navy, prize agents having
been elected by direction of Sir Hunry Pottinger. The
guns we found were of a very superior description, and
amongst them were no less than 67 of brass. There %% as
also found an immense store of copper for the casting of
their guns, valued at 50,00('l. We have taken in all
103 brass guns, which will give about 18,000/. more. The
public granary at Chusan contains grain to the value of
15,0001., and that at Chinhao to 2,0001. All these calcu-
lations are made by the prize agents, and are, if any-
thing, below the mark. So, if thy withhold the ransom
money of Canton from the forces, there is even yet some
chance ofprize-money. Upon the 12th, the two small
steamers went up the river to reconnoitre Ningpo, much
to the surprise of the natives, who had never before soen
a barbarian vessel in these waters, much less one of so ex-
traordinary a construction. They found abundance
of water for vessels of almost any size, and
upon their arrival at Ningpo, having seen no
soldiers nor any show of opposition, they returned
to Chinhae. Upon the following day, after having
left a garrison there with the larger men-of-war, the
remnant of the troops, amounting to 650, embarked in
the Queen, Sesostris, Phlegethon, and Nemesis steamers,
and with the Modeste, Columbine, Cruizer, and Ben-
tinck sloops of war, proceeded up the river. It was a
grand sight ; the wind was fair, and the Bentinck
commanded by a very fine fellow (Collinson), led the
way and sailed up, beating all the steamers, sailing
where it was never known that vessels could sail. The
Modeste got aground; but was soon towed off, upon
which the other vessels also preferfed being towed. The
river is a very beautiful one, varying in breadth from
800 to 1,000 yards. It flows through rich fertile val-
leys, thickly populated, the inhabitants of which crowded
the banks in thousands to gaze on our little fleet. If the
Chinese ever could feel their inferiority, I should think
they must have been aware of it that day. The mo-
tions of the steamers seemed to strike them the most.
I was in the Nemesis, which, having no ves-
sel in tow, was considerably ahead of the Ad.
to for him. She is a splen-
dnimirablo,
at,andcil.awin lay g
only six feet of water. Her com-
mander, Hall, is a very superior - fellow, a Master in
the navy, and, I rejoice to say, has just been made Lieu-
tenant., for his gallantry and spirited conduct at the
taking of the Bogue forts, and I doubt not that he will
soon rise to the rank of post-captain, and richly he de-
serves it. He can dojust as he likes with his little ves-
sel, turn her and twist her in what direction he pleases.
At one time he would turn the vessel's head to the shore
for the purpose of sounding, and run her so close in that
the Chinese imagined she would run in amongst them,
and fled in dismay from tlib strange animal, which
snorted and uttered sounds loud as thunder as the steam
was allowed to escape. Then reversing the paddles, siie
would gracefully move backwards to the centre of the
stream, and the Chinese would recover from their panic,
and again return, to gaze open-mouthed upon the vessel.
boa"tsOpapcorosistse
theth river,eea u
city of Ningpo
whichingpotlhveerelainsdead bfrr(i)dmgethoef
bows of the Nemesis. No opposition was offered, and
we took possession of the city without firing a shot. It
was evident that they had never meditated a defence ; a
few old guns and gingals were mounted upon the walls,
but the shadow of a soldier was not seen. Chinhae was
the place where the fate of the province was to be de