The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-08 00:00:00

FIGHT AT THE BARRIER

It will be seen from the circular copied below, addressed
by Captain Smith to the British subjects resident here, that
his Excellency the Governor informed him that the Taoutae
had left Macao on the 11th of this month for the sole purpose
of laying before the Viceroy Lin the strongest demands for
the release of Mr. Stanton. On Monday, the 17th, the
Taoutae returned, but without Mr. Stanton, and we are in-
formed that the only answer he gave was, that it was impos-
sible that Mr. Stanton could be liberated, he not having
been seized on Portuguese territory, and that besides he, the
Taoutae, had brought with him a number of soldiers to assist
the Portuguese in driving away the English. It was known
before, and we stated it last week, that strong additions had
been made to the fortifications at the barrier and to the num
ber of the garrison there, and a great many boats filled with
soldiers were on Tuesday seen to pass through the inner har-
bour towards the barrier, where also were stationed eight
war-junks, which before had been anchored opposite the
town of Macao. The hon. company's steamer Enterprise
left the road here for Capsingmoon soon after the return
of the Taoutae was known, and returned on Tuesday in
company with her Majesty's ship Druid, and towing the
transport Nazaruth Schah, having the Bengal Volunteers on
board. From the Taoutae's answer it was evident that the
Chinese had hostile intentions towards the English residents in
Macao, and there seemed but the alternative of quietly await-
ing the attack or to check them by falling upon their first. On
Wednesday morning, the 19th, her Majesty's ships Hyacinth
and Larne were seen getting under weigh, standing towards
Fisherman's Bay. and the Bengal Volunteers were embarked
on board the steamer, whilst we saw nine boats filled with
marines and sailors leave the Druid, and following in the
same direction as the Hyacinth and Lame. The weather was
favourable, a light southerly breeze wafting the ships very
soon to a favourable position right in front of the barrier and
the fortifications there, a distance of only about 600 yards.
At about half-past one o'clock the Hyacinth began the can-
nonade, which was answered by the Chinese from their fort,
or rather breastwork,. consisting of pyramids of sand-bags,
having each a foundation of about nine yards square, and
upon which the 32-pounders made little or no impression.
The Chinese had altogether 24 guns in the embrasures of this
fortification, 16 of which were pointed towards the ships, but
their fire was very soon silenced by tue Hyacinth and Larne,
after the guns had been only thrice fired. The neck of land
on which the barrier is built is just there only about 100 yards
wide, and close to the land on the inside were anchored the
eight junks already mentioned, of which from the ships only
the masts could be seen, the hulls being hid and in a great
measure sheltered from shot by the land. There was besides,
on this side of the barrier, and on territory hitherto consi-
dered as subject to Portuguese jurisdiction, a joss.house, or
temple, where there were several cannon, from which a brisk
fire was kept up upon the ships, and it was observed that
these guns carried further than those from the junks, many
of whose shot fell short of the ships. Though several balls
passed over the ships, they received no injury in their hulls,
but a few balls passed through the awning and sails of the
Hyacinth. After the engagement had begun, the garrison at
the joss-house was reinforced by about 300 Chinese soldiers,
who marched to it from the town of Macao. There was be-

sides a considerable encampment filled with soldiers just be-
hind the barrier, and sheltered by a saadhill, and it is sup-
posed that there must altogether have been about 2000 Chinese

soldiers on the spot, of whom a considerable portion were
armed with matchlocks. The distance trom the barrier to
Macao being scarcely two miles, the whole of the engagement
was witnessed from the town, and numerous spectators,
Chinese, as well as Portuguese and foreigners, crowned the
adjacent heights.
From half-past one until about half-past three o'clock the
ships kept up a heavy fire upon the fort and the junks behind,
which was latterly only faintly answered from the junks, but
with more spirit from the joss-house. Parties of soldiers

were seen running to and fro between the barrier and the
joss-house, often interrupted in their course by the shot
passing over them or ploughing up the ground near them,
when they would cower down, or creep along on all fours.
Twice we saw them remove a dead or wounded soldier. At
about half-past two the English troops began to be landed
on the beach, at some distance from and on the Chinese side
of the tort. Some Chinese soldiers here, favoured by the
rising ground, crept and fired upon the parties landing, but
a field-piece was brought on shore and planted on the height,
and a sharp fire kept up from it upon the Chinese encamp-
ment below, upon the juas, and latterly also upon the joss-
house, which by the positive orders from Captain Smith had
WI then been spared, as being considered on neutral ground ;
but when the firing from it continued, all pretence to neu-
trality of course ceased, and a great number of soldiers were
soon seen flying out of it, and from some matsheds, through
which a few balls yvere sent, and running back to Macao.
At a little after four, all the troops being landed (180 sipahis,
120 marines, and 80 seamen, commanded by Captain Mee,
of the Bengal volunteers), they'marched upon the tort, which
they found deserted, but a fire, hen already in the fort, was
opened upen them from the junks and the joss-house, which
was soon silenced by the musketry from the volunteers. The
Chinese still on board the junks tried to save themselves by
leaping into the water, where many, it is thought, were killed.
Two of the guns in the fort (they were very large and heavy,
in bulk equal to 32-pounder carronades, though bored for
18-pounders only) were disabled, the carriage of the one
being splintered, and the other broken to pieces by a shot.
All the guns were spiked, and every thing else in the fort de-
stroyed and burnt. A powder magazine blew up, and two
men, we are sorry to say, were severely hurt by the explosion.
The Chinese encampinent was next burnt, and, in fact, every
thing found on that side of the fort destroyed, with the ex-
ception of the junks, which escaped being burnt from there
being no boats available to get at them. Many of them
were, however; so much injured by shot, that they will pro.
ably never float again. The joss-house, Irom which the
t fire had been kept up, escaped destruction, as being
a neutral ground, very much to the disappointment of the
lssailauts, who could only by the strictest orders be restrained
from attacking it sword in hand. Indeed, during this affair,
Captain Smith seems to have been most anxious not to
violate in the slighest decree the neutrality of the territory
of Macao, although the Chinese had no such scruples, for
not only was the joss-house on this side of the barrier, and
th-

fore on Portuguese ground, but the greatest part of the
soldiers that occupied it, marched to it from the town of
Macao itself. The forbearance of Captain Smith in not at-
tacking the enemy on neutral ground arose, no doubt, from
due consideration of the very peculiar position in which
Macao is placed with regard to the Chinese, and we hope
that his conduct will in future be imitated by the Chinese,
who can have no reason whatever for complaining of the Por
tuguese in this affair, when even their soldiers, although en-
gaged in active hostilities, were spared because they were on
neutral ground.

Tim English had four men badly, and two slightly wounded ;
a marine had his arm shattered by a ball, and had to submit
to amputation of the limb; another was shot in the body, and
two, as we had already said, badly injured by the explosion
of the powder magazine- The loss of the Chinese cannot be
known with any degree of certainty. Those connected with
their mandarins state it at only four killed ; but other state-
ments are about 50 or b 0 killed, and double the number
wounded, and are probably more correct. One shot was seen
to strike a tanka boat plying between the junks, and pulled
by two women ; the boat was shivered to pieces, and nothing
was seen of the poor women, who, it is possible, however,
may have escaped, they being all expert swimmers.
We hear that the Chinese soldiers ascribe their defeat to
the cowardice of their officers, who they say were the first to
run away, and that they were therefore obliged to follow their
example. What the result of this affair may be it is difficult
to foresee, but we hope that having received this severe lesson,
the Chinese will hereafter refrain from troubling .Macao. The
Chinese population here have been very quiet ever since, with
the exception of .many.families removing. • The Tanta', it