The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-11 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF CHINHAF

The city of Chinhae, which is enclosed by a wall thirty-
seven feet in thickness, and twenty-two feet high, with an
embrasured parapet of four feet high, and nearly two miles
in circumference, is situated at the foot of a very command-
ing pensular height which forms the entrance of the Tahee
river on its left or north bank. On the summit is the cita-
del, which, from its strong position, is considered the key to
Chinhae, and the large and opulent city of Ningpo, about 15
miles up the river; and it is so important as a military post,
that I trust I may be excused for attempting to describe it.
It stands about 250 feet above the sea, and is encircled
also by a strong wall with very substantial iron-plated gates
at the east and west ends. The north and south sides of the
height are exceedingly steep ; the former accessible only
from the sea by a narrow winding path from the rocks at its
base; the south side and eastern end being nearly precipi-
tous. At the east end of the citadel, outside its walls, 21
guns were mounted in three batteries of masonry and sand
bags, to defend the entrance of the river.
The only communication between the citadel and city is on
the west side, by a steep but regular causeway, to a barrier
gate at the bottom of the hill, where a wooden bridge, over a
wet ditch, connects it with the isthmus and the gates of the
city, the whole of which are covered with iron plates, and
strongly secured. The space on the isthmus between the ci-
tadel hill and the city wall is filled up, towards the sea, wish
a battery of five guns, having a row of strong piles driven in
a little beach in front of it, to prevent a descent in that quar-
ter ; and on the river side of the isthmus are two batteries
adjoining the suburbs, and mounting 22 and 19 guns, for
flanking the entrance : 28 guns of different sizes, and num-
berless ginjalls, were also planted on the city walls, princi-
pally towards the sea.
The main body of the Chinese forces were posted on the
right bank of the river, in fortified encampments, on very
commanding and steep hills ; field works and entrenchments
being thrown up in every advantageous position, with 23 guns
and innumerable ginjalls mounted in them, to impede the
advance of the troops. The principal landing place on this
side is within a considerable creek, close to the south entrance
of the river, and across this creek we found a row of piles
driven. Four batteries, mounting 31 guns, were also newly
constructed on this side of the river, to flank the entrance,
and about half a mile above its mouth a similar obstruction,
of larger piles, was carried completely across, space only be-
ing lett for one junk to pass at a time. In short, the Chi-
nese had exercised their ingenuity to the utmost to make
their defences secure, and a great amount of treasure and
labour must have been expended in the execution of these
works, fully evincing the importance which they attached
to this position.

The Plan of attack agreed upon by the General and myself
was to land the troops in two columns on the right bank of
the river, inside the small islands called the Triangles ; the
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referred to ; the other (about 500 strong) immediately at its
esecurelyappeared
piles,practicable
under cover of one of the
b
brigs, good anchoragefound within a few yards of the
spot.
Te attack of the citadel and city on the left bank of the
river was assigned to the naval branch of the force,
strength-
ened by about 23 of the Royal, and 12 of the Madras Artil-
lery', under Lieutenants the Hon, F. Spencer and Moles-
worth, and 50 Sappers, under Captain Cotton and Lieut.
Johnston, of the Madras Engineers. It was calculated that
the advance of the two columns of troops by different routes,
would not only secure every point on the right bank, but cut
off the retreat of many of the Chinese ; and, by a simulta-
neous barnbardrnent of the citadel and city, by the squadron,
we entertained confident hopes of complete success, which
has been happily realised in every respect.
On the evening of the 9th the whole of the squadron, and
the transports, were anchored off Chinhae, in convenient