Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-03-23

Hyacinth left the Macao roads the 18th October,
| and proceeded to the Bogue. Strong northeriy
winds delayed their arrival there until Saturday
morning the I'd November. when Capt. smith sent
a despatch to the Commissioners at Chuenpee, the
purport of which demand that the Commits
soner should withdraw his often repeated threats Of
burning and destroying the English merchant fleet
now at Hong-kong, and allow them to remain there
unmolested until the orders Of the home govern
ment had been received until other arrangements
for the discharge of their cargoes had been made !;
that, II these threats were not Withdrawn, he capt
Smith, would be obliged, in defence OF the lives and
property of his countrymen, which il was his duty
to protect To take ecctual measures for thsir safe
ty. This chop, having been delivered, the Chinese
requested the ships OF war to remove some way lar
Their from the Bogue, and Capt. Smith complied with
their wish and dropped down about three miles
waiting for the reply. On the following morning
the despatch returned, unopened, we believe,
and without an answer, and twenty -nine war-Junks
were seen coming down upon the two ships, when
Capt Smith sent again letter to the Chinese Ad-
mra warning him not 10 come TO near, as he would
be Obliged 10 fire him in sef-defencc. To this
the Admiral returned an answer that he should pro-
coed as he thought proper, and again demanded the
immediate surrender Of the murderer of Lin Weihe.
Upon this, the junks coming very. near with TAR
wind and tide, the Voltage, we believe, fired shot
across the bows of the Admirars ship, which was
Immediately answered with four from the Chinese
An action now inevitable, and in less than an
hours time, between twelve and one o'clock, the
whole Of the % junks were disabled-three had
been sunk, was blown up, several others drited
on shCre in a sinking state, and OF many the whole
crews had jumped overheard to save themselves by
swimming, leaving their vessels at the mercy OF
wind and tide. The junk in which the Admiral was
had been roughly handled, that that oiicer, who
is represented TO have displayed considerable per-
sonal courage, left her when sinking for another
Junk, some say badly wounded. The Chinese,
though they displayed courage, TO be very bad
gunncrs, few Of their shot having told and only dsne
some slight damage to the rigging OF the hyaeln'h'
The English had only one man very slightly wound
ed and though the loss Of the Chinese is not known
TO certainty, IL cannot have fallen short OF between
four or five hundred men. Six hours after this en-
gagement the frigates anchored in the roads here,
and Captains Elliot and Smith and Mr.. Morrison
came on shore Immediately after which the event
was made known 10 the English residents here,
about forty or fifty in number with a recommends
ton to embark Immediately. there being some prob
ability that the Chinese in revenge for the defeat
might secure their persons. All the English, with
few exceptions, accordingly left Macao early the
sext morning, for Hong-keng whittier the Voltage al
so proceeded, leaving the Hyacinth in the roads,
whence she sailed for Hong-kong on Thursday last
The Chinese have hitherto observed an impenctra-
bic silence this affair the troops about 500 men,
at the barrier whose presence we noticed last week
still remain quietly in their tents there are still
some rumors Of more soldiers moving from Heong-
shan towards Macao, but we know not whether they
deserve any credit.
II is difficult to understand what can have the
Chinese TO the attack these two English ships Of
war; except IL be a total mscosception or ignorance
Of their strength, and that they relied for success
their great superiority ot numbers. " possible
that in the report sent Co the commissioner Of the
little affair al kowloo in which the Queens cutter
and the small schooner Pearl were engaged against
three Junks and the fort, and which was undecsive
either way. the small English vessel having only a
few rounds Of powder and shot, that their strength
has been much overrated by the mandarins whose
interest 1t to report the affair much more for
midabe than IL vas il is said that the report
% the Yumchac said that the three iunks and fort
had been engaged the whole afternoon with the two
English frigaies which they succeeded at length in
driving them away ight came on. The officer in
been rewarded with higher rank "a red button and
peacecks feather). II is also rumored that the adj
miral gave TO the commissioner very false estimate
20 have reported that, though IL true that the
English had large and very good guns and that though
in poiut Of sailing the English had the advantage
and good for nothing, living deck the whole day
thing for two Chinese junks Go take one English
shin; the jrnks had only % 70 alongside one on
each side then board the ship, Immediately cut
down her nasts, make the crew prisoners, who
would only be too glad n beg for their lives and
the, DESTROY the ship. The compliance of captain
smith on the previous day W VI the desire ~ the
Chinese that he should farther down the river
NAV probably also have been by them construed into
fear and was possibly one of the causes Of the total
! destruction ofthe feet, which came down the
English ships with fair wind and tide, and could
therefore when in danger not retreat under the bat
teries Of the forts. which have lately been much
strengthened, and new one built with formidable