Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-11-04

Even without this notice, the warlike prepaI
tons made by the Chinese in every directi'
were so apparent that it had become too palpab
that the Chinese contemplated commencing no
Utilities probably on that very day; many OF IL
pack houses and even their roofs, guns Ina
been planted; every street leading to the river
edge had become masked battery; and pennon
and flags were flying over every one OF them
soldiers were seen every where, and even In TN
Hong merchants warehouses whilst teas wer
being weighed. .
In pursuance of Elliot's notice, all the foreign
left before six o'clock of the same day, excep
two Americans, Mr.. Coolidge and MIR. Morse
they escaped subsequently with some difficulty
-Four Americans from the ship Morrison, were II
red upon in boat, and captured by the Chinese
| but were afterwards set at liberty on the demand
| of the American Vice Consul. One of them, MI
Miller, was so severely wounded that his life was
despaired of; OF the crew is likewise missing,
| probably killed, and all the others more or
less wounded, and suffering from the privations
| they endured.
Soon after six, III. NJ. S. Modesto and Algerine
moved from their anchorage in the Macao pas
sage, and anchored as close to the town as the
water would permit, nor did this seem for the
time to attract much attention. At . little past
ten, however, blaze of light in the direction of
Faee was observed, and was soon found to pro-
coed from several fire RATS or junks floating down
fast with the tide upon the cutter and schooner
which were in considerable danger, the tide still
ebbing, and weighing anchor would have brought
them nearer TO the range of the guns from the
company's garden and others, which had by this
ti'ue opened upon them, and kept up smart fire,
by which the cutter was hittwice, and The schoon-
once.
The two small vessels were theforc obliged to
remain at anchor, exposed to the fire from the
battery at Shaming, the cutter returning the fire
gailantly, and forcing by her fire six large cargo
boats, that bore down on her in the wake of the
freships, and probably filled with soldiers to
board her, to steer off, when the steamer Nemesis
came down upon the fire ships and towed them
out OF harms way, opening at the same time a
tremendous fire from her two thirty-two pound
ers. ii. M. s. Modesto, Algerinc and Pylades,
had meanwhile also opened their fire, and brisk
cannonade ensued, maintained chiefly against the
new fort at ShamDg. The firing was kept up
during part of the night, and the cutter and
schooner were at last, by the tide turning, enabled
to move out of range of the shot, into the Macao
passage.
In the morning early of the 22nd the work of
destruction at Shaming recommended by III.
Nj. 5. Modesto, Pylades and Algerine, and steam
er Nemesis; the fort was, alter a heavy cannon
ade, sllenced and destroyed, and very fine new
brass guns found in it. Meanwhile a number of
war iunks were seen issuing from creek oppo-
site Fatee, and the steamer Nemesis went out to
meet them; but they, unwilling to have any
thing TO say to formidable an antagonist, re-
treated again to the creek, and the steamer again
gave her assistance at Shaming, which sooner
being perceived by the junks than they came out
a second time.
This time, however, the steamer not con-
tent with merely driving them back, but followed
them into the creek; what passed there was,
from the position of our informant, hid from his
view, but loud reports and immense volumes of
white and black smoke rising into the air at short
Intervals but too plainly told that the work of de-
struction was actively going on there. In less than
three hours upwards of forty war junks We're set
fire to and blown up.
The return of the steamer and her boats from
this expedition is described very comical
sight. The steamer was covered all over with
the flags and remnants captured from the junks;
the boats crew all arrayed in handsome
mandarin dresses and caps. and the of one
boat, In order to be perfect in their costume,
had each man of them tail, more sinico, dang
ling from under their caps, which we hope
The SPOTS rom living Chinese, who saved their
lives by leaving their tails behind. The loss OF
life In this exploit is said to have been great,
the Chinese having had ample time to save
themselves by flight before the vessels blew up.
We are sorry to have to record one casualty on
board the steamer her gallant commander, Capt.
Hall, was severely wounded in the hand by the
bursting OF rocket.
From this, the time was occupied by the En-
glish in concentrating their forces near the city,
until the 2ith, at A p. Nj. The Hyacinth ID,
Modesto, Pylades Is, Nimrod IS, Columbus l6,
Cruizer IT, and Aigorine 10, having taken their
position In front Of the city and suburbs, opened
tiieii lieS pOint oil tneSnlneSey
who returned it with considerable spirit at hrst,
but were soon compelled to desert their guns At
Z. Nj. body of soldiers, about 400, were lam
ded at the foreign factories, in the vicinity of
which, they found the Americans, who had been
taken prisoners two days before, examined by
the authorities and released.
The firing was continued until about9 p. NJ,
when the suburbs were on fire in several places,
and nearly all the batteries shore in possession
OF, or destroyed by the English.
While this going in front of Canton.
General Cough landing his troops, 1900
men, at the foot of the heights, in the rear of the
city, and on the morning of the 25th, he common
| ced operations. Particulars of the days. work
are not yet known further, than that with loss
| of some forty killed and wounded four batteries
were taken from the Chinese, and great numbers
of their officers and soldiers killed and the heights
commanding The city taken and the British for
| ces entrenched upon them.
The loss of the Chinese on this occasion is va
| rously estimated at 8 to 5000, and even as high
as 10000 men, and they now find 10 their cost
and extreme disappointment that they unable
to cope with European troops shore, as they
have before proved themselves iii their encounters
with British forces ahoat.
On the Goth, the vessels of war were engaged in
quoting and destroying the few remains of oppo-
sition, and in the evening Mandarns called on
Capt. Elliot with flags of truce 10 negotiate for
the preservation of the city.
Our advices from the seat Of action and nepo-
taton are to the morning of the 2Tth, when ii
was said the Chinese had capitulated and offered