Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-02-04
SCENES AND axcr,ENTs.

ACTION OF THE UNITED STATES CONSUL.
Services Of the United state. 81 lors.
EXCITING SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
CANTON, Thursday, Oct So, 1856
send the particulars III rs much detail as
have been able 10 obtain them, of tho circum-
stances amending the reimbursement of this city,
by the English naval forces under Rear Admiral
Sir Michael Seymour. The firing il moi YET over
aud where the matter will END no one can pre-
diet.
The immediate origin of the affair v IS an out.
rage committed on the British flag about t.o
weeks ago by the authorities oil Canon. A
snail lorcha, Or river trading boar, has} ing Eng
lisi papers made cut in due iorn,, ownei AZ Bri-
gist property, aud sailing under tie En- dish far
was boarded on her arrival here, ugder lie
charge OF having on boari certsm aes6lious pi-
rates-the Gag @as hauled down, aud the crew,
twelve in number, tChnese1 carried car put in
PRISON, aud three OF Them decapitated. Subse-
qgen,lv, when Mr.. Parker the British Consul,
wel,t on board one OF the ,nen OF war iunss TO
espostulate, he was treated with great udisnity,
and unceremoniousy ''hustled off 7" Ii is but
just to state, however, that he is reported to
have provoked this treatment by his lncivillity
on board the junk. Commodore Elliott of the
Frigate Sybillc, who was at Whaml Ga at the
time, proceeded very promptly to make relr.-
sails ON the Chinese, and despatched u steamer
10 Cane on, which seized 8 man of war junk aud
very promptly brous hit her down to Nhampoa.
Yek, the Governor General of Canton, with
surprising obstinacy, continued to reius. acces-
s!on TO the demands OF the English, which were
that lie should restore the crew which he had Ia
ken from the lorcha, with suitable explanation
and apology, aud should hoist again the flag
winch he had lowered.
The United States sloop of wal Portsmouth,
Commander Andrew ii. Foote, at 8 o'clock on
the morning OF "Wednesday the 22d, received IA
note fro u our Consul, Mr.. Perry, stating that,he
English Were preparing TO attack the city. Ac-
cordingly, he fitted out an expedition mmedi
ateiy, and proceeded in command of the force,
some Is strong, including seainen and marines
TO Canton, in order that Americans might be
protected in their persons aud property.
By this time almost the whole English naval
force III the China sea was concentrated at Can
ton and Whampoa, with the exception of a fri
gate and partially dismaHtied brig, which re-
manned at Hong Kong, but sent up attachments
OF their men. On Thursday, as two steamers,
viii, boats in tow, were proceeding from Wham
poa up the river, the Chinese commenced hosti-
lities By firing on them. The ADMIRAL at once
commenced taking all the forts the whole length
OF the river, from Canton to the Boccn Tigris,
occupying about Is minutes on an average, in
the capture OF each fort. These were we'll man
ned and supplied with numerous guns, many OF
them of enormous size, but in no case did they
return more than few Shots to the fire of the
English, and in most instances the soldiers ran
away without any resistance The English Ian
ded, spiked the guns, and in several cases des:
.troyed all that was combustble about the forts
by fire, but did not attemptto occupy any except
one round fort Immediately opposite the facto
ries and one known rs the ''Dutch Folly which
commands the Governors palace, and part of
the city, and in which they planted a lew 81
Founders and one or TWO mortars. s
The u S. sloop of war Levant having come
quite une xpec,cdiy from Shanyhae to relieve
The Portsmouth, Capt Smith Immediately ac-
ccded TO Capt. Foote's request to reinforce him
here, and arrived on Tuesday morning. with
IA force of about 10 men. The English accor-
ding abandoned the defence OF new China street
and it's vicinity entirely TO our forces.
un Saturday the 25lh, large party OF the
| .'village braves" who are Kind OF rustic militia
holding regular meetings for military exercises,
| and whose valor and proves held in the
highest estimation by the Chinese, made an at
track upon Old China street. They approached
! simultaneously from two opposite quarters
| through two narrow lanes which meet each 9th
| err at the end OF the street. They came brand
lshing their spears, turning so'nerscts, and daring
| the English to come on. They were warned
| by Mr.. Parker, the Co: sui, that il they contn-
| ued to advance they would be fired upon, and as
their only reply to this announcement was IL re,
| petition of their defiant actions, and u further
/ advance, Il platoon of marines at once opened
| upon them. After the firing OF one or two vol
| leys BY the English the "braves' retreated pre-
! cipitately, leaving two or three dead and proba-
! bly, taking with them several wounded. The bo-
dies of the dead remained in the street til! the
next morning, when they were removed by their
| cuuntrymen. Previous to this attack, which
was made IN the afternoon, several placards had
been postedl,bout the stating that the Ell-
gsh barbarians are i'll league with the rebels and
opponents OF the Soverunent--that they are
gra> ping and covetuu< in their character, and
anxious to get hold upon Chinese territory,
and minated that they had suffered rcver
SEES in late troubles with the Russians and are
anxious to repair their losses by making an ut.
tack upon Canton. The pacards also call upon
the Chinese TO put no confidence in the protes
sions OF the barbarans, bit to unite and to re-
| Sist to death i'll the protection OF their homes
and their families.
It was not TIL Monday, the 9th, that the fir
! ing upon the city commenced. But 81 o'clock
on that day, the steamer Encounter, living RICH.
abreast OF the Factories, threw her first shell
which went little beyond the Governors pal
ace, and followed it up all the AFTERNOON, send
ing several shells through the roof vt the palace
| and no doubt dong great execution. AT the
same time the Barracouta, lying further up the
river, commenced throwing shells across the city
| into the fort, and encampmient of the CHI csc
troops situated on high hill directly behind
| Z Lp hp fIri al car ett
on very lcsurvly, at intervals of about elgh.
! minutes between the shell, ceased at sunset.
| On Tuesday, at O'Clock, the firing was re-
sumed from the Dutch Folly" fort. and directed
| with the purpose of etiec,ing - breach in the
| walls of II e city. The Encounter also continued
| TO drop she'll or shot every five or sen minutes
| in the neighborhood OF the palace. This firing
| had been kept up about an hour, when fire
broke Out in the vicinity of the Palace, and be-
gan to rage with great violence. 1t caught, ull-
| doubtedly, from some OF the shot fired, and,
though not Intentional, did most excellent as
sistance TO the English, by clearing a passage
for them from their tort to the walls of the city.
A strong wind vas blowing at the time; happily
| it was north wind, and blew the fame towards
the river otherwise the factories might have
been endangered, although half IA mile of. As
it was, the English immediately began to de-
| stroy the houses in Hog Lane, and in The rear o,
the Factories, thereby removing one great dan.
ger of the fires communicating with them. The
Dire ragged MI far into the night, when the Chi
nese, who by the way, excellent fremen, got
it well under, The firing ceased at sun down,
but was resumed with considerable vigor at sun.
rise the next morning.
During this day (Tuesday,) Mr.. Perry, the
United States Consul, received from Gov Yek ii
polite notification that up TO this time he had re
trained from making any systematic resistance
10 the English account OF his long friendship
to them, but that matters had nov gone TO such
ii pass that he must measure strength with them
and he should accordingly begin. He feared
however. that he should no longer he able tc
/ protect the property of Americans, aud hoped
that il any damage Should accidentally be done
! to it, he would hold the English, who by theii