Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-24

blow up the English steamers they showed both
skill and courage. The men in charge Of the
sacrifice of their lives, and some did lose their
lives in the attempt. They retook fort which
had been captured by the English. They have
maintained capital and steady fire from these
forts under the heaviest and most skilful Smelling
Of their antagonists. They have also shown skill
as gunners, and made too many accurate shots to
permit their being attributed to accident. In the
fire upon so small an object as the Portsmouth's
gig the shot fell around the boat and among the
oars. In the next fre upon small boat one shot
cut off the head of the leadman. When the
Portsmouth came up to her spring and lost her
broadside bearing upon the fort one shot was
fired exactly into her stern. In the first firing of
the forts upon the Portsmouth the guns seemed to
be trained accurately on the foreand-aft range Of
were trained little too high otherwise the first
discharge of round shot and grape would have
swept the poop. so persistent was their fire that
little more skill in the elevation of their guns,
or a better device for managing 1t, would have
sunk the Portsmouth. And yet the first intention
was to attack the forts with that ship alone until
IL was suggested by one who knew something of
the forts that they might be more than one ship
could manage.
Whilst endeavor to correct some of the errors
relative to the Chinese in war, do not mean to
say they are equal to the Western nations in war
like character and resources, that there can be
any doubt to the final result of contest between
them and the English.
Whilst they stand to their guns under heavy
u
mystical dread of personal conflict with the out
side barbarians, or 4" foreign devils, - which may
arise from some supposed real demoniac relations
Of those ''deviis," not yet got rid of, but which
will very much change the relations Of the par
ties when il is.
They want the knowledge of shells too, which
is an essential thing. 1t is extraordinary that they
have not the knowledge of this missile, for they
have hollow shot, and shell rocket-a rocket
carrying small explosive ball, one of which burst
in the heart of an English seaman.
They have also formidable weapon which
seems to be the "fery dart'' Of Scriptures dart
or arrow propelled by a rocket A marine of the
Portsmouth lost his life by one of these. Before
it struck him, it seemed to have passed over a
rice field and plunged into the mud, as the chaif
and the dirt were carried into the wound.
Within the last week the English have contin-
ued their war attacks upon the fleets Of armed
junks in the Canton river They have destroyed
about one hundred junks, but we see the melan-
choly cost in the detachments Of killed and
wounded brought down to the hospital ships
nine killed and twenty-five wounded; among the
former, Major kearney, Assistant Quartermaster
General. Commodore Keppel, Of the late Raleigh,
had his boat knocked to pieces, and every one in
it killed wounded but himself.
Cinnamon can he cOnQuered-Chinese forts and
junks taken and destroyed-but those who sit at
home and fancy it to be an easy, pleasant aud safe
business, are somewhat ignorant Of the facts of
the matter, and every days experience renders
the occupation of opening the Chinese Empire
one Of increasing difficulty. YEN.