WAR RESUMED AND BOGUE FORTS TAKEN. 535 reason, one in spirit with the brute beasts, "beings that the overshadowing vault, and all-containing earth can hardly suffer to live," obnoxious to angels and men, and that he must discharge his heaven-conferred trust by sweeping them from the face of the earth. This decree exhibited the true principles of action of this proud government, and left it less excusable; the emperor deliberately rejected the offer of peace, and determined to uphold his fancied supremacy to the utmost. China must now bend or break. These hostile intentions had become so evident, that on the 19th of February, Captain Elliot announced that Commodore Bremer would return to the Bogue with the force; the boats of the steamer Nemesis were fired upon while sounding, and on the 24th, the battery near Anunghoy was attacked,-the same day that Chusan was evacuated. Rewards of $50,000 were offered for Elliot, Bremer, Morrison, and other ringleaders, and all the defences put in the best condition. On the 26th, the Bogue forts were all taken, Admiral Kwan falling at his post. It is said that Kíshen, Lin, and other high officers, were in the fort on North Wangtong, and left the troops there to their fate, as the English ships moved up the river, the incensed men firing upon their boats as they left. The number of ships of war engaged in this attack was nine, assisted by less than 500 troops, and two steamers. The Chinese force on the hills behind the forts was probably over 3000, but it made no resistance after the batteries were taken. Many lost their lives while attempting to swim across the river, the sipahis shooting them in the water; their total loss was supposed to be not far from a thousand; the prisoners were set at liberty after they had buried their fallen comrades. The forts were built so solidly that few were killed by the broadsides of the ships, and their magazines so well protected, that no explosions took place; the powder found in them was used to demolish the walls. Admiral Kwan's body was exhumed at the request of his relatives, who sent a flag of truce for it; and the Blenheim fired a salute of minute guns as it was carried away. The emperor afterwards pensioned his mother, and promoted his son. At night, the blaze of the burning encampments of the discomfited imperialists on the hills, illuminated the surrounding country, and intimated to all the destruction of these strong fortifications. There were in all, eight large forts on the sides of the river and Wang tong island, forming altogether a line of batteries which would have been impregnable in the hands of European troops, and not without reason deemed to be so by the Chinese themselves. The next day, the small ships moved up to the First Bar, where a long fortification on the river bank, and an intrenched camp of 2000 troops, defended by upwards of a hundred cannon, with a strong raft thrown across the river, showed a resolution to make a stand. The ships and steamers opened a hot fire upon the batteries and camp, which returned it as well as they could, but the loss of life was greatest when the English landed. Many instances of personal bravery showed that the Chinese were not all destitute of courage, but without discipline it was of no avail. Nearly one fourth of their force was killed, their camp burned, and the Chesapeake and all her stores blown up, and most of the crew killed. The removal of the raft was easily effected by grappling the steamers to it, to the great mortification of the Chinese, who had trusted to it to prevent the approach of ships to the city. From this point the way was open to within five miles of Canton, and when the forts at that place were taken, the prefect met Captain Elliot on March 3d, with a flag of truce proposing a suspension of hostilities for three days. Kishen had already been disgraced and ordered to return to Peking to await his trial; his memorial on hearing of his degradation on account of his ill-success does him great credit; Íliang the lieut.-governor was left in command of the province until four general officers, with large bodies of troops from the interior, should arrive. The highest of these was Yihshan, a nephew of the emperor, assisted by Yang Fang, Lungwan, and Tsíshin. On the part of the English, major-gen. Sir Hugh Gough arrived from India to take command of the land forces, and Sir Gordon Bremer sailed for Calcutta to procure additional recruits. Bodies of troops were gathering in and around Canton. to the amount of 5000 or 6000, most of which had come from the north-west provinces, and were not less strange and formidable to the citizens than were their foreign enemies. After the truce had expired, the English moved towards Canton by both the channels leading to it, the vengeful Nemesis proceeding up the Inner Passage, where no foreign ship had before been, subduing all obstacles in her way, until every fort, raft, battery, camp and stockade, between the ocean and Canton had been DEFENCES OF CANTON TAKEN. 537 destroyed or taken, and the city lay at their mercy. The factories were occupied by British troops just two years after Lin had imprisoned the foreigners in them. A second truce was agreed upon, March 20th, by which trade was allowed to proceed on the old mode; the ships accordingly proceeded up the river, and for about six weeks trade went on uninterruptedly. The new governor Kí Kung, and the "rebel-quelling general” Yihshan, arrived, and the people thinking that a slight cause would disturb the truce, took advantage of it to remove their effects, well aware how much they would suffer from their own army in case of trouble. The progress of hostilities even thus far had greatly weakened the native government, and if Canton should be sacked, the province would be thrown into confusion, and robbers "swarm like wasps." About the middle of May, the intentions of the Chinese generally were manifest, though cloaked under professions of amity. A British guard was stationed in the factories, and the ships of war anchored near them, but it was not till the 21st that Captain Elliot notified all foreigners to go aboard ship. A significant intimation was given a fortnight previous in the punishment inflicted upon a native who had presumed to speak on public affairs. Two flags were stuck through his ears, his arms pinioned, and he publicly whipped through the streets, while a crier proclaimed his offence. The secret preparations for attacking the unguarded English were very extensive. Large fire-boats and rafts were prepared, masked batteries erected along the river, troops quartered in the temples, and large cannon placed in the streets. The notice of Captain Elliot was issued none too soon, and yet the prefect had the impudence to publish a proclamation the day before, assuring all classes of the peaceful intentions of the commissioners, and that they need be under no alarm. The hongmerchants also reiterated the same assurances next day, but these official falsehoods deceived no one. Finding their prey gone, a night attack was made by land and water, May 21st, on the ships, but none were seriously injured. As daylight advanced, the Nemesis went in pursuit of the fire-boats and junks, and burned upwards of sixty, while three men-of-war silenced the batteries along shore. Two Americans, Messrs. Morss and Coolidge, and a boat's crew of the American ship Morrison, were the only foreigners in the factories, and the latter with Mr. Coolidge were taken prisoners; a boy named Sherry belonging to the boat was drowned in the capture. While the ships were silencing the forts and burning the rafts, the Chinese troops were searching the factories for guns; three of the hongs were pillaged even to their marble pavements; and it is supposed they desisted from plundering the whole only at the petition of the hong-merchants and prefect, who told the commissioner he would be obliged to pay for the losses sustained. On the 24th, the land and naval forces under Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Fleming Senhouse, arrived from Hongkong, and prepared to invest the city. Most of the troops were debarked above it, on the northern side of the river, at Neishing, under the personal directions of Sir Fleming, who had provided many boats holding from 50 to 200 men each, in which the whole force of 2600 men, besides followers, guns and stores, were towed about twelve miles. A detachment landed and took possession of the factories, releasing Mr. Coolidge and his fellow-prisoners, after 60 hours' detention and suffering. Sir Hugh Gough remained near the place of debarkation till the morning of the 25th, when the whole body moved onwards to attack the forts and camps behind the city, distant upwards of three miles, over ground consisting of rice fields or barren hills, some of which command the walls. As the English advanced, the Chinese motioned them to come on; their fire did not reach so far as the English artillery, and they uselessly spent their ammunition. After an hour's firing, they began to collect outside of the forts, preparatory to retiring, when the advance pushed on, and sent them scampering down the hills toward the city. The intrenched camp was carried with considerable loss to its defenders, who everywhere ran as soon as the fight came to close quarters; but in the forts, there were many furious struggles. The camp was burned, and the victors bivouacked during the night in the open air. On the 26th, preparations were made for firing the city, but before the proper ammunition could be brought up, a driving rain put a stop to all operations. A parley was also requested from the now deserted city walls by two officers, who agreed to send a deputation to make arrangements for surrender. Night came on before it appeared, and the English deferred their attack until morning. The troops were then placed in position, the guns loaded and primed, port-fires lighted, and everything in readiness for opening the fire, when a messenger arrived from Captain Elliot, desiring further operations to be delayed until he had concluded his negotiations. The terms were, the forces to remain in their present position until a ransom of $6,000,000 was paid, and the three imperial commissioners, and all their troops, had marched 60 miles from the city. Compensation for the loss of property in the factories, and burning the Spanish brig Bilbaino, was paid or secured within a week, and the troops, nearly 50,000 in number, evacuated the city; but Captain Elliot should have demanded a personal interview and apology from Yihshan and his colleagues, for their infamous treachery. The disappointment of the troops on the heights was great, but it was probably the wisest policy to ransom Canton, since its destruction would have broken up the whole foreign trade for an indefinite period; a failure in the receipt of the duties at home was also a consideration in the mind of the plenipotentiary, in favor of sparing the city. To save the terrible slaughter which would have ensued, not only from the enemy without the walls, but from the great number of troops pent up inside, with an exasperated populace, was a merciful motive for accepting the ransom; the subsequent ill conduct of the people of that city towards foreigners has, however, poorly requited the kindness shown them on this occasion. While the English forces were occupying the heights, the commissioners closed most of the city gates, and the disappointment caused by the detention of the departing crowds, soon broke out into open fighting. The lawless soldiers from Kweichau and Kwangsí began to plunder the citizens, who retaliated with blows, and blood was shed, the forces and rancor on each side increasing till more than a thousand persons were killed in the streets; and, in some instances, the troops actually devoured the bodies of the citizens. One or two fires added to the confusion and alarm. On the outskirts of the city, the dispersed troops began to arouse the villagers to join and drive off the invaders. Two days after the truce, a tumultuous force of nearly fifteen thousand advanced on the hills north-west of the city, rather to the surprise of the English, who, though now reduced to about five hundred, soon placed themselves in order, and checked their progress by a discharge of rockets. Sir Hugh ordered an advance, and the valiant villagers," patriot soldiers," as they called themselves,-were chased about three miles by this handful. The heat of the day |