No. 73.—NOVEMBER 28, 1856.] The Mongkong Government Gazette.
Correspondence between Their Excellencies Sin JOHN Bowning, and Admiral Sin M. SEYMOUR.
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Coromandel, orr the Barrier Forts, capture of the Blenheim Reach Fort, that of the Macao
23d October, 1856, 9 A.M.
Passage, the Red and Sha-Min Forts, and of your SIR-I have the satisfaction to inform Your Ex-intentions, with as much regard as possible for life and Money, that in furtherance of the decision come to private property, to continue your hostile operations our conference, on the morning of the 20th instant until satisfaction is obtained from the Imperial Com- which Her Majesty's Consul at Canton was pre-missioner.. I am also gratified to find that the Fac- t, I have this day taken possession, of the Four tories are adequately protected, Its known as the Barrier Forts, without casualty our side, but with the loss of 4 or 5 killed on the t of the Chinese, solely arising from their ill- Sed resistance to our forces, two of the Forts ing fired upon us with guns in position and small
After rendering the Forts incapable of interfering hour operations in the River, I shall proceed to winton, where I shall continue such further operations civcanustances may render necessary.—I have, &c»,
M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
His Excellency
SIR JOHN. Bowring, LL.D.,
H. M. Plenipotentiary, Hongkong.
SUPERINTENDENCY or Trade, Hongkong,
24th October, 1856.
Sin-I have to acknowledge Your Excellency's despatch of yesterday and to express my high satis- letion at the prompt, able, and successful manner in hich the naval operations have been carried ou in cor ordance with the arrangements made at our con- ference of the 20th instant.
I cannot doubt that the Imperial Commissioner will now feel the absolute necessity of complying with the Comands which have been made; and I have to add, that if Your Excellency and the Consul should concur with me in opinion that the circumstances are auspi- cius for requiring the fulfilment of Treaty obligations avregards the City of Canton, and for arranging an ficial meeting with the Imperial Commissioner with- in the City Walls. I shall willingly come to Canton for that purpose; and request you will kindly give me the means of conveyance thither.-I have, &c.,
To His Excellency
JOHN BOWRING.
Sir MICHAEL SEYmour, K.C.B. Naval Commander-in-Chief,
4c., 4., &c.
Encounter, AT CANTON, October 25th, 1856. SIR-I have the honor to inform Your Excellency of my proceedings since my last letter of the 23d
After rendering the guns in the Forts which I had taken possession of useless, I set fire to the blings, and then proceeded to Canton, where I I and the Encounter lying close off the Factories. I dent the Sampson and Barraconia to secure the ization of the Blenheim Reach, and on my pal, I found that those ships had taken possession of the Blenkeim and Macao Forts, without resistance. The latter 1 retain temporary possesion of.
Yesterday morning, I proceeded down the Macao Heich, where I met the Barracoula, and, at a given gal, the Fort opposite the Factory, and the Bird's Next Fort, were taken quiet possession of, as were afterwards the two Forts called (I think) Cha-min. cmmanding the passage: the guns were rendered Arviceable.
I shall continue my offensive operations against the Chinese Government, avoiding as much as possi any injury to life or private property, until satis- faction is rendered by the Imperial Commissioner.
A sufficient party of Royal Marines is on shore fr the protection of the Factory.I have, &c..
M. SEYMOUR,
Rear Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
His Excellency
SIR JOHN BOWRING, LL.D.,
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary,
Hongkong.
Coromandel, at CANTON, 26th October, 1856.
Six-I beg to acquaint your Excellency, that my predings yesterday were confined to the taking of Fort called the Dutch Folly, without opposition. Today, being Sunday, is kept as a day of rest. I jose resuming offensive operations to-morrow.
The Encounter, Sampson, Barracouta, and Coro- del, are at anchor off the Factory, and the Comus arding the Barrier in the Macao Passage of the Are I have, &cm
Ha Excellency
M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief
SIR Jous BOWRING, LLD., 46, 46, &c.,
Hongkong.
SUPERINTENDEncy of Trade, Honokono,
27th October, 1856.
Six-I have read with extreme satisfaction Your Excelency's report (dated 25th instant,) of the
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I can only renew my congratulations on the most successful issue of all your naval operations, and hope our diplomacy may be equally auspicious.—I have, &c.,
JOHN BOWRING,
To His Excellency
SIR MICHAEL SEYMOUR, K.CB.
Naval Commandér-in-Chief,
dc., dic., dc.
Encounter, AT CANTON, 29th October, 1856, SIR,-In continuation of my letter of the 26th instant, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency, that the measures which had been taken to compel the High Commissioner to yield compliance with our just demands having proved of no avail, I opened fire at 1 P.M. on the 27th, on the Governor's Com- pound in the new City, from the stern pivot gun of the Encounter, and continued it til sunset, at in- tervals of from 5 to 10 minutes. The Barracouta at the same time also shelled the Troops on the hills at the back of the City, from a position at the head of Sulphur Creek.
No change in the state of affairs having followed, I yesterday resumed offensive operations from the Dutch Folly, where I had placed two guns in position, having previously given the fullest warning to the inhabitants in the vicinity to remove their persons and property, an occupation they were engaged in during the whole of the previous night. Our fire in the direction of the City Wall, aided by a confla-] gration of a large portion of the houses in our line of attack, bas materially furthered our object of open- ing a clear passage between the Dutch Folly and the Walls of the City, and will, I have reason to hope, facilitate our further operations.
The fire has reopened on the City Walls this❘ morning earlier than I intended, in consequence of the Chinese mounting guns on the walls opposite the Dutch Folly.—I have, &c.,
His Excellency
No. 234.
M. SEYMOUR, Rear Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
SIR JOHN BOWRING, LL.D.,
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary,
Hongkong.
SUPERINTENDENCY OF TRADE, HONGKONG,
30th October, 1856.
SIR, I have to acknowledge Your Excellency's Despatch of yesterday, advising the continuance of hostile operations consequent upon the unsubdued obstinacy of the Imperial Commissioner. I venture to hope that the pressure will be soon irresistible, and the final results all we could reasonably anticipate.
In addition to the small body of Artillery sent up to be placed under Your Excellency's orders, we have thought it desirable to despatch an Officer of Engineers (Captain Cowper,) who will be at your disposal for any service required at his hands.-I have, &c.,
JOHN BOWRING.
I
His Excellency
SIR MICHAEL SEYMOUR, K.C.B., Naval Commander-in-Chief,
40., 40., &c.
Encounter, AT Canton, 30th October, 1856. SIR-Referring to my letter of the 29th, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency, that a practi- cable breach having been made yesterday about 2 P.M. in the new City Wall, from the guns in the Dutch Folly, a strong detachment of seamen and royal marines took possession of the City Wall, destroyed, by blowing up, one of the gates, entered the City, and having visited and inspected the house and pre- mises of the Governor, the forces were re-embarked at sunset, and returned to their respective quarters.
Little opposition was offered by the Chinese troops,-
beyond a scattered fire from the streets and houses, from which we sustained a loss of two marines killed, and twelve men wounded.*
The High Commissioner having made no concession, I have re-opened fire this morning, with a view to maintain the breach, and preserve the facilities it offers for re-entering the City, if necessary.--I have, &L. Cuy
M. SEYMOUR, Rear Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
His Excellency
SIR JOHN BOWRING, LL.D..
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, Hongkong,
* One since dead.
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Encounter, at Canton, 3d November, 1856. SIR,-Since my letter of proceedings of the oth ultimo, I have confined my operations to maintaining the breach in the City Wall, which the Chinese have continually evinced n disposition to close; also to clearing away the Chinese buildings in rear of the Factory.
On the 30th ultimo and 1st instant I wrote the two letters to the High Commissioner of which your Excellency has received Copies from Mr Consul Parkes, as well as a Copy of the High Commissioner's reply to the first. The result has been, my resuming offensive operations this day against the Government Buildings in the City, from the Encounter, Samson, and the Dutch Folly, which, as far as can be at present ascertained, will be continued to-morrow. I have,&c.,
M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
His Excellency
SIR JOHN BOWRING, LL.D.,
Sia,
H. M. Plenipotentiary,
Mongkong.
Encounter, ar CANTON, 6th November, 1856. Since my communication of the 3d instant, my operations have been limited,—1st, to shewing the Authorities that it is in our power to throw shot and shell to reach the most distant of the City Forts and Government Buildings, and this morning, in consequence of a most menacing number of War Junks having collected under the protection of the French Folly fort, and it appearing absolutely neces sary for the security of our position that they should be dispersed or destroyed, the Baracoute and Coro- mandel steam vessels, with our armed Boats, success- fully accomplished this service, though, I regret to state, not without the loss of I man killed, and 3
wounded.
Considerable resistance was offered, and the fire from the Junks and Fort, in the early part of the operation, was stoutly maintained. The security of our position here will now be the main object of our exertions.—I have, &c.,
M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency
SIA JOHN Bowring, LL.D..
No. 253.
Her Majesty's Plenipontentiary,
Hongkong.
Government HOUSE, HONGKONG, 8th November, 1856. SIR,I have received Your Excellency's Despatch of the 6th instant, informing me that shot and shell had been thrown into the most distant of the City Forts and Government Buildings, and announcing the destruction of a large number of Chinese War-junks and the capture of the French Folly Fort.
I have to express to Your Excellency my great and admiring sense of the consummate skill and pru- dence with which the military operations have been directed, and to all concerned my thorough apprecia- tion of the promptitude, zeal, and bravery which bave given them such successful results. Whatever may have been the importance of the question which ne- cessitated the first appeal to hostilities, it has now assumed a character seriously involving all our present and future relations with China, and I am of opinion that every thing possible should be done to give effect to Treaties which have been pertinaciously and reck- lessly violated. A small and turbulent fraction of the population of China cannot be allowed to supersede the engagements of their Emperor to the Sovereign of Great Britain.
I submit to Your Excellency, that the next step to be taken should be, a notice to the Imperial Commis- sioner, that unless within a period to be fixed by you, your reiterated demands are complied with, the Bogue Forts will be destroyed.
I think it should also be stated, that the object of our entering the City is to carry forward a work of peace and amity, to put a stop to the miseries whose infliction has been rendered imperative by the resist ance to lawful requirements, and to prevent their re- currence on any future occasion.-I have, &c.
JOHN BOWRING. To His Excellency Rear-Admiral
SIR MICHAEL Seymour, K.C.B.,
Naval Commander-in-Chief,
&c., &c., &c.
Niger, at Canton, 14th November, 1836. SIRI have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's Despatch of the 8th instant, submitting that the next step to be taken should be the destruction of the Bogue Forts.
Concurring in this opinion, I accordingly inform ed the High Commissioner that, unless he complied with my reiterated demands within 24 hours, I should resume offensive measures, Having waited more than the stipulated time, I proceeded below the