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the men were then landed and stormed a battery of thirty guns (which had been silenced by the Auckland) and spiked the guns.
The junks were all armed, one carrying sixteen, the others twelve guns each, besides a large number of 2-pounder swivels, jingalls, and matchlocks, and plenty of ammunition; the latter igniting rendered the destruction of junks complete
In an affair of this nature under a heavy cross-fire from five batteries and four junks, some loss must occur. [Two officers were wounded and one seaman killed and five wounded.]
The enemy must have suffered severely, the boarders having turned the junks' guns on them as they were escaping to the shore.
On the 16th [next day] I directed the Eaglet to return to Hong Kong; the junks were still burning, but at the time of Auckland's departure (at noon) nearly consumed.
The enemy have thus lost five fine vessels of their fleet.
Tung Chung now is purely agricultural: it has twenty-nine villages and hamlets, while behind it is a large area of forest, including one of the few remaining patches of ancient woodland.
Above the plain is a mountain ridge reaching 2,700 feet in height. On its summit is a line of bungalows put up by missionaries for summer holidays. On the flank of Lantau Peak across the plain is a Buddhist monastery, whose head has recently built a bridge across the Ma Wan Creek, and a small jetty for boats.
The old yamen of the Taipang commander's subordinate still exists, and is one of the places where the District Officer can hold a small debts court.
From Tung Chung a road goes over the hills to Tai O via a high plateau full of Buddhist retreats, temples, and fasting halls, often used by Chinese". There has been a big increase in the numbers of these Buddhist retreats since the so-called "anti-superstitution" campaign in China.