sons, were laid upon their backs, in the bottom of a boat,
and carefully covered over with mats. Scarcely , how
ever, had they fairly got away from the island, when
another misfortune threatened to consign them to the
most bitter fate. An armed mandarin -boat passed
close by them , and hailed the Chinese boatmen, asking
for news about the wrecks. What a prize was at this
moment within their grasp ! No less than twenty thou
sand dollars had been already offered as a reward for
the capture either of Captain Elliot or Sir Gordon Bre
mer. Had the boatmen been treacherous enough to be
tray their charge (and Captain Elliot was personally
known to them ), what a grand display Her Majesty's
two Plenipotentiaries would have made in Pekin , car
ried about in bamboo cages, like wild beasts ! What
proclamations and boastings ! What promotions and
rewards ! But, happily, this was not to be ; and , in a
SCENE OF DEVASTATION . 109
few hours, the party landed safely in the inner harbour
of Macao ; Captain Elliot having for his costume a
jacket, without any shirt ; the Commodore, a blue
worsted frock ; and each of them a pair of striped
trowsers. To crown all, in this unhappy plight, the
moment the two high functionaries were recognized by
the Portuguese officer of the guard , the latter were
ordered to “ turn out,” as a mark of respect; but were
soon induced to defer it until a more fitting oppor
tunity.
Boats were now sent off, without delay, together
with an interpreter, in order to rescue the other suf
ferers ; and at last they all arrived safely in Macao, on
the 25th of July.
But it is time to return from this digression to the
harbour of Hong Kong, just at the time when the height
of the typhoon had passed over. Towards noon, the
wind veered round aa little to the southward of east ; at
two p. m., it began to moderate ; and at three p. m .,
its severity had past. Before sunset, the haze began to
clear off aa little, and gradually the scene of devastation
became more and more visible, and presented such a
frightful spectacle, that you could hardly believe that
it was the same harbour of Hong Kong, which had been
recently so gay and tranquil, with crowds of shipping
upon the smooth surface of its waters. The shore was
covered with wrecks and stranded boats, and the tem
porary buildings on shore had disappeared altogether.
Many of our ships were now found to be missirig,
having been driven out to sea during the fury of the
gale. Among the latter was II. M. schooner, Starling,
110 SCENE OF DEVASTATION .
about which great apprehensions were entertained . It
was feared that she might have foundered, with all hands
on board .
On the following morning, at daylight, the Nemesis
was ordered to go out and render assistance to any ves
sels in distress, and to bring off people from the wrecks;
and particularly to look out for the Starling, in case she
should have gone on shore upon any of the neighbouring
islands. No time was to be lost. In every direction
immediate assistance was required, and many poor fel
lows were rescued by the Nemesis from a watery grave.
It was curious to remark how completely every vessel
that had gone on shore was torn to pieces, and in so short
a space of time; every part ofthem was broken up, and
the fragments were floating about the harbour and lining
the shores on every side, above high -water mark . A
number of artillerymen and sappers were taken off the
wreck of one of our prize war -junks which had gone on
shore ; and the whole crew of the Prince George mer
chant ship were likewise saved from one of the neigh
bouring islands upon which they had been wrecked ;
but the captain of the vessel refused to leave the island,
where he vainly persisted in seeking for the body of his
unfortunate wife, who was drowned when first the ves
sel struck .
Not being able to gain any tidings of the Starling,
the Nemesis proceeded on through the Capsingmoon
passage, towards Lintin, in the hope that she might
have taken refuge under that island. Fortunately, she
was now descried beating up gallantly through the pas
sage towards Hong Kong, and , as soon as the steamer
THE STARLING . 111
ran alongside, there was a general cheer of congratula
tion. The tale was very soon told. During the height
of the typhoon, the Starling had parted a cable, and, as
she was now drifting fast, Captain Kellett at once slip
ped the other, in the hope of being able to run through
the Capsingmoon passage, as his only chance of safety.
With very great exertion and good seamanship, he for
tunately succeeded in the attempt, even in the midst of
the typhoon, and had even managed to lie -to and pick
up some unfortunate Chinamen , who were floating past
him upon the wreck of their shattered junk. At length
he succeeded in getting under the lee of the island of
Lintin, where he brought up with a common boat's an
chor, having a couple of guns fastened to the cable.
By the aid of this contrivance he rode out the gale,
until it moderated sufficiently for him to get under
weigh, and attempt to return to Hong Kong. The
Nemesis, however, now took the Starling in tow, and
great was the surprise and joy of every one at Hong
Kong when the two vessels were seen standing in to
gether in safety.
In this typhoon, H. M. S. Sulphur, Algerine, Royalist,
and the schooner, Hebe, were dismasted ; and at least
twenty merchant vessels and transports were either driven
ashore or were dismasted, and suffered other injuries.
Five days afterwards, on the 26th, there was a recur
rence of the typhoon, which the Nemesis rode out very
easily in the Typa anchorage at Macao ; but it was not
so severe as the first one, and comparatively little injury
was caused by it. There is reason to believe also, that,
had all the ships at Hong Kong been moored in proper
112 ARRIVAL OF POTTINGER.
berths, and early precautions taken , before the com
mencement of the first typhoon , the danger and the da
mage inflicted would have been much less severe.
No time was lost in refitting the ships, and prepara
tions were now hastened for the advance of our forces
upon Amoy, and for pushing on our operations further
northward , while the favourable season lasted . Sir
Gordon Bremer had returned from Calcutta, in the
Queen steamer, on the 18th of June, having been invested
with the functions of Joint- Plenipotentiary, in conjunc
tion with Captain Elliot . This high honour was, how
ever, of short duration ; for, on the 9th of August, Sir
Henry Pottinger arrived from England, viâ Bombay,
having been appointed sole Plenipotentiary and Chief
Superintendent of trade in China : he was accompanied
by Vice -Admiral Sir William Parker, by whom all the
subsequent naval operations were conducted.
AMOY 113
CHAPTER XXVI .
AMOY.
Arrival of reinforcements — Sir Henry Pottinger's first proclamation
Announcement to the authorities at Canton - His refusal to see the
Prefect - Dismay of the great man in consequence - Good effect upon
the Chinese - Preparations of Sir William Parker for advance upon
Amoy - Departure of the fleet from Hong Kong - Captain Elliot and
Sir Gordon Bremer leave for England - Notices of Amoy - Situation
and appearance of the town — Description of its defences — Their great
extent-Island of Kolingsoo - Attempts to negociate - Reply of the
Plenipotentiary-General order of Sir Hugh Gough-Orders against
plundering - Attack commences 26th of August — Positions of ships
against the batteries — Landing of the troops — Party from the Nemesis
joins the advanced guard of the 18th - Captain Hall the first upon the
walls — Personal combat — The long fort captured-Kolingsoo taken
Accident to the Nemesis Occupation of the city on the 27th - Curious
scenes — Boldness of Chinese plunderers — Evidences of infanticide
Harassing duties — Tiger soldiers — Description of Kolingsoo - Ameri
can missionaries— Remarks on the prospect of OPENING China BY
MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE_Errors to be guarded against-Garrison
left on Kolingsoo - Our troops quit Amoy - Re- embarkation.
Not long after our forces had withdrawn from Canton,
the Emperor of China issued one of his peculiar procla
mations, to the effect that “ the imperial troops had
now been sent with songs of triumph to their homes,
VOL . II . I
114 ARRIVAL OF THE PLENIPOTENTIARY .
and the deceptions and mistakes of both parties were
therefore to be forgotten.” He, probably, little expected
-
that the so-called “ songs of triumph ” would so soon be
converted into the wailings of lamentation . Such , how
ever, was soon to be the case.
At the end of July, the H. C. steamer, Phlegethon ,
Lieutenant M‘Cleverty, nearly the exact counterpart
of the Nemesis, arrived at Hong Kong, bringing the
intelligence that Captain Elliot's treaty of Chuenpee had
been disapproved of by the home government, and that
Sir Henry Pottinger had been appointed to succeed him ,
as sole Plenipotentiary. Shortly before this, also, her
Majesty's 55th regiment had arrived from Calcutta, and
everything indicated that a movement upon Amoy would
take place as soon as possible, after the expected arri
val of Sir Henry Pottinger as Plenipotentiary, and Sir
William Parker as Admiral. The season for active ope
rations was already advanced , and even for the sake of
the health of the troops, it was the anxious wish of all
the officers that a change of some sort or other might
speedily take place.
In the afternoon of the 10th of August, the arrival of
the H. C. steamer Sesostris, from Bombay, in the
Macao roads, was announced, and great was the joy of
every one when it was made known that both Sir Henry
Pottinger and Sir William Parker were on board . They
had come from London in the wonderfully short period
of sixty -seven days, ten of which had been spent in
Bombay .
At daylight, next morning, the Nemesis went out to
convey these high functionaries from the Sesostris, in
PROCLAMATION OF SIR H. POTTINGER . 115
the roads, to the town of Macao, where they were re
ceived with every demonstration of respect, under a
salute from the Portuguese forts. A conference was held
in the course of the morning, between Captain Elliot
and Sir Henry Pottinger, together with the Admiral
and Sir Hugh Gough . Energetic measures appeared
to be at once resolved on . Sir William Parker went
over to visit the fleet at Hong Kong, and as soon as
visits of ceremony had been exchanged between the
new Plenipotentiary and the Portuguese authorities,
Sir Henry Pottinger lost no time in publishing the
notification of his appointment, as Minister Extraordi
nary and sole Plenipotentiary, and also as Chief Super
intendent of trade in China. He further intimated to
the foreign community that it was “ his intention to
devote his undivided energies and thoughts to the pri
mary object of securing a speedy and satisfactory
close of the war, and that he therefore could allow no
consideration connected with mercantile pursuits, and
other interests, to interfere with the strong measures
which he might deem necessary to adopt towards the
government and subjects of China, with a view to com
pel an honourable and lasting peace. At the same time,
he warned all British subjects, that if they put either
themselves or their property in the power of the Chinese
authorities, during the present unsettled state of things,
it must be clearly understood to be at their own risk
and peril.”
In order to communicate officially to the Chinese
authorities the fact of his arrival, and the nature of his
powers, Sir Henry now despatched his secretary, Major
I 2
116 A DISAPPOINTMENT .
Malcolm, to Canton , as the bearer of letters to the
provincial government. The Nemesis was, as usual,
employed to carry the officers up the river. No little
sensation was created among the Chinese officials, by
the announcement which was now made to them. They
therefore resolved to welcome the Plenipotentiary with
all ceremony ; and probably, also, in the hope of being
able to form some estimate of his character, they de
spatched the prefect of the city, or Kwang-Chow-Foo,
on the 18th, to Macao, with a numerous retinue. He
landed at Macao, upon the Praya Grande, near the
governor's palace, attended by a great number of fol
lowers, and proceeded in state to the residence of the
Plenipotentiary, thinking, no doubt, that he was con
ferring a great honour upon his Excellency, and that he
would accordingly be received with every mark of dis
tinction. Alas, how are the mighty fallen ! The cere
monious Prefect was not even received. He, who had
hitherto been courted as an officer of distinction , and
had been the medium of communication , and in some
sort the ambassador, between the high Chinese authori
ties and Captain Elliot, was now absolutely rejected.
Sir Henry Pottinger, acting with an intimate knowledge
of the oriental character, and fully impressed with the
high duties he was called upon to perform , and the ligh
station he had to maintain as her Majesty's representa
tive, declined to receive or hold any direct intercourse
with an officer inferior to himself in rank and responsi
bility, and still less with one of comparatively inferior
grade, such as the Prefect of Canton .
Major Malcolm , the secretary of legation, was, how
NAVAL PREPARATIONS . 117
ever, deputed to receive the Prefect ; and, after a short
interview, the would-be great man withdrew , and re
turned in some dismay to Canton , to report the circum
stances to his superiors. The sensation created by this
little characteristic incident was very remarkable. The
Chinese of all classes, from the Viceroy to the Hong
merchants, and down to their clerks and attendants,
were thoroughly taken by surprise. They could hardly
believe that the Prefect had been rejected, and there
fore jumped to the very laudable and truly eastern con
clusion that the new Plenipotentiary must be a very
great man indeed , a much greater man than Captain
Elliot, and of course invested with higher powers. It
became the subject of conversation in every quarter, and
tended to awaken much greater respect for the dignity
of the new Plenipotentiary. The same cautious and
dignified bearing was maintained with the greatest
advantage throughout the whole of our subsequent pro
ceedings.
At Hong Kong the most active preparations were
now being made for the immediate departure of the
expedition. Excellent arrangements were introduced
by Sir William Parker, for the proper guidance of the
fleet, and especially for the distribution and manage
ment of the numerous transports and store ships. The
advantage of this systematic regularity soon became
evident ; and it is deserving of notice that, from this
period until the close of the war, the transport service
was conducted with the utmost regularity and efficiency,
in spite of the endless difficulties arising out of our
imperfect knowledge of the coast of China, and the in
118 DIFFICULTIES SURMOUNTED .
accuracy of most of the charts. Add to this, that owing
to sickness and other causes, the transports were often
under-manned, and had frequently the most arduous
duties to perform .
It redounds to the credit of the mercantile marine of
this country, and says much for the judicious arrange
ments of the admiral and all the officers under him, that
so few accidents occurred up to the close of the war.
The passage of the fleet up the Yang-tze river will be
described in its place ; but it is not too much here to
remark that, considering the intricate navigation of the
river, the rapidity of its current, and the very imperfect
knowledge of its difficulties, which we possessed, the
conducting of so large a fleet, without any serious acci
dent, up to Nankin and back again, was perhaps the most
striking event of a naval character which occurred during
the war.
By a general order of the 19th of August, issued only
nine days after the arrival of the admiral, the fleet was
directed to be ready to put to sea at daylight on the
21st. It was to be formed in three divisions, the centre
commanded by Captain Herbert, in the Blenheim , as
sisted by Commander Clarke, of the Columbine ; the
starboard division , under Captain Bourchier, in the
Blonde, assisted by Commander Gifford, in the Cruiser ;
while the 2nd, or port division, was placed under Cap
tain Smith , of the Druid, assisted by Commander Anson,
of the Pylades. It was, moreover, directed that a boat
should be held in constant readiness on board each
transport, to assist in towing the ships clear of each
other in the event of calms, and that no boat should be
THE BRITISH FLEET . 119
allowed to pass from one ship to the other, at sea, with
ont permission from the admiral or the senior officer of
the division .
The whole fleet consisted of thirty -six sail, including
transports, namely, two line-of-battle ships, the Welles
>
ley and the Blenheim ; seven other ships ofwar, namely,
the Modeste, Druid, Columbine, Blonde, Pylades, Crui
ser, and Algerine ; the Rattlesnake troop-ship, and the
Bentinck surveying -vessel ; four steamers, belonging to
the East India Company, namely, the Queen, Phlege
thon , Nemesis, and Sesostris ; and twenty -one hired
transports and store -ships, most of them of large size,
several of not less than a thousand tons burden . The
force stationed in the neighbourhood of the Canton river
comprised five or six vessels of war, including the Herald
and Alligator, and was under the command of Captain
Nias, senior officer.
Early on the morning of the 21st, the fleet got under
weigh ; but it was some time before things could be
brought to settle down a little on board the transports,
in which various changes in the arrangement of the
troops had been made.. Sir Henry Pottinger came over
from Macao in The Queen on that day, just as the fleet
had sailed ; and, as he stopped some time at Hong
Kong to inspect the place, and examine the various
arrangements which had already been made, he did not
join the admiral until the following day. The general
rendezvous, in case of separation, was to be Chapel Is
land, not far from Amoy. The weather was extremely
favourable during the whole passage up, and, on the
25th, the whole squadron reached the outer harbour of
120 ATTACK ON AMOY .
Amoy, having preserved the order of sailing remarkably
well throughout .
The late plenipotentiaries, Captain Elliot and Sir
Gordon Bremer, sailed from Hong Kong, and finally
took leave of China, three days after the departure of
the expedition, on board the Atalanta steamer, which
had become completely knocked up by her work in the
Canton river. Their intention was to proceed as quickly
as possible to England by way of Bombay.
The distance of Amoy from Hong Kong is scarcely
three hundred miles, and there were many good grounds
for making it the first point of attack, as the expedition
proceeded northward. It will be remembered that the
Blonde frigate had been compelled , in the first expedi
tion, to chastise the authorities of Amoy for their inso
lent and hostile bearing, and that this little affair was
immediately represented to the Emperor as a great vic
tory gained by them in driving off the barbarian ships ;
that, a very short time after this, the Alligator had also
been compelled to inflict similar chastisement. Besides
this, however, it must be remembered that, in former
times, the English had been allowed the privilege of
trading at Amoy, and that, at the present day, many of
the enterprising merchants of this thriving town resort,
for purposes of trade, to Singapore ; and that the people
generally were well acquainted with the English charac
ter, and favourable to their institutions. It could not
be doubted, therefore, that the capture of this flourish
ing commercial city would be seriously felt by the Chi
nese government. The authorities had, within the last
twelve months, spent enormous sums of money and in
AMOY. 121
credible labour in the construction of batteries, which
they deemed impregnable, and which were certainly
capable of being stoutly defended .
The harbour of Amoy is situated in the south -western
corner of an island of the same name, which, together
with another called Quemoy, occupies a considerable
portion of a large bay, in which, however, there are also
numerous smaller islands . Of these the most interest
ing, in connexion with our present subject, is that of
Kolingsoo, which is separated from Amoy by a narrow
passage, leading directly up to the harbour. In fact,
the possession of this island, which we still retain, gives
us the complete command of Amoy itself, or rather of
its town and suburbs.
The scenery within the bay and about the town of
Amoy is exceedingly picturesque, the appearance of tlie
country being very mountainous and striking. Several
considerable rivers pour their waters into the bay, and
facilitate the communications with the interior of the
country. The superiority of the harbour much exceeded
the expectations of the officers.
The town of Amoy, although possessed of great com
mercial importance, and very wealthy, is by no means
a first-class city ; it ranks, indeed , only as a principal
third-class town ; but its inhabitants are exceedingly
enterprising and intelligent, and are remarkable for a
certain disposition for emigration and colonization, as
well as for their love of commerce. They were the
principal colonizers of the flourishing island of Formosa,
which lies opposite Amoy, extending itself along the
coast for a distance of little less than two hundred
122 AMOY ..
miles ; and they are to be found in great numbers in
more remote islands, subject even to foreign dominion,
such as Java, Singapore, Manilla, &c.
The city and suburbs of Amoy can hardly be less than
eight or ten miles in circumference, and they are in a
great degree commanded by a fortified hill or citadel in
the rear, which, however, is again commanded (as is very
commonly the case in China) by unfortified heights be
yond it to the eastward. The suburbs, or outer town,
are separated from the principal or inner town by a line
of steep, rocky hills, which run transversely down to
the beach ; but a paved road, or narrow causeway, leads
into the city, through a pass which is protected by a
covered gateway at its summit. As there is, therefore,
what may be called аa double town, so is there also a sort
of double harbour , the outer one running along the face
of the outer town, and the inner one extending along the
front of the principal town , and joining a large estuary ,
which runs deep into the island across its centre, and
skirts the northern side of the city. In this manner ,
nearly two-thirds of the city of Amoy are washed by
the sea. In fact, it stands upon a corner or tongue of
land , having a line of bold mountains in its rear and on
its flank . The walls are castellated at top, and vary in
height, according to the nature of the ground, from
twenty to thirty feet. There are also, as in other places,
four principal gates, having each an outwork or outer
wall , with a court or open space between them , and a
second gate leading from this, and placed at right angles
to the inner one, so that the approach to it from the
outside is commanded by the principal wall of the town.
AMOY . 123
The citadel of Amoy was afterwards found to contain
a large supply of military accoutrements — ginjals,match
locks, swords, shields,and spears of all kinds ; there was
also an immense quantity of gunpowder, and materials
for making it ; in short, there was every reason to be
lieve that Amoy had been made use of as the great mili
tary depôt of the province.
It is impossible to form even a tolerable estimate of the
number of troops collected for the defence of the place,
but the different accounts which were received varied
from six thousand to eight or ten thousand men . It
was also known that the high officers of the province
had come down to Amoy purposely to encourage the
defence, and to witness, as they hoped, the utter dis
comfiture of the barbarians . It was, however , upon
their newly - constructed works that they placed their
great reliance.
Numerous forts and field -works had been erected upon
nearly all the smaller islands which stretch across the
mouth of the great bay ; and upon the island of Amoy itself
a succession of batteries and field -works had been built,
to command the approach to the town . The principal
of these was a long stone battery, well built of granite,
faced with earth, extending along the shore nearly up to
the suburbs of the city, and designed to command the
passage to the harbour. It presented a line of guns
full mile in length, the embrasures being covered with
large slabs of stone protected by earth heaped upon
them , and mounting no less than ninety-six guns. In
the rear of this battery there was a range of steep, rocky
heiylits, up the side of which the Chinese had carried a
124 AMOY .
strong castellated wall, to serve as a flanking defence
>
to the battery .
Still further to defend the approaches to the city,
they had also strongly fortified the little island of Ko
lingsoo, between which and Amoy the passage is not
more than six hundred yards across ; this island is, in
fact, the key of Amoy, and was retained in our posses
sion when the city and the island of Amoy were restored
to the Chinese. At that time, the Chinese had already
mounted upon the works, either completed or in pro
gress, no less than seventy-six guns. Indeed, they
had spared no labour to endeavour to render Amoy
capable of easy . defence; although, from want of skill
and discipline, the resistance which they offered was
comparatively trifling. If the number of guns alone
could indicate the strength of a place, the Chinese
might have had some grounds for confidence ; for, as
Sir Hugh Gough remarked, “ Every island, every pro
jecting headland, whence guns could be made to bear,
was occupied and strongly armed . ” In fact, there were
altogether not less than five hundred guns captured at
Amoy and the adjacent islands.
Early on the morning of the 26th of August, everything
was in readiness for the projected attack. The captains
and commanders repaired on board the flag-ship for or
ders ; the steamers were all smoking and blowing off
their spare steam, and the officers were all anxiously
looking for the expected signal to stand in and engage
the batteries. Before active operations commenced ,
however, it was thought right to make a reconnoissance
of the defences which were to be attacked . With this
FLAG OF TRUCE . 125
view, Sir Hugh Gough , Sir William Parker, and the
Plenipotentiary, stood in on board the Phlegethon , and
were able to approach sufficiently close to the works to
observe all that was necessary , without having a single
shot fired at them.
In the mean time, a messenger, supposed to be a
Chinese merchant, came off from the town, under a flag
of truce, requesting to know the object of the visit of
so large and formidable a squadron. The answer to
this question was simple enough, and was sent in the
name of the Plenipotentiary, the General, and the Ad
miral, to the effect that “ they required that the de
mands made last year at Tientsin (near Pekin), by Cap
tain Elliot, should be complied with ; and that hostile
measures would, if necessary, be adopted to enforce
them. Nevertheless, that, as the Plenipotentiary and
the Commanders-in-Chief were moved by compassionate
feelings, and were unwilling to cause the death of so
many officers and soldiers as must perish, they were
willing to allow all the officers and troops in the town
to retire with their personal arms and baggage, in order
to save the people from being hurt ; upon condition
that the town and fortifications of Amoy should be at
once delivered into the hands of the British forces, to
be held for the present by them .” A white flag was to
be exhibited from the fortifications, if these terms were
acceded to ; otherwise, hostilities would commence . As
might be expected, the white flag was not displayed.
The morning was very hot and sultry ; but, about
one o'clock, a steady, favourable breeze set in , and the
squalron got under weigh. The plan was, to make a
1 26 ATTACK ON AMOY .
simultaneous attack upon all the batteries at once, both
against those upon Amoy and those upon Kolingsoo.
The troops were also to be landed, with the object of
taking the batteries in the rear ; and the Nemesis and
Phlegethon steamers were to be employed to convey
them to the appointed place of debarkation.
The ships were likely to bear the chief brunt of the
engagement; but Sir Hugh Gough made every dispo
sition for the employment of the land forces, and his
general order, issued just before the attack was to take
place, deserves especial notice. He directed his remarks
very strongly to the question of plundering; and ob
served that, “ as Amoy was a large commercial port,,
and there had once been an English factory there, it
was highly important that no act should be committed
which could tend to embarrass our future friendly in
tercourse. The government and the military were to
be overcome, and public property taken possession of,
under certain instructions, but private property was to
be held inviolable ; and that which in England , ” ob
served the General, “ obtains the name of robbery, de
serves no better name in China .” The camp-followers
were made liable to be put to death for plundering; and
orders were issued to punish on the spot any man strag
gling from his corps .
This alone will suffice to point out that the expedi
tion was very far from possessing that buccaneering
character which some persons, particularly foreigners,
attempted to cast upon it. Indeed, it may safely be
asserted that war was never carried on with so little
infliction of suffering upon the people generally as in
ATTACK ON AMOY. 127
China. Generally speaking, the people soon learnt to
appreciate our motives ; and, unless prevented by their
own officers, they commonly showed a friendly, or, at
all events, a neutral feeling towards us. Besides the
English, the privilege of trading at Amoy was formerly
held by the Spanish also ; and, at no very remote period,
a regular intercourse was kept up between Amoy and
the Spanish colony of Manilla.
It was probable that the nature of the country round
Amoy would render brigade movements inadmissible ;
but the troops were to be prepared to form in three
brigades, if necessary. The men were to land in jackets,
caps, and coats folded ; and were to carry, each man ,
one day's cooked provisions. The artillery were to be
in readiness to land their light, mountain guns.
About half-past one, the attack commenced on our
side ; but the Chinese had already begun the engage
ment, by firing occasional shots at our ships, as they
proceeded with a steady and favourable breeze to their
respective stations. The Sesostris and Queen steamers
led in ; the former commencing the action ,but receiving
a heavy fire before she returned it. The line-of-battle
ships, Wellesley and Blenheim , under Captains Mait
land and Herbert, proceeded to the extremity of the
long stone-battery, nearest the suburbs, where they
anchored by the stern, about half-past two p.m. , within
four hundred yards of the works, and at once opened a
heavy fire upon the principal battery.
The next in order along the front of these works,
from the suburbs towards the outer extremity, were the
Pylades, Columbine, Cruiser, and Algerine. Simultane
128 ATTACK ON AMOY .
ously with this attack upon Amoy, the Blonde, Druid,
and Modeste reached their allotted stations, against the
works of Kolingsoo ; but, owing to the shallowness of
the water, they were boldly carried on, in little more
than their own draught.
The roar of the artillery on every side, echoed by the
mountains around, was now terrific ; ܪand, in one hour
and twenty minutes, the three principal batteries on
Kolingsoo were silenced, and the marines under Cap
tain Ellis, about one hundred and seventy in number,
were landed on that island , and took possession of the
heights in the rear, without any loss. Three companies
of the 26th regiment had also been appointed to this
service, but the distance of the transports only permit
ted a small detachment of them , under Major Johnstone,
to land in time to assist in clearing the batteries. The
small detachment of the Royal Artillery, under Lieu
tenant the Hon . R. E. Spencer, were actively employed
on board the Blonde, during the attack.
While these operations were being carried on against
the batteries on Kolingsoo, and against the long battery
on Amoy, the Phlegethon and Nemesis were speedily
brought up with the troops ready to land. The Neme
sis had taken on board the General and his staff, toge
ther with the 18th Royal Irish , under Colonel Adams ;
and had also to tow up a number of boats, with the sap
pers and miners, followers, &c. Considerable delay
was therefore occasioned by having to run up to the
different transports to embark detachments, and also to
pick up the boats ; and it was not until half-past three
that the Nemesis could get into action. She then opened
LANDING THE TROOPS . 129
fire at the long battery with her heavy guns and rockets,
as she approached the lower angle of the fort for the pur
pose of landing the troops .
It was just about this time that, as the Phlegethon
was also running up towards the battery, a boat was
despatched by Lieutenant M-Cleverty, in which Lieu
tenant Crawford volunteered his services to capture a
sinall outwork upon a hill, very near the beach ; and it
was here that the British flag was first displayed upon
the enemy's works, on that day, with three cheers from
the steamers .
About a quarter before four, the General landed upon
the beach, near the flank of the great battery, with the
18th and 49th regiments, which were carried in by the
Nemesis and Phlegethon steamers. The disembarkation
was conducted by Commander Giffard, of the Cruiser.
The 18th was directed to escalade the castellated
wall which flanked the battery ; and, as already
described, ran up the hill-side from the beach, nearly at
right angles to it. At the same time, the 49th were to
move along the beach towards the lower angle of the
battery, and either get over it at its sea-face, or force
their way through the embrasures.
A smart fire was kept up from the Nemesis, to cover
the landing and advance of the troops; and Captain Hall
himself, anxious to take an active part in every opera
tion, pushed off from the steamer, in the pinnace manned
and armed, accompanied by the unfortunate Mr. Gully,
who, as an old and brave friend, volunteered to go with
him . This was the same gentleman who afterwards fell
a victim to the rapacity and cruelty of the Chinese
VOL . II . K
130 GALLANTRY OF CAPTAIN HALL .
authorities on the island of Formosa, upon which he had
the misfortune to be wrecked, and , after seven months
imprisonment and cruel treatment, was at length exe
cuted, together with nearly all his companions.
As soon as Captain Hall and his friend had landed
with the pinnace's crew, they joined the advanced
guard of the 18th, under Major Tomlinson and Lieu
tenant Murray , who were advancing towards the lower
end of the castellated wall. The Chinese opened a
smart fire of ginjalls and matchlocks as they approached ,
which was returned by the advancing party, who took
advantage of the numerous little hillocks and tombs
which lay in their way to shelter themselves while they
reloaded .
The Chinese, finding their enemy pressing up towards
the wall, and being already bewildered by the adini
rable firing of the ships, now began to slacken their
fire. The 18th rushed for the lower end of the wall,
while the party from the Nemesis made a dash at
its flank, some way higher up near a gateway, where
the wall appeared less elevated and more accessible.
They had, however, brought no scaling -ladders, and, in
order to get over the wall, the men were obliged to be
lifted up on each other's backs. In this way Captain
Hall managed to get first upon the top of the wall, and
instantly waved the British flag, (which on such occa
sions he always carried with him in his pocket) in token
of triumph . Others soon followed ; and the Chinese, the
moment they saw their enemies upon the walls, fired
two or three random shots and fled . At this time also
the 18th got over the wall lower down, while the
PERSONAL ENCOUNTER . 131
49th forced their way through the embrasures, just
at the angle of the sea -face of the great battery.
The fire of the ships had not yet ceased, when the party
from the Nemesis got down into the body of the fort,
and several of our large shot fell close around them .
A very short distance in advance they now observed
that two Chinese officers of high rank, mounted on
horseback, were endeavouring to make their escape,
surrounded by a numerous body -guard, or retinue. The
opportunity for trying to take an important prisoner
was a tempting one ; and Captain Hall, little thinking
how few of his own men were near him , and carried
away by the impulse of the moment, rushed headlong
upon the Chinese soldiers in front of him , firing off his
pistols at the two principal officers. Only two of his
own men were near him at the moment ; so that one of
the inferior Chinese officers, seeing the disparity,
rallied a few of his men, and suddenly faced about,
with a view to cut them off. A personal encounter
now took place with the Chinese officer, who was
a remarkably fine young man, bearing the white
button . The long sword, however, soon had the ad
vantage over the Chinese short one, even putting
aside personal prowess, and the mandarin fell severely
wounded in the arm . He was immediately disarmed,
and his cap and button, together with his sword,
were taken from him as trophies. Several other sol
diers now came up, to endeavour to rescue their officer,
who got up and tried to escape, but another wound in
the leg soon brought him down again, and made the
other Chinamen halt.
K 2
132 FLIGHT OF CHINESE .
By this time, Captain Hall and his two men were
nearly surrounded, and were compelled to fight their
way back again towards their comrades, who were
coming up to their aid. One of the two seamen re
ceived a severe wound in the groin from the thrust of a
spear, but the others got off without any injury. The
young wounded mandarin was at last safely carried off
by his comrades .
The Chinese were now in full flight in every direc
tion, followed by the 18th, 49th, and a party of
small-arm men , who were landed from the Wellesley
and Blenheim, some way up the sea -face of the fort,
under Commander Fletcher and other officers of those
ships. The fort was soon completely in our possession.
During all the operations of this day, Sir Henry Pot
tinger and suite were with the admiral on board the
Wellesley .
Within the battery many dead bodies of the Chinese
were found, but not a great many wounded, because the
soldiers had managed to carry away most of the latter,
and even some of the former. The few wounded, how
ever, which were discovered , were relieved as much as
they could be for the moment, by placing them where
they were sheltered from the burning sun , giving them
water, and subsequently by attending to their wounds.
The heat and sultriness of the day were still very oppres
sive, even to those who had been fortunate enough to
escape unhurt, but to the wounded it was almost in
tolerable . The water-carriers of the regiments were
here the true guardian angels of every one ; and many
CHINESE OFFICERS . 133
a man would have probably been laid up with fever,,
had he not obtained the timely blessing of a cool
draught of water. It was the saving of many of the
wounded .
On examining the sea -face of the battery, it was im
possible not to be struck with the amazing solidity of
the wall. It was composed of hewn granite, faced out
side with earth, and of such strength, that the heavy
firing of two line of battle-ships against it , at the
distance of only four hundred yards, had made very
little impression ; indeed , it might be said to be shot
proof. The embrasures were something like low port
holes, covered with stone and earth , and in the space
between them were sheds, or a sort of temporary watch
boxes, in which was found a quantity of arms of every
kind , clothes, half- cooked food, and also opium , with
the common pipes used for smoking it. A horse also
was found . The guns were many of them very ill
mounted , and in general the carriages were badly con
trived, and often defective. In some places you saw
bags of sand placed upon the top of the guns,, to prevent
them from jumping out of the carriages altogether.
her. The
fort had evidently been armed hastily .
Several high Chinese officers fell during this day ;
some probably by their own hands. One of them very
quietly rushed into the water and drowned himself,
although, in the report of the affair to the Emperor, it
was afterwards stated , that he “rushed on to drive back
the assailants as they landed , and fell into the water and
died .” This officer was the Chinese Commodore, who
commanded in the absence of the Admiral. This officer
134 CHINESE DOCKYARD .
had left the port just before our arrival, (boasting that
he was going to meet the barbarians) and, having sailed
northward, could not get back again, owing to the con
trary wind.
Before five o'clock, the whole of the outer defences
of Amoy were in our possession. The Blonde and
Modeste, as soon as they had silenced the batteries on
Kolingsoo, with the assistance of the Druid , had pushed
on into the inner harbour, and captured twenty -six war
junks, mounting not less than one hundred and twenty
eight guns ; they were nearly ready for sea, but were
deserted by their crews. A large building -yard was
discovered, with an immense quantity of timber collected
in it ; and there was a good-sized frigate-junk, of about
three hundred tons, in course of building, in a regular
dry dock, something after the European model ; they had
evidently made a great step in advance in the art of ship
building : indeed, the longer the war lasted , the more
the Chinese found themselves led on, by the “ impulse
of necessity,” to attempt great changes, and, in many
respects, improvements, not only in their vessels, but in
their warlike weapons, and other matters relating to the
art of defence.
The 55th regiment was unfortunately deprived, through
accidental circumstances, of an opportunity of taking
part in the day's work. Owing to calms in the early part
of the morning, which delayed the attack, and partly to
the distance of the numerous transports from which the
troops had to be brought, it was late in the afternoon
before the Nemesis could proceed to take on board the
55th regiment. At this time, the usual sea-breeze had
AN AWKWARD POSITION . 135
set in, throwing up a good deal of swell, which rolled
into the bay, and rendered the trans-shipment of troops
more tedious, so that the 55th regiment were not
landed until the following morning.
The Nemesis, in running along the shore to avoid the
swell wbich was setting in, unexpectedly found herself
within a circular patch of coral rock, which was not visi
ble above the surface. Several fruitless attempts were
made to extricate her from this curious position, but
the entrance by which she had got into it could not
again be found ; but, her draught of water being very
small, it was thought likely she would be able to force
her way over the reef without suffering much damage
to her iron hull, and she dashed at it at full speed. The
blow, however ,was more severe than was expected ; the
vessel bounded completely over the reef ; but the sharp
coral rock cut completely through her bottom , making
a considerable leak in the engine-room . This was
fortunately stopped from the inside without much diffi
culty, and no further notice was taken of it until some
time afterwards , when she arrived at Chusan, where the
damage was substantially repaired. This, among many
other instances, will point out the value of iron as a
material for small steamers.
In the mean time, Sir Hugh Gough pushed on without
delay, to occupy a chain of steep, rocky hills, which,
running transversely down to the beach, lay between the
great fort and the town, so as to intercept the view of
the latter. A strong body of the Chinese seemed dis
posed to defend this position, which was naturally of
great strength, and completely commanded the approach
136 A PANIC .
to the city. Immediate advantage was to be taken of
the prevailing panic ; and the 18th and 49th regiments
being directed to advance partly up a steep gorge, and
partly by a more circuitous road leading round the hills,
soon made themselves masters of the heights overlooking
the city. The Chinese retreated before them as soon as
they had fired off their guns and matchlocks. Our
troops bivouacked for the night upon the positions they
occupied ; but they might have been a good deal ha
rassed by the Chinese, if the latter had taken advantage
of the rocky, broken character of the ground, to dispute
their further advance. The night was bitterly cold upon
the heights .
At daylight a reconnoissance was made, and it was
soon discovered that little resistance was to be expected .
Great confusion and bustle were apparent in all direc
tions ; hundreds of the inhabitants were hurrying out of
the northern gate, carrying with them their most valu
able property ; in fact, there was evidently a general
panic. Without loss of time, therefore, the 18th, sup
ported by the 49th, were ordered to march down towards
the city in the direction of the eastern gate, which was
the nearest, while Captain Cotton, the commanding en
gineer, was directed to examine carefully the approaches
to the gate itself.
The advanced party of the 18th, on arriving at the
gate, found that there was no preparation for resistance,
and soon scaled the walls by means of some ladders
which were very opportunely found not far from the
gate. Heaps of rubbish, and sacks full of earth and sand ,
were found piled up inside against the gate, so that some
CHINESE PLUNDERERS . 137
time was required to get it open. It was now discovered
that the authorities and all the soldiers had abandoned
the town , leaving every thing in the utmost disorder, so
that the only protection which the more respectable and
peaceably-inclined inhabitants had to look for, from the
violence and plundering of their own rabble, was from
>
the presence of our own troops, and the military govern
ment of the city by the victorious captors. Already the
mob had begun to ransack some of the public establish
ments before we found out where they were situated ;
and it was afterwards discovered that a good deal of
treasure must have been carried away by the thieves and
vagabonds of the town. A number of men were found
carrying out of the gates something having the appear
ance of common logs of wood ; and it was not suspected,
until too late, that these logs were hollowed out, and
filled with Sycee silver, aa very ingenious contrivance to
escape detection. A small quantity of treasure was
found in one of the large buildings, supposed to be the
office of the commandant, which was occupied by the
sappers and miners.
Most of the public offices were large and roomy
buildings, affording good accommodation for a whole
regiment of soldiers. The pile of buildings belonging
to the Admiral's department was assigned to the 18th
and the staff, being within the walled town ; while the
49th were quartered in the outer town , in a large build
ing belonging to the office of the Intendant of Cir
cuit. The 55th occupied an extensive range of build
ings belonging to the Prefect of Amoy ; the artillery
138 CHINESE THIEVES .
retaining possession of a commanding position overlook
ing both the city and the outer town.
Late in the day, and also on the following morning,
Sir Henry Pottinger and Sir William Parker landed to
take a view of the town ; but, after visiting the princi
pal buildings, they returned on board ship.
Numerous patrols were found necessary, by day and
night, in order to preserve quiet in the public streets,