1841.
Journal of Occurrences.
291
Military operations for defense of Ningpo and Chusan, since the British evacuated the latter place, have been carried forward with the utmost dispatch of which the Chinese are capable. This we were led to suspect from the tenor of imperial orders, and the circum- stances of the case. By the visit of the Columbine the fact of such works being in progress is confirmed. Similar preparations are going on along the whole line of coast, and heavy drafts are being made on the imperial and provincial treasuries for their accomplishment.
The report of the death of captain Stead, of the Pestonjee Boman- jee, noticed on page 182 in our number for March, is confirmed by intelligence which captain Clarke obtained at or near Singlo, a few miles from Ketow point. The natives in one village fled in consterna- tion, as the Columbine's boat approached the shore. At another, not far from the same, the people, who manifested no alarm, declared that the foreigner had been beaten to death at the former village.
The visit of the Columbine, capt. Clarke, with a dispatch for the government of Chěkeäng, was spurned, and all intercourse denied ; and not only so, but the most unequivocal demonstrations of hos tilities were made. She returned to Hongkong on the 11th.
The death of Mr. Field, who was lost with two officers of the Blenheim on the 26th of March, has been already noticed, on page 182. The body of Mr. Field was found washed up on shore, off the the Barrier on the morning of the 1st ultimo. It was easily recogniz- ed, and the marks it bore left little or no room to doubt that his death had been caused by violence. The only conclusion regarding the two officers is that they have also suffered the same fate, by the same hands-doubtless piratical. The whole truth of this case, and that of the Black Joke and some others, will probably never be fully disclosed in this world: if it could, and the government were impli- cated, the case of these sufferers should be registered with that of those in the Spanish ship Bilbaino. That the provincial authorities deny all knowledge of the case is naught―for again and again it has been proved that they know not what truth is.'
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Pirates, always numerous in troublesome times on these coasts, have of late showed themselves unusually bold and daring. In re- peated instances they have approached European boats; but, except it may be in the case of Mr. Field's boat noticed above, they seem not to have had any success.
On the unarmed fishing-boats, these 'water-thieves,' as the Chi- nese call pirates, have been more successful. Several have been cut off-the boats destroyed and the people killed. This (the go- vernment being otherwise occupied) has constrained the fishermen to arm for self-protection. On the 10th of the month some three hundred of these fishing smacks were in the Inner Harbor of Macao. They have procured a few small guns and again disappeared. There are other reasons assigned for their presence here: one, given by the ́'mandarins,' is that the fish outside are scarce just now! Another is that they were going to carry divers up the river to attack the queen's ships near Canton! It is quite true that they have succeeded in capturing some of the pirates,
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