1841.
Journal of Occurrences.
293
This falsehood and this treachery were early known to many na- tives, as they now confess, and were suspected by some few foreign- ers. Fresh troops were daily arriving at the city: but, it was said, they had been ordered hither by the emperor, and sufficient time had not elapsed for the orders to be countermanded. They were quar- tered in the city, because the temples there afforded them convenient shelter from the rains of the season. New cannon were being cast at Fatshan, because many of the old ones had become useless. Thus and thus the Chinese excused every overt act that attracted notice, while in secret they were maturing their plans and collecting the means for destruction.
When it was stipulated that Canton should be spared, it was known to the Chinese that the objects of the expedition would be pressed northward. The 15th of this month, according to common report, was the day fixed for a detachment to move from Hongkong and proceed to Amoy. Preparations were made accordingly. But before this day arrived, alarm in Canton had caused thousands of natives to leave the city; while the foreign merchants were by no means free from anxiety, believing, as many of them did, that the local govern- ment was meditating evil.
On the 10th, H. B. M.'s plenipotentiary proceeded to Canton in the Nemesis; on the 11th had an interview with the prefect, and left the city the same evening. Captain Elliot was accompanied by Mrs. Elliot-thus showing the Chinese that he entertained no suspicions of their breaking faith. We do not know what information was gained by this visit and interview with the prefect, but we suspect there was no longer any doubt in the plenipotentiary's mind of the certainty of a speedy rupture. Operations were planned accordingly. The expedition to Amoy was postponed; and the only question ap- peared to be; How it should move on Canton-should it wait for the Chinese to complete their plans, or should it strike first?
On the 17th captain Elliot again left Macao; and the commander- in-chief, sir Hugh Gough, and the senior officer of the squadron sir Le Fleming Senhouse, at nearly the same time, proceeded with their forces towards Canton.
The new guns, cast at Fatshan, had been brought to the city, and numerous batteries were erected along the river's bank from one end of the suburbs to the other, manned by full complements of soldiers. Guns and soldiers were also lodged in warehouses and temples near the river, and elsewhere in the suburbs.
Under such circumstances it was not surprising that men, women, and children, fled from the city in crowds. Many of the foreign merchants also hastened to remove with their effects, when the pre- fect issued the following edict, under the seals of his office.
"Yo, the acting prefect of Canton, issues this edict for public information, in order to calm the feelings of the merchants, and to tranquilize commercial bu- siness. It appears that the detachments of troops for Canton have all succes- sively arrived; the laws for the army, however, are very strict, and without being commissioned, soldiers can never move about to create disturbance. St it is