t
}
1841.
Attack on Canton.
341
impiety of the rebels has attained to such a degree, that nothing but their blood can appease the wrath of offended heaven, whose vice- gerent has resolved no longer to exercise mercy towards his disobe- dient subjects. This is not an exaggerated view of the case, as it appears in the eyes of the Chinese. The emperor, in maintaining the honor and rights bequeathed to him by heaven, has already issued his decree for an entire and indiscriminate extermination; and this the high officers are sworn to execute. The promises of Yangfang and Eleäng, to abstain from hostilities, were to be observed no further than was necessary for purposes of deception, in keeping from public view the preparations going on to fulfill the imperial will. While promising to abstain from hostilities, these officers engaged with the other authorities, in erecting new batteries, in reärming old ones, and in collecting an immense flotilla of war and fire-boats-all of which, at the proper time and at the points most convenient, were to be put in requisition. Complete success in these deceitful pur- As the advantages poses was to be the sure and triumphant result.
rents.
were to be great, no expense was to be spared. With such high anticipations, these officers deceived both themselves and their adhe- The better to carry out their plans for destruction, both the native inhabitants and the foreign merchants at Canton, were assured by repeated proclamations, that their properties and their persons should be protected in perfect safety. These solemn assurances, made in the most public manner under the seals of the imperial commis- sioners and of the principal and subordinate authorities of the city, were repeated until the very day on which their combined attacks' were to be made.
Thus, by the Chinese, the terms of the armistice were broken both in their letter and spirit. When duly called upon to return to the conditions of their agreement, and to remove the guns with which they had been reärming their batteries, they refused compliance. This conduct left but one course open for the British officers. The commander-in-chief of H. B. M.'s forces was not long in bringing them in from the outer waters, while the foreign merchants were advised by captain Elliot, then in Canton, to prepare for an early withdrawal from the provincial city.
Before sunset on Friday night, May 21st, captain Elliot had em- barked, the guard had been withdrawn, and no British merchants (as such) remained in the factories. The business and bustle of the day closing in as the darkness of the evening came on, no signs of immediate hostilities were visible. Everything and all apparently