526
Capture of Amoy.
SEP.
pletely silenced by the ships' guns, and, it is believed, they never would have been. It was not till the troops landed, that the majority of the men fled. Some were bayoneted where they stood at their guns; and two or three chief officers destroyed themselves—one, strange to say, by walking coolly into the water. "The troops landed at several points, and drove all before them. The batteries ou Red Point were almost entirely disregarded. By six o'clock the Modeste, and some of the other vessels, were at anchor in the Inner Harbor. The troops, having passed through the southern suburbs, mounted the heights between them and the chief town, where they bivouack- ed for the night, and entered the citadel next morning. Thus fell the boasted strength of Amoy.
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The wall of the long battery was found to be a masterly piece of work. When looked at from the sea, it had appeared as a town wall, with sand batteries in front; but instead of this, it was a strong and thick wall, of good height, with only small low gun-ports, and a de- fense between one gun-port and another of a thick earth battery of equal height with the wall over each gun-port, too, mud was laid, so as to prevent the striking off of splinters from the stone.
About 100 sizeable junks were found in the Inner Harbor, which is spacious, well-protected, and having good anchorage.
The 27th, Friday, was occupied by sir Hugh Gough in possessing himself of the citadel and town. Late in the day, the plenipotentiary and admiral landed, and visited the town.
Yen Pihtow, the governor of Fuhkeën and Chěkeäng, having been for some little time past residing at Amoy, must have been spectator of the fight; but no certain information could be obtained, regarding either him or of adıniral Tow Chinpew, commander-in-chief of the naval forces of the province. The admiral, it was said, had on a cruise. Yen and Tow are both natives of Canton.
gone out
In course of this day, the body of the officer who had walked into the water, was found lying on the beach. If he was actually the per- son he was stated to be-the tsungping—he was the chief in coin" mand at the time, having left his usual station at Quemoy to take the place of the absent admiral.
On the 28th, early in the morning, the plenipotentiary and admiral landed, and went up to sir Hugh's quarter in the city. Sir Henry visited several of the large buildings in the citadel; and in course of the day, removed with his suite, on board the Blenheim.
Here we must close these details for the present, only remarking that, the Druid 42, Pylades 18, and the Algerine 10, with three