1841.
Journal of Occurrences.
527
transports, and 400 men (being one wing of the 18th, and the entire detachment, 120 or 150 men of the 26th Cameronians) were to re- mained on Koolangsu, Amoy being evacuated, and the squadron under orders for the northward, destinred it was supposed for Ning- po, Chinhae, and Chusan.
ART. VI. Journal of Occurrences: treachery of the Chinese; arms supplied to the Chinese by foreigners; bad feeling among the people; prefect of Canton and the literary graduates; fisher- men and pirates; loss of the schooner Maria; affairs at Hong- kong; Yihshan's policy; rumors of Keshen; an imperial edict. TREACHERY of the Chinese, officers and people, need not now surprise any one. Contrary to the stipulations made for the ransom of Canton, obstruc- tions have been thrown into the river, fortifications rebuilt, munitions of war collected, &c.; and it is said, there are foreigners now in the city of Canton manufacturing powder. In the beginning of August, it was found that attempts had been made to stake the river; but the Chinese government made many excuses for this, and many promises that such doings should stop. However, in the early part of this month, captain Nias-seeing that they did not desist-destroyed the defenses on Wangtong, and proceeded further up the river, destroying a number of boats, and declaring to the people, by. proclamation, that he would destroy whatever else was undertaken contrary to the previous stipulations.
2. Arms being supplied to the Chinese by foreigners is a topic on which, for the present, we shall say but little. Many particulars, of things done in this line of business, might be told, and some erroneous statements that have gone abroad might be corrected;-of these latter, we believe the reports respect- ing Mr. Coolidge to be utterly unfounded, having been assured that he has had nothing to do, directly or indirectly, in this matter. How far what has been done is to be regarded as improper, we do not feel ourselves prepared to say. The character of any given act must be determined mainly by its at tendant circumstances.
3. Much bad feeling among the people in Canton and vicinity exists: this, however, seems to be directed against certain local officers, and against fo- reign belligerents, but not against foreign merchants. The conduct of the literati towards the old prefect of Canton is a case in point; and some tran- slations, to appear in our next number, will show the popular feeling towards the belligerents. The people know they have been wronged. Their number is legion; and if the war is to be carried on against them, while they are armed with European weapons, the havoc will be dreadful, and perhaps not all one side.
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4. Row between the prefect of Canton and the literary graduates. On the 16th instant, his honor Yu Paoushun, the prefect of Canton, decked with his 'new feather,' proceeded in the due course of duty to the great Hall of Ex- amination, where the literary candidates had assembled for their annual exercises. On his entering, some of these high spirited gentry seemed res- tive, showed symptoms of discontent, and began to ridicule. For this they