1841.
Bengal Governmental Notifications.
545
Extracts from the dispatches of sir H. Le Fleming Senhouse, &c., &c., dated
June 2d 1841, and addressed to commodore, sir J. J. Gordon Bremer,
I closed my former letter with the details of our proceedings up to the moment the expedition was about to leave Hongkong for Canton. I have now the grati- fication to enter upon the details of a succession of operations, highly honorable I trust to her majesty's arms, and by which the large and populous city of Canton has been laid in complete submission at the feet of the queen's forces.
No overt act of hostility had taken place up to the 21st May, except remount- ing the guns in the Shameën battery, but the Chinese appear to have been per- fectly ready for attack. All remained quiet in the river until about 11 o'clock r. M., when an attempt was made with fire rafts to burn the advanced vessels. This attack not only totally failed, but was followed up by a gallant attack on the Sha- meën battery, and the silencing of it by the vessels of the squadron, under the im- mediate supperintendence of captain Herbert of the Calliope, and the destruction of large flotilla of fire vessels, which the Chinese had been preparing, and had brought out of the branch of the river which leads north of the town. About the same time, though later in the night, the Alligator was attacked off Howqua's fort; and to show how necessary it was to have been always on our guard, the fire janks came up with the flood tide in a direction with the merchant vessels at Whampoa, where all seemed to sleep in security. Captain Kuper's account of his prompt and decisive conduct in repelling the attack, I have also No. 1.
the honor to forward.
Opinions were uncertain as to the feasibility of entering the northward branch of the river, and of floating at low water. To determine this I availed myself once more of the zeal and great ability of commander Belcher, who most hand- somely volunteered to explore it with his own boats, assisted with three others from the Pylades, and Modeste, and Algerine, all placed under the command of that gallant and judicious officer lieutenant Goldsmith of the Druid, who was attached to the Blenheim, in that ship's launch, and who had orders to protect commander Belcher in his surveying operations.
:
The major-general and myself went to Canton to make a reconnoisance and a personal inspection on the same day, the 23d. In our progress we observed a firing and explosions in the direction of captain Belcher's party; and commander Belcher's letter, a copy of which I enclose, gives the detail of a gallant No. 2.
and spirited affair which took place in the creek. At 11 at night, commander Belcher returned with the gratifying intelligence that he had dis- covered an excellent landing place on a pier, with water enough for the Sulphur close to it at low water. The ground directly around it rose in low hills, and a line of hills appeared to continue to the height near the city, although there might be swampy ground in the small vallies dividing them.
Our united force consisting of the ships and vessels named in the margin, com- prising in their crews, officers, seamen, and marines inclusive, about 3200 men, Forming the Macao fort division, out of which about 1000 officers, seamen, and Blenheim, Blonde, Sulphur, marines were landed to serve with the army. Hyacinth, Nimrod, Modeste,
The military force under that gallant, distin Pylades, Cruiser, Columbine, guished, and experienced officer major-generał Algerine, Starling. Steamers, sir Hugh Gough, comprised her majesty's 49th Atalanta and Nemesis.
regiment, 311 in number, 37th Madras natives infantry 240, Bengal Voluntee s 79, royal artil-
69
Forming the Whampoa division.
VOL. X. NO. X.