1842.
Positions of the British and Chinese Forers.
43:3
Yiking), but for the strongly urged remoustrances, as we are led to believe, of the governor, Liú Yunko. With the left wing, at Kiáking fú, is Húcháu, another joint commissioner, who having gained rank and nobility by the war of 1831 against Jehanguir and his Túrks, at Cashgar and Yárkand in the farthest west, hopes now to adorn himself with honors wrested by his own right hand from the English on the sea-coasts of the east. At Sháuhing, with the right wing, is Chin Kiáiping, an aged man, lately retired from the chief command in Fukien, but now agaiu called forth as joint commissioner and commander-in-chief in Chekiáug,-with whom are associated the active and intelligent old general Yü Púyun, late commander-in-chief of the provincial force, and all those who, with him retired, defeated, froin Chinhái and Ningpò, after the death of that savage self-confi- dent generalissimo, Yükien. Under these numerous officers are assembled many thousands of select troops from almost every pro- vince of the empire, foremost among whom stands a detachment of the imperial guards,—a body of the men of Kánsu, tall and athletic inheritors of the blood of Mohammedan Túrks and Tartars,—and a band of aborigines from the mountain fastnesses of Húkwáng or of Sz'chuen, called forth now to meet the new invaders of the country, from whose plains they themselves have by former invaders been long since expelled.
Against this whole force we find marshaled, under the gallant lieut.-general and vice-admiral, sir Hugh Gough, and sir William Parker, besides the necessary detachments of royal and Madras artillery and engineers, only four regiments of foot, the 18th, 26th, 49 h and 55th (none of them complete) and two battalions from the navy, consisting of royal marines and seamen. And of so small an array, portions must yet be left to rest upon Chinhái and Tinghái, while the main body is moving forward to meet the left and centre of the Chinese army. That army met and worsted, its right wing will alone remain, hemmed in, resourceless, between the division of the British force at Chinhái and at Hangchau,-and quickly as the dew must it dissolve away. But so dispelled it will become yet more formidable than in its entirety, if, instead of withdrawing from one field of battle to seek elsewhere another, the British forces should repose from their toils ainid the scattered, but not subjected, multi- tudes of the enemy. Blow must succeed rapidly to blow, if final suc- cess is to be hoped for. It was by the windmills in active motion that the redoubtable Don Quixote was worsted: he might have come off scatheless in the collision with them, in the calm and idle rest of a breathless summer's day