1842
Stewart Mackenzie's Campaign in China
643
e24, who gave us a most hospitable reception. He had taken the most lively interest in our fate from the first to this interest and to the perseverance and strong influence which this gentleman possessed with the American consul and merchants, and exerted in our behalf, is to be attributed the success of the means adopted, and which have now come to such a successful termination. To Mr. Delano, the American vice-consul and Mr. R., American merchant, I am much indebted for their generosity in behalf of the unfortunate, and throughout they have rendered every assistance in their power to ob- tain our release from the hands of the Chinese authorities.
I would here respectfully beg to state to your excellency that our Chinese friend has in every way acted his part faithfully, and by his coöperation, in being able to have access to the officers about the person of the governor of Canton: the services rendered by him were mainly instrumental in deceiving the authorities, which with the other means and exertions of our friends has now restored us to
liberty.
J. M. DICEY.
('om late war steamer Madagascar
Hongkong, January 19th, 1842.
ART. II. Narrative of the second campaign in China.
By Keith Stewart Mackenzie, rsq., late military secretary to the com- mander-in-chief. London: Richard Bentley, 1842. Pp. 253. THIS little volume will furnish the author's particular friends with a very fair account of the details of the war, during the period Mr. Mackenzie was connected with the expedition, from the 27th of November, 1840, till the arrival of sir Henry Pottinger, August 10th, 1841. The narrative is faithful, but lacks interest, from a want of descriptions of personal adventures and natural scenery, and an al- most entire silence regarding the opinions and intentions of the com- mander-in-chief. From the military secretary of his excellency, something more was expected. We have glanced over all the pages, from beginning to the end of the book, and have found very few par- ticulars that are not already given in our own Repository. He came, as he says, with "the hope of seeing some actual service in his pro- fession:" and consequently was sadly disappointed whenever any- tlang prevented his realizing that hope.