No. 14.
Lord Stanley to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
22
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
Each of the thirty transports will, therefore, receive four of the concave plates with iron eyes, three feet of connecting chain with double hooks at each end, four small anchors, and fifteen fathoms of chain cable to each anchor, each of which cables will have a shackle bolt in the centre; that is to say, at seven and a half fathoms, to admit of its being separated or united at pleasure, according to the depth of water.
4 November 1841.
It is right to bear in mind that, in using the aforesaid spars, or booms, for protection against fire-vessels in rivers, it will be desirable so to place the anchors of each end of the spar, that the latter should not ride directly across the stream (in which position it would be more likely to yield to a vessel with a slanting stern, so as to allow such vessel to pass over it), but to anchor the spars in a diagonal line with the stream, so as to turn the vessel the easier, and thereby reduce the probability of the spar sinking. If the apex be upwards, the spars should be so placed above the head of the ship so as to ensure throwing any floating body clear of each side of her; if the apex be downwards, cause the floating body to be turned and ultimately stopped in the centre, if not upset by the tide pressing on its broad side.
The anchors sent are of 4 cwt. each, and the chain cable of 1 inches. It will be proper to send to the Governor-general by this mail a small model of the boom and chains which I have above described.
Her Majesty's Government depend upon the Governor-general for providing the spars for booms. Each transport should at least carry two, as before directed. With reference to the twelfth paragraph of the letter of the Governor-general to the late President of the India Board above mentioned, I have to inform your Lordship that provisions for six months for 10,000 Europeans will be sent from this country to Singapore, at the same time with the artillery and stores above mentioned.
I have likewise to inform your Lordship that the Queen's 98th regiment, 720 strong, will proceed direct to Singapore, and arrive there early in April.
This regiment may be employed during the ensuing season in operations on the coast of China; but it is to be understood that so soon as its services can be dispensed with, it is to be sent to Mauritius to relieve the 87th Foot.
The Governor-general should be directed to provide a sufficient number of followers for the 98th regiment, and send them to meet that regiment at Singapore; and he should not neglect to send at the same time for the use of that regiment any articles of convenience or comfort with which a regiment proceeding from India would have provided itself.
I have instructed the General Commanding-in-Chief to select an additional officer, of the rank of Major-general, to serve on the staff of the expedition.
That officer, and a company of Royal Artillery, and the 98th regiment, are to receive the usual Indian allowances.
I request that your Lordship will move the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors to instruct the Governor-general of India in Council in the terms of my present communication to your Lordship.
- No. 14.-
Copy of a LETTER from Lord Stanley to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
My Lords,
Downing-street, 4 November 1841. REFERRING to the Letter which I had the honour to address to your Lordships on the 3d instant, I now transmit to your Lordships an extract of a communication which I have addressed to the President of the Board of Control, and which will form the basis of an instruction, to be conveyed through the usual channels to the Governor-general of India, explanatory of the special provision which is to be made for protecting the transports employed in the expedition to China against fire-rafts or vessels; and I am to convey to your Lordships the Queen's pleasure that you provide and send out to China the requisite number and quantities of anchors and chain-cables described in my communication to the President of the Board of Control.
I have likewise to signify to your Lordships the Queen's pleasure, that you provide and send out to China provisions for six months for 10,000 men.
Your Lordships will further make provision for the conveyance to China of a company of artillery, and of a quantity of ordnance and munitions of war, as specified in the accompanying Return; and you will take the necessary measures that the artillery and all the stores and provisions enumerated in this letter arrive at Singapore early in the ensuing month of April.
Enclosure in No. 14,
I have, &c. (signed) Stanley.
Six 24lb. guns, iron, with wooden carriages and wooden traversing platforms, front pivot.
Two 18lb. guns, iron, with travelling carriages and limbers.
300 rounds per gun, for the six 24 and two 18-pounders.
Two 18-pounder waggons.
200 shot rockets for the 24-pounders,
100 shell ditto.
200 shot rockets, 12-pounders.
100 shell ditto.
200 shot rockets, 6-pounders.
100 ditto, 3-pounders
100 ditto, 1-pounder.
Four tubes for firing the rockets.
As it is understood that the smallest calibre of horse artillery gun at Fort George is a 6-pounder, 1,000 pounds of spherical case shot for 6-pounders will be sent with ammunition.
-No. 15.-
EXTRACT of a LETTER from Lord Stanley to the President of the Board of Control.
Downing-street, 31 December 1841.
Encl. in No. 14.
No. 15.
It must, I fear, be assumed, that whatever be the successes of the British arms during the present campaign, they can hardly have been so decisive as to encourage the hope of their leading to an honourable and satisfactory conclusion of the war in which we are engaged; and Her Majesty's Government have thought it necessary not only not to relax the efforts which have been made, but to increase the force which has been hitherto employed upon the coasts of China, and to make preparations for an early and vigorous prosecution of the war.
It is, I am persuaded, unnecessary to impress upon the Governor-general of India, who is charged with the general superintendence of the war, that the only objects which Her Majesty desires to obtain are, satisfaction for the injuries to which her subjects have been exposed, and for the insults which have been offered to Her Crown, and the establishment of peaceful and friendly commercial relations with China, upon such a footing as shall afford permanent and effectual security against the recurrence of similar misunderstandings for the future. Her Majesty desires no acquisition of territory, nor any advantages for her own subjects which should not equally be shared by other nations; and to the attainment of these objects, and these alone, the efforts of Her Majesty's forces are to be directed.
Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that the most probable means of obtaining these objects would be, the occupation of a position which would enable them effectually to control the internal commerce of the Chinese empire, and thus render the moral pressure upon the Court of Pekin irresistible. Such a position, they think, would be attained by ascending the Yang-tse-Kiang with a sufficient force to take and retain possession of the island which lies at the intersection of that river with the grand canal of China; and, as at present advised, it is to that object that the principal efforts of 1842 should be directed; but beyond this general intimation of intentions, which are themselves liable to be altered by information which we may shortly receive, I should deem it inexpedient to fetter the discretion of the Governor-general by attempting at present to give him any precise instructions.
Page 256
23
Your
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA.
256
No. 14.
Lord Stanley to the Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty,
22
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
Each of the thirty transports will, therefore, receive four of the concave plates with iron eyes, three feet of connecting chain with double hooks at each end, four small anchors, and fifteen fathoms of chain cable to each anchor, each of which cables will have a shackle bolt in the centre; that is to say, at seven and a half fathoms, to admit of its being separated or united at pleasure, according to the depth of water.
4 November 1841.
It is right to bear in mind that, in using the aforesaid spars, or booms, for pro- tection against fire-vessels in rivers, it will be desirable so to place the anchors of each end of the spar, that the latter should not ride directly across the stream (in which position it would be more likely to yield to a vessel with a slanting stern, so as to allow such vessel to pass over it), but to anchor the spars in a diagonal line with the stream, so as to turn the vessel the easier, and thereby reduce the probability of the spar sinking. If the apex be upwards
the spars should be so placed above the head of the ship so as to ensure throwing any floating body clear of each side of her; if the apex be downwards cause the floating body to be turned and ultimately stopped in the centre, if not upset by the tide pressing on its broad side.
ت
to
The anchors sent are of 4 cwt. each, and the chain cable of 1 inches. It will be proper to send to the Governor-general by this mail a small model of the boom and chains which I have above described.
Her Majesty's Government depend upon the Governor-general for providing the spars for booms. Each transport should at least carry two, as before directed. With reference to the twelfth paragraph of the letter of the Governor-general to the late President of the India Board above mentioned, I have to inform your Lordship that provisions for six months for 10,000 Europeans will be sent from this country to Singapore, at the same time with the artillery and stores above mentioned.
I have likewise to inform your Lordship that the Queen's 98th regiment, 720 strong, will proceed direct to Singapore, and arrive there early in April.
This regiment may be employed during the ensuing season in operations on the coast of China; but it is to be understood that so soon as its services can be dispensed with, it is to be sent to Mauritius to relieve the 87th Foot.
The Governor-general should be directed to provide a sufficient number of followers for the 98th regiment, and send them to meet that regiment at Singa- pore; and he should not neglect to send at the same time for the use of that regiment any articles of convenience or comfort with which a regiment proceeding from India would have provided itself.
I have instructed the General Commanding-in-Chief to select an additional officer, of the rank of Major-general, to serve on the staff of the expedition.
That officer, and a company of Royal Artillery, and the 98th regiment, are to receive the usual Indian allowances.
I request that your Lordship will move the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors to instruct the Governor-general of India in Council in the terms of my present communication to your Lordship.
- No. 14.-
Copy of a LETTER from Lord Stanley to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
My Lords,
Downing-street, 4 November 1841. REFERRING to the Letter which I had the honour to address to your Lordships on the 3d instant, I now transmit to your Lordships an extract of a communi- cation which I have addressed to the President of the Board of Control, and which will form the basis of an instruction, to be conveyed through the usual channels to the Governor-general of India, explanatory of the special provision which is to be made for protecting the transports employed in the expedition to China against fire-rafts or vessels; and I am to convey to your Lordships the Queen's pleasure that you provide and send out to China the requisite number and quantities of anchors and chain-cables described in my communication to the President of the Board of Control.
I have likewise to signify to your Lordships the Queen's pleasure, that you provide and send out to China provisions for six months for 10,000 meu.
Your
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA.
256
23
Your Lordships will further make provision for the conveyance to China of a company of artillery, and of a quantity of ordnance and munitions of war, as specified in the accompanying Return; and you will take the necessary measures that the artillery and all the stores and provisions enumerated in this letter arrive at Singapore early in the ensuing month of April.
Enclosure in No. 14,
I have, &c. (signed) Stanley.
Six 241b. guns, iron, with wooden carriages and wooden traversing platforms, front pivot.
Two 18lb. guns, iron, with travelling carriages and limbers.
300 rounds per gun, for the six 24 and two 18-pounders.
Two 18-pounder waggons.
200 shot rockets for the 24-pounders,
100 shell ditto.
200 shot rockets, 12-pounders.
100 shell ditto.
200 shot rockets, 6-pounders.
100 ditto, 3-pounders
100 ditto, 1-pounder.
Four tubes for firing the rockets.
As it is understood that the smallest calibre of horse artillery gun at Fort George is
a 6-pounder, 1,000 pounds of spherical case shot for 6-pounders will be sent with ammu- nition.
-No. 15.-
EXTRACT of a LETTER from Lord Stanley to the President of the Board of Control.
Downing-street, 31 December 1841.
Encl. in No. 14.
No. 15.
Ir must, I fear, be assumed, that whatever be the successes of the British arms Lord Stanley to during the present campaign, they can hardly have been so decisive as to encou- the President of rage the hope of their leading to an honourable and satisfactory conclusion of the war in which we are engaged; and Her Majesty's Government have thought Control,
the Board of
it 31 December 1841.
necessary not only not to relax the efforts which have been made, but to increase the force which has been hitherto employed upon the coasts of China, and to make preparations for an early and vigorous prosecution of the war.
It is, I am persuaded, unnecessary to impress upon the Governor-general of India, who is charged with the general superintendence of the war, that the only objects which Her Majesty desires to obtain are, satisfaction for the injuries to which her subjects have been exposed, and for the insults which have been offered to Her Crown, and the establishment of peaceful and friendly commercial rela- tions with China, upon such a footing as shall afford permanent and effectual security against the recurrence of similar misunderstandings for the future. Her Majesty desires no acquisition of territory, nor any advantages for her own sub- jects which should not equally be shared by other nations; and to the attainment of these objects, and these alone, the efforts of Her Majesty's forces are to be directed. Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that the most probable means of obtaining these objects would be, the occupation of a position which would enable them effectually to control the internal commerce of the Chinese empire, and thus render the moral pressure upon the Court of Pekin irresistible. Such a position, they think, would be attained by ascending the Yang-tse- Kiang with a sufficient force to take and retain possession of the island which lies at the intersection of that river with the grand canal of China; and, as at present advised, it is to that object that the principal efforts of 1842 should be directed; but beyond this general intimation of intentions, which are themselves liable to be altered by inforination which we may shortly receive, I should deem it inexpedient to fetter the discretion of the Governor-general by attempting at present to give him any precise instructions.
596.
*
C 4
*
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