Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 309

1841.

Journal of Occurrences.

295

and Morss, with a few of their people, were the only foreigners who remained at the factories during the night.

Saturday morning, the 22d, at an early hour, a boat, belonging to the American ship Morrison, with four seamen, an officer and three passengers, pushed off for Whampoa, carrying a "chop" written in large characters, and so displayed that it could easily be read. The boat was fired on, before she was out of sight of the factories, and the passengers and the crew (excepting one man, who is said to have been killed) were taken prisoners, and carried into the city. Of the whole party, one only escaped without wounds, and some were se- verely injured. Such conduct in the face of the prefect's edict ought not to be passed without the severest chastisement.

The Louisa and Aurora received a few shot, but succeeded in re- tiring in good style down the Macao passage.

At daylight, the Modeste, Pylades, Algerine, and Nemesis-hav- ing now done with the fire-rafts,-moved up to silence the western fort at Shameen. This done, the Nemesis, followed by boats at some distance, pushed further on to the destruction of a large flotilla, lying pear the westernmost packhouses, where 39 war-junks and fishing smacks, and about as many fire-boats, were burnt.

During the morning at about 8 o'clock,-the rabble began to en- ter the factories; and all those east of Hog-lane were gutted, The large mirrors, chandeliers, &c., in the British Hall were all dashed to pieces. The clock and all its appurtenances were hauled down, not excepting the vane on the top of the belfrey. The rabble also entered the chapel, destroying everything they could lay their hands on, not excepting the beautiful stone monument and tablet, erected on the east wall in memory of one of the former chiefs of the British factory.

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In the midst of this confusion, Mr. Morss succeeded in getting his boat from the factory to the river, and effected an escape to the Ne- mesis, and in safety reached Whampoa. Mr. Coolidge was not so fortunate, but was carried off into the city, where he met the party that had been taken from the boat of the Morrison. More particu lars concerning their treatment shall be given in the sequel-suffice it here to remark, that they were all released on Monday.

'The confusion and consternation of Saturday were evidently some- what increased by two fires, one of which broke out in the western suburbs near the fort at Shameen, the other was on the south of the river in Honam. They did not burn very extensively. By night; fall, all was quiet.

The fire-rafts, boats and junks were numérous, and the Chinese hoped to have done great damage therewith. Besides those which were put in motion in Friday night, others on subsequent days were set on fire further down the river, attempting the destruction, some at the Bogue of the Wellesley, and some of the Scaleby Castle near the Second Bar. In the latter instance, which happened on the 24th, a very serious accident occurred. By a boat's crew from the Scaleby, one of the rafts on shore was boarded, and some of the

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