Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 360

1841.

Attack on Canton,

343

abandoned their fire-ships for their small boats, that some of them drifting alongside were shot down by the musquetry from the ship's deck. In concert with the movements of these fire-vessels, the guns in the batteries at the Western fort opened on the ships. Other bat- teries, imitating them, commenced firing on the Louisa and Aurora. By the light of the burning boats, a large number of other similar craft were seen under sail, intending no doubt to have followed the first ones, had they taken effect. At nearly the same hour, the Alligator was menaced by similar boats brought up the river with the first flood tide. They also made a second attempt by fire-boats from the Honam shore, to burn the Modeste, which, however, with the other vessels and the Louisa and Aurora, succeeded in keeping them at bay, and in maintaining a safe position in the Macao passage dur- ing the night. The principal damage caused by all these operations was the destruction of some houses which were set on fire by one of the burning boats. The Chinese kept up their fire at intervals dur- ing the whole night.

Soon after it was light on Saturday morning, the Modeste with the other vessels, moved up and silenced the guns in the batteries at the Western fort. A great many round shot were thrown into the suburbs all about above and below the batteries. During the cannonading, a fire broke out, which spread nearly a hundred rods, destroying many poor and a few very valuable houses.

The guns in the batteries having been silenced, the Goddess of Ven- geance turned her head up the river. Of the scenes that followed the Chinese give most amusing accounts. Of the whole flotilla of boats,

more than 200 in number, about one half were destroyed in the course of three or four hours, and the remainder had either been abandoned, run on shore, or had disappeared in some of the shallow creeks. In the midst of the flotilla, the Chinese had prepared some gun-boats or floating batteries, furnished with a few heavy guns, which had they been properly served might have made sad havoc. As it was, however, they did no harm. The Nemesis returned from her trip decked with Chinese flags and banners, and her crew habit- ed in the coats and caps of those who had fled.

While this part of the scene was being enacted on the river, Yih- shan sent 2000 of his troops to search the factories for guns. These men entered the Creek, Dutch, and English factories, comprising some fifteen or twenty suits of rooms-the whole of which were ran- sacked and everything in them destroyed or carried off. Not a door, not a window, not a lock, not a hinge, was spared. Officers having

Page 360Page 361