418
Outrages on Americans in Canton.
JULY,
mitted four murders, and he was less heavily ironed than they. Opposite were the Malays who belonged to the Scaleby Castle, pinioned so closely as scarcely to be able to move hand or foot.
"At 5 P. M. the doors were opened, and Mr. Millar was brought in. He was lying on a board, apparently insensible. His wounds had been so clum- sily bandaged that he had fainted more than once from loss of blood; and in this way he had been brought through the streets. Next came Mr. Tay- lor; and shortly after a seamen, who had a deep cut in his head, and a wound in the side: from him we learned that nothing had been seen of the boy Sherry, after the boat was taken: he must have been killed or driven overboard and lost.
"We had remained for thirty hours without a word from any quarter, when two of the junior hong-merchants came, with some of the linguists, and proposed to me to go somewhere, and explain a chop which Mr. Delano, the vice-consul, had sent in. This I declined to do; and they left us, but re- turned shortly after to say that I might leave the prison, but made no refer- ence to the men, nor gave any apology for the ill treatment we had all re- ceived Of course, I refused to go under these circumstances. The next day, the Kwangchow foo came, and Howqua, and strongly urged me to go, saying, "it was all a mistake," &c. Their pressing the matter so earnestly made us suppose that the American men-of-war had arrived, and that they were anxious to get rid of us for fear of trouble with the commodore: on this account 1 was disposed to stay; but Mr. Millar was anxious to get away, and the men too, naturally enough; and I therefore agreed to go, Howqua promising for the Kwangchow foo that we should be honorably taken home, and that full compensation should be made to me for loss of property by the pillage of the factories. Accordingly we were put into chairs at the prison door, but the blinds of the sedans were taken away that we might be seen with insulted as we were carried through the streets. We had not gone far, when we met Yihshan, surrounded by officers on horseback and in chairs, and a tumultuous throng of soldiers and attendants; these no sooner saw us than they thrust our chairs aside, knocked off the tops with their swords, and howled and hooted at us as they passed. When they had gone, we were taken to the factories, and there left, among the ruins, without protection or shelter. I then went to Howqua and remonstrated; and he gave orders that we should be taken to the consoo house, and promised also that a chop for Whampoa should be procured from the Kwangchow foo; but at the con- soo house, we were told the city gates were shut, and that no chop could be obtained. We were left therefore to speculate on the chances of the night. At last, word came that the English had landed in front of the fac- tories; and our great anxiety now was to let them know of our situation; but no one would venture out—the coolies from fear of the English, and the sailors of the Chinese. After a time, some une volunteered, and had gone as far as the outer gate, when there was a cry that soldiers were coming; they proved to be the Cameronians, who, quickly forcing in the doors with their muskets, entered, with major Pratt at their head; capt. Elliot and Mr. Mor- rison were with him; and I cannot tell you with what feelings of good-will we looked on every one of those red coats.
•
"The soldiers made a litter for Mr. Millar and carried him to the facto- ries, where his wounds were properly dressed for the first time since they had been received, now 60 hours! The sailors too were taken care of; and we were all soon sent off in the boats of H. B. M.'s fleet, the seamen and Messrs. Taylor and Gutierres to the Modeste, and Mr. Millar and myself to Mr. Dent's schooner, the Aurora, where we were most kindly received.
Perhaps it may be supposed that, after all, the wounds received were
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