Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 552

1841.

Bengal Governmental Notifications.

535

cerely concerned for the welfare of all you good people, do I now lay the matter before you.

Note. No. 1, it will perceived, is a petition. It is in private circulation, and the original is remarkable for the high classic style in which it is written. No. 2, is a well written paper, though in style is much less classic than No. 1. It is posted on the walls as a kind of public admonitory declaration, a custom by no means unusual among the Chinese. Tr.

ART. II. Bengal governmental notifications, being extracts of dis- patches to the right honorable the earl of Auckland, G. c. B., governor general, &c., &c., from sir Hugh Gough, and sir Le Fleming Senhouse, respecting operation before Canton.

To the right honorable the earl of Auckland, G. c. B., governor-general, &c.

Head quarters, ship Marrion, Canton river, proceeding to Hongkong, June 3d, 1841. My Lord--

1. My letter of the 18th from Hongkong will have made your lordship aware of temporary abandonment of the inovement on Amoy, in order to resume active ope- rations against Canton, consequent upon the constant arrival and concentration of large forces from the several provinces, and other demonstrations indicative of an interruption to our friendly intercourse with the provincial government.

2. From the judicious and unwearied exertions of air Le Fleming Senhouse, the senior naval officer, the fleet of men-of-war and transports was prepared to sail on the 18th, but in consequence of light and variable winds, the whole did not get under weigh until the 19th. H. M. S. Blenheim took up her position within six miles of Canton in the Macao passage on the 21st ult., but the whole of the force was not assembled until the morning of the 23d, when I proceeded with sir Le Fleming Senhouse to the vicinity of the suburbs of the city, for the double object of meeting H. M. plenipotentiary and ascertaining as far as possible the extent of the enemy's preparations.

3. It being the anxious wish both of sir Le Fleming Senhouse and myself to commence active operations on so auspicious an epoch as the anniversary of the birth of our sovereign, every exertion was made, and the troops were placed by 2 P. M. on that day in various craft, procured during the previous day and night by the great exertions of her royal navy.

4. From all the sources, from which I had been enabled to collect information, or rather from the conjectures of persons who have long resided in China, (for no European had been permited to see the country above the factories, and the Chinese would give no information), I was induced to decide on making my principal point. of debarkation to the northwest of the city, while another column was to take pos. session of the factories, drawing the attention of the enemy to that quarter, and at the same time to co-operate with the naval force which was to attack the river defenses, in order to silence numerous new works recently crected by the Chinese