536
Bengal Governmental Notifications.
Oct.
along the whole southern face of the city. A most spirited and judicious recon- noissance made by captain Belcher, of H. M. S. Sulphur, the previous evening, established the practicability of effecting a landing at the point I had selected. 5. Every arrangement having been completed by two o'clock, and the boats and other carft placed in tow of the steamers, the force moved to the point of attack, as follows:
294
Right column, to attack and hold the factories, in tow of the Atalanta, consist- Officers, other ranks. ing of her majesty's 26th regiment, as per margin, an officer and 20 rank and file of the Madras artillery, with one 6 pounder and one 51⁄2 inch mortar and 30 sappers, with an officer of engi. ncers, under mojor Pratt, of H. M. 26th.
15
Left column-towed by the Nemesis, in four brigades, to move left in front.
H. M. 49th, commanded by Officers, other ranks
4th, (left) brigade, under lient.-colonel Morris, 49th regiment.
major Stephens,
28
273
37th Madras N. I..
37th Madras N. I., capt. Duff,
11
219
One company Bengal Volun.
teers, captain Mee,.
1
114
3d, (artillery) brigade, un. der captain Knowles
(Royal artillery, lieut. Spencer,
33
Madras artillery including gun
Lascars, captain Anstruther, Sappers and miners, capt. Cotton, 4
10
231
137
Two 6
R. A.
Ordnance. Four 12 pounder howitzers. Four 9 pounder field guns. pounder field guns. Three 5 mortars. Fifteen-two 32 pounder rockets.
2d naval brigade, under captain Bourchier, II. M. ship Blonde.
1st (right) brigade, reserve, under major-general Burrell.
1st naval battalion, captain Mait-
land, H. H. ship Wellesley 2d naval battolion, commander
11
172
Barlow, H. M. Ship Nimrod. Royal marines capt. Ellis 18th Royal Irish, It..colonel
Adams
16
231
9
372
25
494
6. The right column reached its point of attack before 5 P. M., and took pos. session of the factories, when major Pratt made the necessary arrangements for strengthening his post, holding his men ready for offensive or defensive operations.
7. The left column, towed by the Nemesis, from the difficulties of the passage with such a fleet of craft as she had in tow, did not reach the Sulphur until durk, which vessel captain Belcher had judiciously anchored close to the village of Tsing-hae, the point of debarkation, about five miles by the river line above the factories. I could therefore only land the 49th regiment, with which corps I made a reconnoissance to some distance, meeting a few straggling parties of the enemy. After placing the picquets, the corps fell back on the village of Tsinghae to protect and cover the landing of the guns, which was effected during the night, by the zealous efforts of the artillery. The following morning the remainder of the column landed, and the whole proceeded soon after daylight.
8. The heights to the north of Canton, crowned by four strong forts, and the city walls which run over the southern extremity of these heights, including one elevated point, appeared to be about three miles and a half distant; the inter mediate ground, undulating much, and intersected by hollows under wet paddy cultivation, enabled me to take up successive positions, until we approached with- in range of the forts on the heights and the northern face of the city walls. I had to wait here some time, placing the men under cover, to bring up the rocket bat. tery and artillery.
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