Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 646

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1841.

Progress of the Expedition to China.

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till within good gunshot range of the enemy. The latter too coolly waited to receive them. The word was hardly given them to fire, when almost simultaneously the flank parties poured forth their volleys of musketry on the enemy. The latter were quite bewildered, they knew not which way to turn. Utterly paralizing at the suddenness of the attack, they stood motionless, gazing around, a few match- Jocks and ginjalls occasionally returned our fire. At length, the living mass moved, broke up, and fled on all sides, leaving the field covered with the dead and dying. Our men pursued; several hand to hand encounters took place, the enemy, in many instances pre- ferring to die rather than yield themselves prisoners. Upwards of 500, however, were soon surrounded, the main body retreating towards the river, vainly expecting (as they did on the 7th of January last at Chuenpe) that the water would protect them from the strong arm of the barbarians. Our inen were fast closing on the fugitives. They bayoneted several. Hundreds took to the water, which in a short time became blackened with their floating corpses. To the last, they would not lay down their arms. Many officers committed suicide. One man, a Tartar general of high rank, he who declared, when the British were formerly at Chusan, that if permitted by the cm- peror "he would catch all the barbarians in a net, give their flesh to the wild beasts, and prepare their skins for the celestial troops to sleep upon," was caught in the act of cutting his throat, but a wound in the arm prevented his accomplishing this purpose with the usual expertness of the Chinese.

While the fight was raging in the valley, the ships never for a mo- ment ceased bombarding the city. Sir Hugh Gough, on reässembling his men, was advancing in the direction of the city, when, on ascend- ing a height, he perceived the enemy pouring out at the gates on one side, while the marines and sailors were effecting an entrance by means of escalading ladders on the other. Thus terminated the ope- rations of the day.

Our casualties at Tinghae and Chinhae, including one officer kill- ed and one officer wounded, were 17 killed and 36 wounded. On the part of the enemy, 1500 must have bit the dust at Chinhae, and about 1000 at Tinghae. The prisoners had their tails cut off, and were then set at liberty. The arrangements on the part of sir Hugh Gough were admirable, and highly applauded by all.

A garrison of 300 men were left at Chinhae, and on the 13th Oct. the troops and smaller ships proceeded up the river to the city of Ning- po. To the surprise of all, no resistance was offered; for the enemy,

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