Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 649

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Progress of the Expedition to China.

Nov.

with him in admiration of the gallantry with which the strong positions of the Chinese were all carried by the British troops on shore.

(Signed)

W. PARKER, Rear-adrniral.

To the captains, commanders, and commanding officers of H. M. ships and vessels, and of the Indian navy, and It. Somerville, agent, and the masters of transports at the capture of Chinhae.

Captain Anstruther took possession of his old quarters, where he found the identical cage in which he was confined, and which has been sent to India in the Larne. About £20,000 sterling in sycee were also found in this house, and about $70,000 in the treasury. Stores of copper coin to the amount of many lacks are known to be in the city, and the sale of the contents of the granaries, &c., realized on an average $1000 per diem. Quantities of valuable silks and china. ware were discovered, and the grauaries were stored with a couple of years supply of grain, &c. Now that war is proclaimed, and prize agents established, the labors of the soldier and sailor may yet be well rewarded.

On the 20th and 21st October, the light steamers proceeded up the river about 40 miles above Ningpo ot Yuyaou. They could have gone much higher, but were here stopped short by a large and well built stone bridge of six arches. There was no show of defense, nor interruption to the progress of the steamers. The scenery on each side of the river is described as being most beautiful, and the country around abounds in cattle and sheep. A ransom has been demanded for Ningpo, and if not granted, the city will be ransacked and burnt to the ground by order of sir Henry Pottinger.

This will no doubt appear an austere and unnatural proceeding, but the more we become acquainted with the haughty and overbear- ing, the despotic and cruel character of the Chinese, the less harsh and unnatural will it appear. Like all our eastern wars, this one has hitherto been a war of negotiation, till we found the enemy were laughing at us. Henceforth, we must war not only with the govern- inent, but with the people also, ere we attain our object. Two years campaigning has at length convinced us of the utter inutility of ob- taining a direct official intercourse with the emperor through his deceitful and lying officers, who to cloke their own weakness, anp consequently the weakness of the empire, willfully misrepresent the true state of things.

Alas! in these two years our losses have been fearfully large. The nature of them will for ever excite feelings of grief and remorse in some, sympathy and sorrow in others. Nearly half one regiment in high health and spirits, was swallowed up by the vasty deep, none