Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 360

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Journal of Occurrences

APRIL,

There is another late rumor that the emperor has found out that the ancient emperors, and his ancestors, when all things went wrong through the errors of his ministers, changed them and altered their policy; and therefore he, Táukwáng, proposes to do the same.

2. The recapture of Ningpò. It is known to most of our readers, if not to them all, that this city, which was taken by the British forces Oct. 10th, last year, was abandoned by them on the 7th of last May. But mark; his excellency, lient.-governor Liú Yunkd, an- nounces to the emperor its recapture weeks before, in a memorial which appears in the Gazette of April 12th.

3. Reinforcements at Hángchau. Immediately after the fall of Chinhai and Ningpò, a very small British force might have moved on Hangchau in triumph-for, as the authorities of the city then declar- ed, in a menorial to the emperor, there was not a soldier in the pro- vince on whom any dependence could be placed. But as soon as the routed forces had time to recover from their fears, works of defense and reinforcement began, and are still, down to the latest dates from the north, in progress. The Tartar general Kiying has recently been sent thither, from Peking, for the especial defense of the city, carrying with him such full power as to enable him, in concert with commissioner Ti-i-shun, to order from any of the provinces such num- bers of forces as they may deem necessary for the defense of that city. 4. At Chinhui, a small garrison has been retained on Joss-house bill.

Whether the city itself has been recaptured or not, we find as yet no record to inform us. But we understand that the soldiers of the garrison could not go into the town for provisions except in arm- ed parties-so closely were they watched.

5.

The attack on Chápú has been announced in the Friend of China, by the following official notices.

Her najesty's plenipotentiary, &c., &c., has much satisfaction in promulgat. ing, for general information, the annexed extracts of official dispatches, under dates the 23d and 21st of May which have this day reached him from their ex- cellencies the naval and military commanders-in-chief, announcing the capture of the port and city of Chápu. Whilst her majesty's plenipotentiary must feel, in common with all her majesty's subjects, great thankfulness and pride at this most important sucess, he participates most warmly in the expressions of regret which have been recorded by their excellencies the naval and inilitary commanders.in - chief of her majesty's combined forces, at the losses which our gallant country. men have sustained in killed and wounded, as well as at the amount of suffering which has fallen on the Chinese soldiers and inhabitants, in spite of every effort made to induce the former to surrender, and as well as the latter, to trust to our elemency and kind treatment of them. The whole of the prisoners made, have been released and sent back to the Chinese high officers, who had subsequently made overtures for accommodation, but which it is impossible to pronounce to be suicere. Her majesty's plenipotentiary, however, indulges the strong hope, that the irresistible power of her majesty's arms will, at no distant period, compel the government of China to come to terms, and thereby put a stop to a war, which it is his anxious duty and wish to see terminated on an honorable and lasting basis.

GOD SAVE THE Queen.

Dated at Government house, Hongkong, 4th June, 1842.

HENRY POTTINGER.

"Dated Cornwallis, at Chápu. 23d May, 1842. Commanders Kellett and Collinson, who have been indefatigable in surveying every part we have had in navigate, succeeded during the night in thoroughly

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