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EXTRAORDINARY.
"Friend of China" Office, April 5th, 1817.
CANTON.
Our advices are bronght down to 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The troops were quarter ed in the factories, and the field pieces lauded in the American Garden. On the passage up the various forts were taken the guns spiked and the powder destroyed. The only resistance offered was at the Barrier fort, where they were fired upon, and had to blow open the gates, We have not heard that any lives were lost.
Keying arrived at the British Consulate at 12 o'clock, and was still in conference with Sir John Davis when our letter was closed. We hear that His Excellency demands —
1st, Free communicat on with city. 2nd., Protection of person and property with in the dominions of the Chinese empire.
on ap-
There were no Soldiers at the Bogue, consequently the Guns were entirely disable the Jars of Pow- disabled, and the faw Coo- lies in charge, were made to carry der and through them into the water No shots on Our side were of
course necessary, but on coming up to the Barrier above Whampoa, our proaching « Napiers" Fort were fired at, shots falling very near. The Chinamen fired only 5 guns, left their posts and scampered off; an Engineer of ficer had no difficulty in landing, and by applying a bag of Powder to each entrance the doors were blown open and the Guns were spiked. The guns in the French Folly" Fort. "Red fort" opposite us here, and that at Shaw-ming, have all been simi- larly treated; indeed from this. down to the Bogue, not a gun is serviceable, 650 to 700 have been destroyed, not a man killed or wounded on either side! The affair is as wonderful, as it is laughable.
These proceedings bring us up to yesterday afternoon, from that time up to 8 o'clock, the 42th and 18th were being landed and quartered about the
Sentries placed, really place is
3rd, Satisfaction for the late outrage at Fush- Hond the streets so clear of filthy beggars, and
an, and for the maltreatment of the two seamen belonging to the Mary Bannatyne.
4th, Ground, in a suitable situation, upon which foreigners may build dwelling houses and
stores.
5th, A site for a Church; also burial ground for the Christian community, and a separate piece for Parsee interments.
There are minor guievances to be redressed; and it is said that a Circular has been issued to
the Merchants requesting them to state what reasonable demands require to be conceded. Keying proposed that Sir John Davis should meet bi a at the public gardens above the Chy. To this His Excellency replied, that he knew no such place, and the conference must be her
at the Consulate. The hour of I was fixed upon, and troops were drawn out to salute the Chinese Commissioner, With characteristic pride, Keying arrived an hour after the appointed time and, in consequence, did not receive a splute.
We have just been put in possession of ano- ther letter from a friend dated d yesterday anor- ning, which we annex. Our Correspondent is quite correct in the view he takes of the matter. Our proceedings is a
is a virtual declaration of war Where it is to end is an enigma, but we cer- tainly think that our measures are not prema- ture, though it were desirable that the force employed had been a stronger one.
0
Canton, Sunday morning,
4th April, 1847.
as to
MY DEAR SIRA few lines from the sent of warl may not be uninteresting to you: the "Corsair," "Plu- to," various Lorchas and Fast-boats with Soldiers, Guns and Stores, anchored off the Factories yester
men, as much to the day,
surprise of the Chinamen, as he Foreigners. Our first intelligence of the Gover- or's movements, came up from Whampoa the night efore last, where he arrived with the "Pluto” and Vulture," a little past eight o'clock that evening; nd you may conceive our surprise on hearing that the Guns in the Bogue Forts were spiked on t the Our Consul, like all of us, had no inti vay Up. nation of this new fashioned military movement.
quiet,
every thing now so much in earnest, that we only hope, the affair will end us it has bogan, and that the
foot
**
betweeng" which was immediately set on
Keying and the Governor on the latter's arrival, will result in our getting a settlement of our rights, and these too, fixed so that in future, no doubt,
as to their character can exist.
We are in entire ignorance of what is to follow to day, which keeps us in a state of suspense. Many parties have all their Treasure and books and pa pers packed, and ready to move. One proof that the Chinese meditated no revenge yesterday the night before, THEY heard of our soldiers having spiked their Guns at the Bogue, saw our steamers all yesterday forenoon firing on their Forts in the river, and up to pisi 2 o'clock yesterday, we were helpless They could have pillaged our Houses- or taken our persons and we were not in a position to resist Our Consul was not aware of what was going on in the river, any more than we were, and you can well imagine how the tops of our Flouses were crowded by hundreds watching the "storming operations" of the "Pluto" and "Cor- sair To-day will bring forth wonders also, no doubt Sir John is to go into the city, it is reported, and of resistance is shewn, will blow down the place about Keying ears! One or two miles of Ground in circumference on the other side will be demanded from Keying for Foreigners, the companys Garden will be extended, and in fact, we are on the verge of getting all we want if we only ask it, and insist on having it..
There is, it occurs to me, a declaration of war made by one party or another; if I
am right in this, how hangs our Treaty. We enter a friendly power's Fort (the Bogue) s
spike and destroy nearly 200 guns,scatter the powder to the winds-proceed up the River and are fired at the Chinese, which we re- no doubt has been well turn of
course, the weighed before such steps were taken. But as it is its re- a movement new in itself, and unequalled in sults, (so far as it has gone) it will form the subject of discussion and comment throughout Europe.
I am faithfully.
Printed at the Friend of China Office,
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