August 19th, 1840.
A Mr. Staunton having been carried away from Macao, as Captain
Anstruther had been from Chusan, Captain Smith, senior officer on the
station, sent to demand his release from the mandarin commanding the
Chinese force at the barriers at Macao. This barrier is composed of
a wall and ditch, with parapets, and had been recently strengthened.
It runs across the isthmus joining Macao to the mainland, and beyond
it the Portuguese have no jurisdiction. The mandarin, in reply,
agreed to go to Canton to bring back Mr. Staunton, but instead,
returned with 800 fresh troops. This, in addition to rumours he had
heard, convinced Captain Smith that an attack was intended probably
on Macao itself. Taking, therefore, the 'Larne' and 'Hyacinth,' with
the 'Enterprise' steamer, and 'Louisa' cutter, he ran as close up to
the barrier as the depth of water would allow, and opened a warm fire
upon the whole of the Chinese works and barracks, which was well
returned. In about an hour, the fire of the enemy being almost
silenced, a gun was landed on the beach, which effectually raked
their position, while a body of marines, under Lieut. Maxwell, with
some small-arm men from the 'Druid,' under Lieut. Goldsmith, and
about two companies of Bengal volunteers, under Captain Shee, 380 men
in all, disembarked and drove the Chinese with much loss from every
one of their positions. The guns were spiked, and the whole of the
troops fled, nor did they ever again occupy the barrier. Two junks
were sunk, and the rest allowed to escape round the opposite point,
and the barracks and the other buildings were burned. The British
having four men only wounded, re-embarked, and the ships returned the
same evening to their former anchorage in Macao Roads. This
well-timed and important piece of service of Captain Smith's was the
last hostile movement of the British during the year 1840. On 6th
November, a truce was announced by Admiral Elliot, and on the 29th,
he resigned his command from extreme ill health, and returned to
England, leaving Sir Gordon Bremer as Commander-in-Chief.