1st. The establishment of lasting peace and friendship between the
two empires.
2nd. China was to pay 21,000,000 dollars in the course of the
present and three succeeding years, to defray the expenses of the war.
3rd. The ports of Canton, Amoy, Too-choo-foo, Ningpo, and Shang-hae,
were to be thrown open to British merchants. Consular officers were
to be appointed to reside at them; and regular and just tariffs of
import and export, as well as inland transit duties, were to be
established and published.
4th. The island of Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity, to Her
Britannic Majesty, Her heirs, and successors.
5th. All subjects of Her Britannic Majesty, whether natives of
Europe or India, imprisoned in any part of the Chinese empire, were
to be unconditionally released.
6th. An Act of full and entire amnesty was to be published by the
emperor, under his imperial sign-manual, and sent to all Chinese
subjects, on account of their having held service under the British
Government or its officers.
7th. Correspondence was to be conducted on terms of perfect equality
between the officers of both Governments.
8th. On the Emperor's assent being received to this treaty, and on
the payment of the first 6,000,000 dollars, Her Britannic Majesty's
forces were to retire from Nankin and the Grand Canal, and also from
their position at Chin-hae; but the islands of Chusan and Ku-lang-sin
were to be held until the money payment and the arrangements for
opening the ports were completed.
We give the above articles of the treaty to show the moderation of
the terms dictated by the conquerors, and to prove that the only
object the British had in carrying on the war, was the establishment
of a lasting peace and a permanent commercial intercourse with the
Chinese.
It has been the custom somewhat to disparage the war in China, and to
speak of the Chinese as contemptible and cowardly in the extreme.
Their mode of fighting was certainly different to that of the
British; but we have shown that they are possessed of as much
perseverance and personal bravery as can be exhibited by any people
in the world; and that with more science and practical experience,
they would indeed have been formidable enemies.
The war was thus ended. The troops returned to India, and the ships
were dispersed over various parts of the world. We shall have to
record the exploits of several of them, named in this account, in our
future pages.
Late events have shown that the consequences of this war have been
far more serious than was at first supposed. By it, a tremendous
blow was struck at the despotic power of the Emperor, and his
subjects were taught to despise the man who was compelled to succumb
before a people whom he had contemptuously designated as barbarians.
The Chinese were also taught to respect the British, and to discover
their own deficiences, which, acute and quicksighted as they are,
they have made many efforts to remedy. A powerful party was soon
after organized, which has within the two last years obtained power
sufficient to threaten the overthrow of the Tartar rule, and which
proposes the re-establishment of a native monarchy, the reformation
of government, the improvement of science and education, and the
purification of religion. If the liberal party succeed, as there is
every probability it will, we may hope to see not only China opened
to the commerce of the world, but the blessings of civilization, and
Christianity itself, diffused throughout that fertile and
wealth-producing land.
If such prove to be the results of the war in China, we have no cause
to repine at the cost.
While the British fleet remained in the China Seas, several gallant
acts, well worthy of record, were performed by some of the officers
of the ships. I possess notes of a few of them, which I give, though
I am well aware that many other traits of courage were exhibited
(independent of the gallantry all displayed in action) of which I
have no accounts.
GALLANTRY OF MR. H. F. M'KILLOP, MIDSHIPMAN OF
H.M.S. 'BELLEISLE,'
June, 1842.
"AT daylight, on the 15th of June, 1842, when H.M.S. 'Belleisle,'
Captain Kingcome, was at anchor in one of the passages to the
entrance of Chusan, in the China Sea, when there was a strong tide
running, Mr. H. F. M'Killop, midshipman, was heard to cry, 'A man
overboard!--I'll jump after him.' The quarter-master said, 'You had
better not, sir; there is a very strong tide running.' The reply
was, 'I will--the man can't swim.' He instantly plunged overboard,
and, to the satisfaction of all, he was seen to lay hold of the man,
whom he kept afloat for a considerable period, until the boat had
been lowered, and sent to pick them both up."