On leaving the bay of Amoy, on the 5th of September, the appointed
places for the rendezvous of the fleet of men-of-war and transports,
in case of separation, were successively the so-called Buffalo's Nose,
at the entrance of the Chusan group; Keeto Point, a promontory running
out from the mainland towards Chusan; and, lastly, the bay or harbour
of Tinghai, the capital of Chusan. The progress of the squadron was
slow for some days, owing to light winds and a heavy swell; and the
Nemesis, being very light in the water, and having, moreover, a leak
in her bottom, (after the accident at Amoy,) was kept pretty close in
shore, to avoid the swell outside, but seldom entirely lost sight
of the fleet. A considerable quantity of floating wood was picked up
alongshore, which was very acceptable for fuel, of which she had only a
very small supply remaining on board.
On the 13th, eight days after leaving Amoy, the north-east monsoon
set in rather suddenly, and somewhat earlier than usual, with heavy
squalls and a thick fog, which caused the unavoidable separation of
the squadron. At the commencement of this change of weather, the
Nemesis lost her fore-top-mast and top-gallant-mast, but continued her
course leisurely alongshore until the following day, when she came to
anchor under a small island at the mouth of the river Taitchou, about
thirty-five miles from Sheipoo, and between fifty and sixty from the
Buffalo's Nose.
On the 16th, Capt. Hall landed upon the island above mentioned, under
which he had taken shelter, with a party of men, to look for wood,
which was much needed for fuel, and also for refreshments for the crew,
and then took the opportunity of ascending a high hill, to take a
survey of the neighbouring country. The haze cleared off sufficiently
to enable him to discover the entrance to an extensive harbour, which
proved to be that of Sheipoo, where there is a considerable trading
town. He thought that he could also make out something like the
appearance of batteries or field-works at the entrance.
The Nemesis now stood in for the entrance of the harbour, which was
very narrow, but fortunately, she soon fell in with a fishing-boat, in
which were several fishermen busy about their nets, one of whom was
made to come on board and pilot the vessel into the harbour; and he
was promised ten dollars for his services if he took her in without
any accident; but, if she touched ground, he was threatened to be
immediately run up to the yard-arm. The poor fellow had never even
_seen_ a steamer or devil-ship before, and was not a little alarmed.
But he perfectly understood the conditions, and gradually recovered his
self-possession.
The tide swept so rapidly into the narrow entrance of the harbour, that
the Nemesis was fairly carried through the passage before the two small
field-works, which were intended to protect it, could bring a single
gun to bear upon the vessel; but the Chinese were seen running down
from their little encampment above, to man the guns.
At the bottom of the harbour or basin, the town now came into full
view, with a large number of trading-junks of every kind, moored in
lines close to each other on one side of the town; while on the other,
or the left, as you looked towards it, there was a small fort, which
appeared to have been recently repaired and strengthened, but, like
most other Chinese forts, was left almost unprotected in the rear.
Upon a rising ground behind the fort, a small body of troops, about
five or six hundred in number, were drawn up, so that the Chinese
were evidently prepared for defence. The Nemesis immediately ran in
towards the fort, and took up a flanking position, anchoring by the
stern between it and the town, so as to bring her guns to bear with
the greatest advantage, without exposing herself to the direct fire
of the fort. Shot, shell, and canister, were now poured in, and the
fort was soon silenced. But the troops could now be seen descending
from the hill behind, and bringing heavy ginjals with them, mounted on
triangular stands, as if they intended to oppose a landing. However, a
few discharges of grape-shot threw them into great disorder, killing
many of them; Capt. Hall then landed, at the head of all the men who
could be spared from the ship, accompanied by Mr. Gully, and took
possession of the fort, the Chinese flying before them; four guns, two
brass and two iron ones, were destroyed in the fort, the temporary
sheds and buildings were set on fire, and water was poured into the
magazine to destroy the powder.
The whole party having now returned on board, boats were sent out,
manned and armed, to search for fuel, and also to attempt to capture
three large war-junks, which had been seen on the way up the harbour.
All the trading-junks were left unmolested; but wood for fuel was so
much needed on board, that several of the wood-junks were soon picked
out, well filled with the necessary article. The opportunity was
extremely fortunate, and in a short time, no less than seven boat-loads
of excellent wood were obtained, amounting in all to about seventy
tons. Much labour was required to bring off so large a quantity, and to
stow it away expeditiously; nevertheless, during this operation, one
of the war-junks was captured, (the crew having deserted her,) and,
as soon as she was towed clear of the town and shipping, so as not to
cause any unnecessary damage, she was set on fire in the middle of the
harbour, and shortly blew up. Two guns, together with a quantity of
ginjals, matchlocks, swords, &c., were destroyed in her.
But the day's work was not finished yet. About two o'clock the cutters
were sent away, manned and armed, under Mr. Galbraith, to destroy the
other two war-junks which had been seen in the morning. One of them
blew up close in shore, but the other was towed out into the middle
of the harbour, before she was set on fire. One was found to mount
fourteen guns, and contained a large quantity of powder, with numerous
warlike implements of various kinds.
The whole of this day's work was exceedingly interesting. The hills
which surrounded the harbour were covered with people, who crowded out
of the town, and from all the neighbouring villages, to witness the
exploits of the "devil-ship," the rapidity of whose movements, the
precision of her fire, and the volumes of smoke and steam which issued
from her, seemed to awaken feelings of awe and mute astonishment, even
more than fear. There they stood for hours, apparently unconcerned
spectators of passing events; and as they saw the destruction of
the war-junks, while the merchant-junks remained uninjured, they
appeared satisfied that no mischief was threatened against the unarmed
inhabitants so long as they did not interfere. The neighbourhood
of the town along the shore was laid out in very neatly cultivated
gardens, and everything bore indications of a thriving and well-ordered
community.
The day was now far advanced, and it only remained to capture the two
forts or field-works upon the island, just within the mouth of the
harbour. A shot or two had previously been fired at them in the course
of the morning, but it was now determined to take possession of them,
and destroy the works. On nearing them, a few shells and rockets were
discharged into them, and the boats then put off, manned and armed,
under Capt. Hall. The Chinese had only just abandoned them. The two
field-works were very near each other, and were found to mount nine
guns, which were spiked, their carriages destroyed, and the tents of
the soldiers were set on fire.
The poor Chinese fisherman who had acted as pilot was of course
liberated as soon as the harbour was cleared, and he appeared no less
astonished than overjoyed when the promised ten dollars were counted
out into his hands.
On the following day, the 18th, the Nemesis reached the appointed
rendezvous at Buffalo's Nose, and found the Sesostris was the only
vessel which had preceded her, the rest of the fleet having been kept
back by contrary winds and hazy weather. When we remember what a large
number of hired transports and store-ships passed up and down along
the coast of China from this time to the close of the war, many of
which had frequently a great part of their crew sick, we cannot but be
surprised[59] that so few accidents happened. The inaccuracy of the
surveys of the coast which had been then made; the wrong position on
the charts of most of the numerous islands which stand out as bulwarks
at very uncertain distances from the shore; the strength and unknown
irregularities of the currents, and the heavy squalls which frequently
burst suddenly over that part of China, rendered the navigation
precarious, and frequently caused the utmost anxiety. Occasionally the
captains found themselves inside of islands when they believed that
they were some distance outside; and I well remember, on one occasion,
making the voyage up to Chusan in a fast-sailing brig-of-war, which
just weathered a long rocky island, called the Alligator, and at noon
discovered it to have been laid down upon the chart full twenty miles
wrong in its latitude--an error which can scarcely be accounted for.
The strength of the currents among the Chusan islands, and the
continued boisterous weather, made it difficult to collect all the
transports at the appointed rendezvous. The admiral did not get up
until the 21st; and the general being on board a large transport which
had been carried far down to leeward, did not join until the evening of
the 25th.
In the meantime, the Nemesis had gone to join the Phlegethon at Keeto
Point, where the sad tale was learned of one of the officers of the
Lyra, (an opium vessel,) Mr. Wainwright, and one of the crew having
been enticed on shore, under the pretence of selling them stock, and
of their having been then overpowered and cruelly murdered. This event
occurred very near the village where Captain Stead had been murdered
some months before. Lieutenant M'Cleverty soon afterwards landed with
his crew, accompanied by Lieutenant Crawford and the commanders of the
Lyra and Ann, and soon put to flight a party of Chinese soldiers, burnt
their barracks, and then destroyed a great part of the village.
As soon as the Nemesis arrived, no time was lost in landing to examine
the adjacent country, which was very picturesque and beautifully
cultivated. But the recollection of the cruel fate of the poor fellows
who had been so recently captured, and, as was believed, barbarously
put to death there, with the sight of the very spots where the sad
occurrences took place, awakened feelings of bitterness, and a wish for
retaliation which it was impossible to suppress. In a very short time,
everything that remained undestroyed was set on fire, including various
buildings, stacks of rice and grass, &c.; and as darkness set in, the
whole valley appeared lighted up with the blaze of the spreading fires.
At length all the transports were assembled, according to a
preconcerted arrangement, just off the little island called "Just in
the Way;" as it was the original plan laid down by the general and the
admiral to occupy Ningpo, after having first captured the heights of
Chinhae, which command the entrance of the Tahea river, which leads up
to Ningpo. Chusan was to have been retaken afterwards. The boisterous
state of the weather, however, prevented the ships from approaching
near enough to Chinhae to carry out this part of the plan; and it was
therefore determined to make an immediate reconnoissance of the harbour
and defences of Chusan, or rather of its capital town, Tinghai; this
was accordingly carried into execution on the following day, the 26th
of September.
The admiral and general, together with the plenipotentiary and suite,
embarked early in the morning on board the Phlegethon, the Nemesis
being ordered to accompany them. As they approached Chusan, the alarm
was given by the Chinese from numerous watch-towers, or rather signal
stations erected upon the hills, or upon the tops of the several
islands which lie in the immediate neighbourhood. Great changes had
evidently taken place since our forces left Chusan, a few months
before; and preparations of an extensive kind had been rapidly made for
the defence of the place. As the steamers entered the principal harbour
by its western side, between the so-called Tea Island and Guard Island,
the Chinese opened a few guns at them, but at too great a distance to
do any damage; and as there was no wish to attack them in a desultory
manner, the steamers were ordered to keep at a good distance, but to
direct their movements so as to get a complete view of all the Chinese
positions.
The rapidity of the tides, in the different channels leading into the
harbour, is so great that large vessels sometimes become perfectly
unmanageable; and even powerful steamers found it difficult to stem the
current.
Nothing can be more striking or picturesque than the views on every
side, as you approach Chusan; you are here particularly struck with
the garden-like aspect of every spot of ground you see. The country is
hilly on all sides, but every hill is cultivated with extreme care,
up to its very summit. It is divided into small ridges, or beds, in
which various productions are raised, side by side, giving the greatest
possible variety to the aspect of the country, and pointing out the
vast labour and perseverance with which the tillage must be conducted.
It is entirely spade husbandry, and ought rather to be called
horticulture.
In the low valleys, and little sheltered nooks, you trace villages and
farm-houses of neat appearance; and every bend of the coast, every
little bit of low, swampy ground, is embanked and recovered from the
sea by long, thick, stone walls, which are maintained with the utmost
care. Behind these, the ground is laid out in rice-fields, irrigated
with much ingenuity, and there is a general appearance of well-being
and industry, which indicates a thriving and contented population.
Generally speaking, the island of Chusan, with some of the smaller
ones adjacent to it, may be considered as among the most picturesque
and fertile spots in the north of China, as far as it was visited by
the expedition, and the loss of this possession was deeply felt by the
Emperor, of which, as he said, "he read the account with fast falling
tears."[60]
The great and rapidly completed preparations which were found to have
been made for the protection of the island prove the importance with
which it was regarded.
The city of Tinghai, the capital of Chusan, is a walled town, of the
third class, about two miles in circumference, having four entrances,
with double-arched gateways, situated at right angles to each other,
according to the usual Chinese practice. The greater part of the
town is surrounded by a wet ditch or canal, which adds very much to
the natural unhealthiness caused by imperfect drainage, (owing to
the lowness of its situation,) and by the swampy rice-grounds, which
occupy the whole valley. Indeed, were it not protected by a raised
bank running along the face of the harbour, from which the city is
three-quarters of a mile distant, the whole of the valley in which the
town is situated would frequently be flooded. It was upon this raised
bank that the great line of sea battery, presently to be described, had
been recently erected. A narrow causeway and a shallow canal connect
the city with a village, at which is the principal landing-place of the
harbour, situated at the foot of a steep, conical hill, which stands
about the centre of the whole sea-face of the valley or plain, which
may be about three miles broad. The latter is bounded by steep hills
on either side, which stretch down close to the city, and command the
western face of the walls.
The hill at the landing-place, which came to be known by the name
of Pagoda Hill, is a very striking object from every point of the
harbour. The appearance of a temple upon it, and several small detached
buildings, which had been recently built as prisons for the English,
whom the Chinese _intended_ to capture, and the steepness of its
summit, gave it an appearance of strength which it did not possess.
Directly opposite Pagoda Hill are two small islands, called Trumball
and Macclesfield Islands, which bound the harbour on the eastern side,
and upon the nearest of these a mortar-battery was afterwards erected,
for the purpose of shelling Pagoda Hill.
To the southward the harbour is shut in by the highly cultivated and
considerable island called Tea Island; while on its western side, at
the extremity of the long sea-battery, lies the small island called
Guard Island, only separated by a very narrow passage called the
Devil's Gates, from the hills which overlook the valley.
As the two steamers now entered the inner harbour by the western
passage, leaving Guard Island on the left, they immediately came in
sight of a long line of continuous works, constructed of mud, along the
top of the whole line of embankment before described. It is strange
that such a mode of defence should have been adopted; for the flank
of the battery was completely commanded by the range of steep hills
running up to the very city itself. Upon the nearest hills, however, at
the end of the battery, the Chinese had formed a fortified encampment,
in which there appeared to be a large body of troops; and in a hollow
at the foot of it there was an unfinished stone fort, intended to mount
eight guns. But they had placed their principal reliance upon the line
of mud-batteries fronting the harbour, and had run piles and stakes
along the water's edge, to prevent our troops from landing from the
boats, as if they imagined that a battery could only be attacked in
front, and partly perhaps to prevent the washing away of the soil.
The works had been hastily and unscientifically constructed, and
consisted principally of heaps of mud, of a conical shape, raised
upon the embankment, with embrasures between them for the guns. These
intervals were so large, measuring generally from ten to fifteen
feet wide, that it would be impossible for the men to stand to their
guns, although the mounds of earth between them were about twenty to
twenty-five feet broad. The line of battery extended far beyond the
Pagoda or Joss House Hill to the eastward, but was not completed
at that end. There were altogether nearly two hundred and seventy
embrasures, but only about eighty guns mounted, exclusive of those in a
newly-built redoubt upon Pagoda Hill, amounting to twelve or fifteen.
Of these twenty-five were afterwards found to be of brass and copper,
and tolerably well cast. Several improvements had been made by the
Chinese for the strengthening of Pagoda Hill, since our evacuation of
the place. They had retained the wall which we had formerly carried
round the top of it, with an arched gateway of stone on the side
looking inland towards the town. Other improvements were in progress;
so that, if the attack had been delayed for some weeks longer, the
Chinese would have completed their defences, as well as their want of
science would permit. As it was, the authorities claimed for themselves
the honour of "having fought with heavy toil for six days and nights,"
reckoning the commencement of their so-called fighting from the day on
which the steamers first approached to reconnoitre. Our forbearance was
magnified into a great victory by them, for the moment at all events.
On the return of the steamers to the anchorage at Just in the Way, with
the rest of the fleet, orders were given for the Nemesis to proceed
on the following morning across to the Ningpo river, to reconnoitre
Chinhae, &c. &c., but the weather proved so hazy and unsettled, that
this purpose was deferred for the present. On the following day, the
28th, the weather still continued very squally, which prevented the
fleet from moving; and the admiral, therefore, gave orders that the
Nemesis should proceed again to Chusan, in company with the Modeste
and Columbine, (the whole under the command of Captain Eyres, of the
Modeste,) and they were directed to destroy the unfinished battery
already mentioned, at the foot of the hills at the western extremity
of the long line of works, and if possible set fire to the encampment
on the hill above, or, at all events, disperse the Chinese troops. The
object was evidently to prepare for the landing of our force at that
point, in order to take the line of Chinese battery in reverse, and
then march upon the town by the hills. The increasing severity of the
weather obliged them all to come to anchor before they reached Chusan.
At daylight next morning, the Nemesis was sent in alone to reconnoitre,
having Captain Eyres and Captain Clarke on board, and she soon
discovered that the entrenched camp on the hill was stronger than had
been supposed, and that the troops were collected in great strength
at that point. As the steamer ran pretty close in shore, a smart
but ineffective fire from large ginjals was opened on her from the
entrenched camp; but the small stone fort below was quite silent, and,
indeed, appeared to be unarmed. Having fired a few shot into the camp
on the hill, in order to warn the Chinese of what they had to expect,
the Nemesis speedily returned, to bring up the other two vessels;
and these, as soon as they had come to anchor as close in shore as
their draught of water would permit, immediately opened fire upon
the entrenched camp above, and also at the fort below, in order to
ascertain if it was occupied. As the Nemesis, however, could stand in
much closer than the other vessels, Captain Eyres and Captain Clarke
went on board her, and she was then carried within excellent range
by Captain Hall, and immediately poured in shot, shell, rockets, and
carcases, with such remarkable precision, as to have been made the
subject of special mention in the admiral's despatch.
In a short time, the temporary buildings were demolished, and a breach
was made in the wall of the fortified encampment. The proper moment
for landing was now come; but as the orders were positive not to come
to close quarters with the enemy, but merely to reconnoitre their
position, and prevent them from adding to their works of defence, no
attempt was made to carry the encampment. A small party of men were
landed, but merely with a view to ascertain, beyond a doubt, that the
small stone fort below was unarmed, and to make a hasty reconnoissance
of the line of sea-battery, nearly a mile long, which connected this
point with Pagoda Hill. A large body of Chinese troops were now seen
forming under the brow of the hill in the rear, in order to make an
attack upon the reconnoitring party; but a few well-directed shot from
the steamer's guns immediately dispersed them.
The object of this little affair having been now fully accomplished,
the Nemesis hastened to rejoin the admiral, with despatches from
Captain Eyres. Sir William Parker was, however, already on his way over
to Chusan in the Wellesley, and now, without loss of time, came on
board the Nemesis, accompanied by the general, and ordered her to carry
them once more across the harbour of Chusan. The Chinese again opened
a distant and useless fire upon her as she passed, both in going and
returning, as they had done on the former occasion.
In the course of the afternoon, several of the ships of war, and some
of the transports, reached the outer harbour of Chusan, while the
Blonde, Modeste, and Queen steamer, proceeded to take up a position
under the two islands which lie opposite Pagoda Hill, and which were
called Macclesfield (or Melville) and Trumball Islands. They were
directed to cover and assist a party of the Royal Artillery, under
Captain Knowles, in erecting a battery of one 68-pounder gun, and
two 24-pounder howitzers, upon the top of the ridge of the former
island, with a view to shell Pagoda Hill and its defences, which were
within range, but rather distant. The Chinese continued firing very
ineffectually during the whole time, in the direction of these islands,
but their shot always fell short.
The battery was finished on the following day, with great labour and
skill. Every preparation for the attack being completed on the 30th,
the dawn of the 1st of October was looked for with intense interest. At
daylight, the Nemesis again crossed and recrossed the inner harbour,
for the purpose of embarking some troops which were on board the
Jupiter, close to Trumball Island; they consisted of a portion of
the Madras Rifles and a number of camp-followers. The Nemesis then
proceeded to the transports in the outer harbour, to take on board part
of the 49th regiment, together with a detachment of sappers and miners.
The Howitzer Battery, upon Melville Island, opened fire just as she was
crossing from the inner harbour; and it was an interesting sight to
watch the shells falling upon Pagoda Hill. The first shell was thrown
merely to try the range, and fell rather short, but the second fell
exactly within the fort, close to the gate, and it therefore became
evident that the Chinese could not long hold out.
About the same time, the Queen steamer endeavoured to tow the Blonde
frigate into a good position against Pagoda Hill and the adjacent
defences, to aid the mortar battery; but so great was the strength of
the tide, which runs like a millrace in that part of the harbour, that
it was impossible to move the Blonde into a good position, in spite
of the utmost exertions used. But shortly afterwards the Modeste and
Queen, drawing less water, were able to take up excellent stations; the
battery on Pagoda Hill was soon silenced, and the troops were driven
from their post.
While this was being effected at the eastern extremity of the inner
harbour, the original design of driving the Chinese out of the long
sea-battery, by turning their right flank at its western extremity,
and by taking possession of the hills above them, upon which their
encampment had been formed, was gallantly and effectually carried into
execution. The Chinese troops at this time occupied the heights in
force, although they had been dispersed two days before; and kept up a
continued fire of ginjals and matchlocks, apparently more in defiance
than for any useful purpose, for they frequently advanced to the brow
of the hill, waving their flags, and daring their enemy to attack them.
The Wellesley had been moved as close as possible to the intended
point of debarkation, just outside Guard Island; and the Cruiser and
Columbine had been placed within two hundred yards of the beach,
there being plenty of water almost close in shore. By the fire of
these vessels and of the Sesostris steamer, the Chinese were so
completely kept in check, that they could not attempt any opposition
to the landing of the troops. The Phlegethon now came up with the
55th regiment on board. The first division, with the gallant general
at their head, consisting of the Madras Artillery, with eight guns,
under Captain Anstruther, together with a party of sappers and the 18th
and 55th regiments, with the Madras Rifles, were now landed, but not
without some delay and difficulty, owing to the astonishing strength
of the currents. The Nemesis was also coming up to land the troops she
had on board, when she unfortunately grounded on a sand-bank, and was
obliged to cast off the numerous boats she had in tow, before she could
work herself off again, which caused considerable delay. The 49th were
therefore not landed so soon as had been expected.
The firing of the steamers which covered the landing was kept up with
so much precision, that more than one of the Chinese standard-bearers,
who boldly advanced alone to the crest of the hill, waving their flags,
were cut in two by a 32-pounder shot, just as if they had been aimed at
with a rifle.
The two flank and the third companies of the 55th being first on shore,
received a smart fire from the Chinese, who, up to this time, had kept
themselves pretty well sheltered; and, as the remainder of the regiment
followed close after the leading companies, and the 18th was not far
behind, the advance was instantly sounded, and the 55th pushed up the
hill, under the gallant Major Fawcett. The Chinese waved to them to
come on, and opened a smart fire as they struggled up the steep hill,
and knocked down several of the men. It was an exciting spectacle to
watch them ascending the hill, while the ships continued firing until
they reached the summit; and even then the Chinese shewed no want of
courage; the spear and the bayonet frequently crossed each other.
At length the Chinese were routed; and the hill, being now in our
possession, gave us the command of all the enemy's positions, which, by
this means, were fairly turned. In this encounter, the first Chinese
colours were taken by Lieutenant Butler, of the 55th.
In the meantime, the 18th and the artillery being landed, and some of
the light guns having been placed so as to enfilade the long battery,
the 18th pushed on gallantly, under Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, to
clear the line of sea-defences. The facility with which the flank of
the Chinese positions had been turned did not seem, by any means, to
discourage the Chinese, who fought, as they retreated, with great
_individual_ courage, several of the mandarins boldly advancing, sword
in hand, to the attack. The loss on their side, as they were driven
back along so narrow a line, (for there was a deep paddy-field in the
rear of the embankment upon which the battery was constructed,) was
necessarily great. The Chinese commander-in-chief and several Tartar
officers were here killed. They were at length compelled to evacuate
the whole line of sea-battery, the grenadier company of the 18th
leading the way, in a spirited manner, under Captain Wigston.
Having cleared the whole of the works, the 18th soon made their way up
the Pagoda Hill without opposition, the Chinese having been already
compelled to evacuate it by the admirable fire of the Royal Artillery,
and of the Modeste and Queen on that side. The 49th, who could not be
landed until the hottest part of the work was over, followed the 18th
along the battery, but on reaching a causeway or path about two-thirds
of the way across, which appeared to lead from the battery towards the
city, they turned off at that point, and hurried on towards the south
gate of the city, to which it led.
In the meantime, the 55th pushed on along the hills, covered by the
Rifles, which had now joined, to the heights overlooking the city
on the north-west; and Captain Anstruther, with Captain Balfour and
Lieutenant Foulis, with great exertion, brought up the light field-guns
of the Madras Artillery to the summit of the heights, and opened their
fire upon the walls, on which several guns were mounted on that side.
The Madras Sappers had also brought scaling-ladders along the rugged
hills, and the Rifles were skilfully disposed along the edge of a deep
ravine between the hills and the city walls, sheltered by the broken
ground and by tombs, (for it was the burial place of the city,) with
the object of cutting off the retreat of the Chinese by the northern
gate.
While these operations were going on, the admiral, accompanied by Sir
Henry Pottinger, Captain Herbert, Captain Maitland, and Mr. Morrison,
the interpreter, went on board the Nemesis, (which, after landing
her troops, had come round the point of Guard Island into the inner
harbour,) and were carried towards the Pagoda Hill, just as the
18th entered the works at the top of it. The admiral and the rest
of the officers immediately landed, and ascended the hill, from the
top of which there is a splendid prospect of the whole plain beyond,
and of the city, and from which a good view could be obtained of the
operations against the latter.
The Nemesis was anchored as close in shore as possible; and Captain
Hall, having got up to the mast-head, was able distinctly to see
everything that was going on, and to direct the fire of the steamer, so
as to throw a few shells into the city, about three-quarters of a mile
distant. The other steamers very shortly afterwards also joined her in
the inner harbour. The 55th could be seen climbing over the walls, the
Chinese firing, and retreating before them; and the British flag at
last proudly floated over the fallen city. Three British cheers were
given at this moment by soldiers and sailors together.
The capital of Chusan, with all its new and extensive defences, was now
for the second time in our possession. The Chinese troops fled into
the interior of the island, principally by the eastern gate; and if a
detachment of our soldiers had been sent along the banks of the canal
which runs up into the plain on that side, probably a great number of
the Chinese would have been cut off.
The loss of the Chinese was considerable, both in the battery and on
the hills. On our side, one officer (Ensign Duell) and one rank and
file of the 55th were killed, and nineteen rank and file of the same
regiment wounded, many of them severely. Of the other troops engaged,
eight rank and file were wounded, of whom half dangerously or severely.
Besides the guns already enumerated, together with large ginjals, a
vast number of matchlocks were found in the city, with upwards of five
hundred tubs of powder, some bamboo rockets, and about one hundred
cases of leaden balls.
The day after the capture, measures were adopted by the general to
endeavour to prevent the escape of the Chinese troops from the island,
by the numerous little harbours or creeks from which they could get
away in boats to the mainland. Three different detachments of our
soldiers were sent out by separate routes to scour the island, while
the Nemesis and other vessels were sent round to convey provisions,
and to blockade the landing-places or villages on the coast. But not
a soldier was seen in any direction; the facility of disguise and
concealment, and also of escape to the mainland, being very great.
It may be doubted whether these movements, instead of tending to bring
the native Chinese population into submission, did not rather serve
to keep alive or to increase their natural feeling of dislike to the
foreigner. In fact, the inhabitants of the Chusan Islands are generally
a hardy and independent race of people, and up to the close of the
war, it never could be said that we really had possession of more than
the actual city within the walls of Tinghai and its suburbs on the
sea-shore. No one could move even to a distance of two or three miles
from the walls, without having a strong escort with him, or running
the risk of being kidnapped by the people. Many private soldiers and
camp-followers were in this manner cut off; and at length orders were
issued that none but the Chinese should be permitted to pass through
the northern gate at all.
FOOTNOTES:
[59] To shew how sickly the coast of China is, _in some seasons_,
it may be mentioned, that on board the Lion, which conveyed Lord
Macartney's embassy to China in 1792, no less than ninety-three men
were put upon the sick list in less than a week after she came to
anchor on the upper part of the east coast.
[60] In some of the most barren parts of Tartary, where the people
with difficulty obtain the means of subsistence, remarkable care is
bestowed upon the cultivation of patches of ground, only a few yards
square, upon the side of the most rugged mountains. Æneas Anderson
says, "Upon a very high mountain in Tartary, (on the road to the
imperial residence,) I discovered patches of cultivated ground in such
a position as to appear altogether inaccessible. Presently I observed
one of the poor husbandmen employed in digging a small spot near the
top of a hill, where, at first sight, it appeared impossible for him
to stand, much less to till the ground. I soon noticed that he had a
rope fastened round his middle, by which he let himself down from the
top, to any part of the precipice where a few square yards of ground
gave him encouragement to plant his vegetables. Situated as these spots
are, at considerable distances from each other, and considering the
daily fatigue and danger of this man's life, it affords an interesting
example of Chinese industry, stimulated by necessity."_--See Anderson's
Embassy of Lord Macartney._