The crisis had come. The Chinese had determined to drive away the
"foreign devils" from their coasts, and the "foreign devils" had equally
determined to show that they were a match for the Celestials.
On 5th July 1840, Chusan, a small island in the Chinese sea, fell into
the hands of the British. The previous day, HMS _Conway, Alligator_,
and _Wellesley_, with a troopship and two transports, arrived in Chusan
harbour. The ships took up position opposite a large Joss House or
Temple. Sir Gordon Bremer was in command of our force. In the evening
a deputation was sent on shore, calling upon the governor to surrender
the town of Chusan and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The Chinese admiral
and two mandarins themselves came to refuse this offer. During that
night the people were seen strengthening their fortifications, while the
inhabitants were flying up the river in their merchant junks, which were
allowed to pass without impediment, although their cargoes, probably
containing much that was valuable, would have made the fortunes of many
a British officer. However, they were allowed through untouched, for
our bluejackets had not come to war against civilians and women and
children. Indeed, to their credit, in no instance throughout the war
did the helpless suffer injury at the hands of either British soldiers
or sailors.
On the 5th, vast crowds could be seen along the hills and shores, and
the walls of the city were lined with troops. Twenty-four guns were
placed on the landing-place, which, with the appearance of several
war-junks, showed that resistance was going to be offered.
The troops were landed in two divisions, under Major-General Burrell's
supervision. The fire from the batteries and from the shores was soon
silenced by the British "men of war." Not far distant from the city was
a hill surrounded on three sides by a deep canal and very boggy land,
and our troops took up position on this hill; and though fire was opened
on them till nearly midnight, the effects of it were scarcely felt. On
the morning of the 6th the guns were directed towards the city, but as
no sound could be heard or troops seen, it was thought that the city had
probably been evacuated, and a party was sent forward to find out if
this was the case. The walls of the city were scaled, and then it was
found that, with the exception of one or two unarmed Chinese, the place
was empty. Over the principal gate was a placard on which was
inscribed, "Save us for the sake of our wives and children." The
British flag was, without loss of time, hoisted upon that gate.
On 19th August 1840, Captain Smith, in the _Druid_, and a few smaller
ships of war and some troops, attacked and defeated the Chinese in a
very spirited manner, stationed in some fortifications known as the
Macao Barrier. 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, while 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 the 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.
After this, nothing very remarkable was done till the Bogue forts were
captured, on the 7th January 1841. The Chinese Emperor had only opened
negotiations for the purpose of gaining time it was resolved, therefore,
to attack Canton itself. Several fleets of war-junks were destroyed,
some of the junks being blown up with all on board. On the 26th of
February the Boca Tigris forts were taken by Sir Gordon Bremer; and, on
the 5th of March, the squadron having advanced up the river, Howqua's
Fort was captured. Other forts in succession fell into the hands of the
British force; and on the 28th of March, the passage up to Whampoa being
forced, the forts of Canton and a large Chinese flotilla were captured.
After this, the Chinese came to terms; trade was again opened, and went
on for some time with great activity. All this time, however, the
treacherous Chinese were plotting how they might exterminate the
English; and, on the night of the 21st of May, a bold attempt was made
by them to destroy the British fleet by means of fire-rafts. The
attempt, however, was happily defeated, and warlike operations were once
more commenced.
During these operations, Mr Hall performed a gallant act, which
probably saved the lives of Captains Elliot and Herbert and all standing
near. A congreve rocket had been placed in a tube and ignited, when it
hung within it instead of flying out. In another moment it would have
burst, scattering destruction around, had not Mr Hall thrust his arm
into the tube and forced it out from behind. The rush of fire, however,
severely burnt his hand, and caused him much suffering; it was long,
indeed, before he recovered the use of it.
Canton was now attacked both by sea and land; and after some severe
fighting, which lasted from the 23rd up to the 30th of May, that
important city was taken possession of by the British.
Amoy was captured on the 26th of August in a dashing manner, and
Chinghae on the 10th of October 1841, and Ningpo was occupied on the
12th of the same month. Early in the year, Captain Hall and the
officers and crew of the _Nemesis_ had a spirited brush with the
Chinese, to the north of Chusan. After this, the enemy kept at a
distance from that place.
Several attempts were made by the Chinese to destroy the ships of the
squadron, each time defeated by the vigilance of the officers and crews.
On the 13th of May 1843, Chapoo, a large town near the sea, was
attacked and captured; and Woosung and Shanghai shared the same fate on
the 16th and 19th of June, the greater part of the fighting on both
occasions being performed by the seamen and marines of the fleet.