Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843: And of the Combined Naval and Military Operations in China: Comprising a Complete Account of the Colony of Hong-Kong and Remarks on the Character & Habits of the Chinese. Second EditionHall, W. H. (William Hutcheon), Sir
History
Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843: And of the Combined Naval and Military Operations in China: Comprising a Complete Account of the Colony of Hong-Kong and Remarks on the Character & Habits of the Chinese. Second Edition
Hall, W. H. (William Hutcheon), Sir
China -- History -- Opium War, 1840-1842; Hong Kong (China); Hong Kong (China) -- History; Nemesis (Steamer)
The resistance which the Chinese _might_ have offered to our forces
will be seen from the following account of the ordnance captured
during the day. On the southern Anunghoy fort, were 107 guns, of
various calibre; one being a 68-pounder, one a 42, and a good many of
32, 24, and 18. Four of them were very large brass guns, made by the
Portuguese, in 1627, two of these being upwards of eleven feet long,
and ten inches and three-quarters in diameter of the bore; three of the
iron ones were of English manufacture, and the remainder were heavy
Chinese guns. On the northern Anunghoy fort were 40 guns, about half of
them varying from 18 to 42-pounders. All of these were Chinese. At the
two sand-bag batteries, erected to the eastward of the southern fort,
were about 30 guns of small calibre; so that there were altogether on
that side of the river one hundred and seventy-seven guns. Again, upon
the little fortified island of North Wantung, were planted upwards of
one hundred and sixty guns, of which, however, one third were very
small, and of little service; and another third of them varied only
from six to twelve pounders. The remainder were mostly very good,
and some very heavy guns; one being a 68, and another a 42-pounder.
Several of these bore a curious inscription, similar to some others
subsequently taken on Lord Napier's fort, near Canton.
On the fort and works, on the mainland, on the western side of the
river, facing Wantung, were also mounted about forty guns. Thus, the
whole number captured in this day's operations amounted to three
hundred and eighty pieces of cannon; to which, if we add eighty pieces
more, captured on the preceding day by the Nemesis and boats, under
Capt. Herbert, at the masked battery and stockades in the river,
at the bottom of Anson's Bay, we shall find the whole number taken
and destroyed in these two days alone, at the first resumption of
hostilities, to have amounted to four hundred and sixty pieces.
Immediately after the British flag was planted triumphantly upon the
forts of the Bogue, or at any rate before the close of the day, a
notice was issued by Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer, by which the blockade
of the river of Canton was raised. British and foreign merchant-ships
were now permitted to proceed as far as the Bogue, and were to be
allowed to go further up the river, as soon as the obstructions to the
navigation could be removed.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] This was, on more than one occasion, the case during the war.
Soldiers were often found among the killed and wounded each having two
dollars on their persons, and, on one occasion, even six dollars.
[26] This, probably, alludes to the maxim of the Chinese moral code,
which says that it should be remembered that a "foreigner, though he be
a good man, and on terms of intimacy with you, is still _of a different
race_."
[27] This alludes to the famous pirate Kochinga, who was bought off and
made an admiral.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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