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 Nemesis was employed on this important service on the 30th and
31st. Having been joined by two launches and other boats, with a party
of seamen and marines from the Wellesley, Blenheim, and Druid, under
Commander Fletcher, she proceeded to destroy some forts and guns,
principally on the south-west side of the bay, all of which had been
abandoned by the Chinese. On this occasion, five forts or field-works
and forty-two guns were taken possession of and destroyed, and on
the following day several others of the same description were also
disabled. A body of Chinese soldiers, who shewed themselves near a
small fort on the island of Quemoy, at the eastern entrance of the bay,
were dispersed, and several guns, matchlocks, ginjals, &c., together
with a quantity of gunpowder, were destroyed. Altogether seventy-seven
guns and four forts were destroyed in this day's work, and the admiral
publicly spoke of the "very commendable zeal" which had been displayed.
At Amoy, for the first time, the so-called tiger soldiers shewed
themselves--that is, men dressed up in yellow-coloured clothes, with
black spots or stripes upon them, and a covering for the head, intended
to be a rude representation of a tiger's head, supposed to look very
fierce, and to strike terror into the minds of the enemy.
The island of Kolingsoo, which had been retained in our possession
ever since its capture, deserves a few remarks. It is about a mile and
a half in length, and about three quarters of a mile broad, but is
very irregular in its shape. It principally consists of rocky broken
ground, the greater part of which is barren, but interspersed with
unwholesome rice-grounds, which have contributed to render the place
extremely unhealthy; indeed at one period the mortality among the
troops stationed there was dreadful, scarcely even a single officer
having escaped sickness, which proved fatal to many. The Chinese,
however, seemed to have suffered little from it, for there were several
neat and even elegant country-houses upon the island, ornamented with
handsome carved wood-work, &c. It seemed to have been used as a place
of retirement for some of the wealthier citizens of Amoy, and our
retention of a place so conveniently situated for giving us the command
of the harbour and trade of the city was a source of great annoyance,
both to the authorities and to the inhabitants.
For a considerable time, very little communication was kept up with the
town, and it was scarcely safe to venture into it; but since the peace,
every disposition has been shewn to receive us in a friendly manner,
and the knowledge which many of the Chinese merchants have acquired
of our character and habits, by trading with Singapore, will tend
materially to facilitate our future commercial intercourse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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