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ENDEAVOURS TO FRIGHTEN THE ENGLISH.

-(General Orders, Fort William, February 24th, 1841; and Sir Gordon Bremer's despatches,)

Thus it will be seen that the British forces, army and navy, had not one man killed, and but for the magazine explosion, which was accidental, there would not have been a dozen wounded, even slightly. The killed alone of the Chinese is supposed to have been at least five hundred men in this action! This may be viewed as a fair sample of the whole Chinese war.

The following is a return of Her Majesty's ships on the coast of China, in 1840, 1841, and 1842.

The additional force was about 5,000 British troops, and nearly 7,000 Indian troops, together with seamen and marines, making a total of upwards of 19,000 men.

Our whole contest with the Chinese, resembled the war which might have been expected between the Brobdignags and Lilliputians.

In page 147, will be found instructions to soldiers, but their articles of war are calculated to strike terror, thus: "When an enemy advances," says the penal code, "he who shrinks, or whispers to his comrade, shall be decapitated."

Having succeeded in breaking the spirit of their soldiers by this mode, they adopted a pretty similar one with the barbarians. In front of the mouths of their cannon, or hanging over the walls of a fort, might be seen the picture of a tiger's head suspended, with streaks of red, resembling blood, intended to frighten our troops. The Chinese were ordered to advance, clashing two swords, for the same purpose.

Commander J. Elliot, in his interesting narrative of the expedition, says : "The appearance of the ship ('Conway,') created a great sensation, and the natives were apparently busy throwing up fortifications, which being examined by the telescope, proved nothing but mats extended on poles, with painted ports, to give them the appearance of forts."

MAT FORTS AND MOCK GUNS OF CHINESE.

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Referring to the period of the dispute with Lord Napier, the commander proceeds, 66 our countrymen at Canton were one morning astonished at seeing the shore apparently bristling with cannon, but on examining them with their glasses, they had put up in the front of a mat-fort a range of earthen jars, with their open end pointed towards the river. We found that it was a common practice to stick a large round piece of wood into the muzzle of a three-pounder painted white, with a black spot, as large as the bore of a thirty-two pounder, and as the white muzzle was continued along the line of guns, it became very difficult by merely looking at them to discover the deception."

Lord Jocelyn says: "The description of some of the Chinese forts, hastily thrown up, on the approach of the ships, was ludicrous; many consisting of bamboo mats, pierced as if for guns to astound the barbarians, for little did they imagine, that through the glasses from the ship, this childish deception was easily discovered.

"The Algerine, a ten-gun brig, commanded by Lieutenant Mason, came into harbour; in passing a town called Chapoo, a place of great trade with Japan, he had been fired upon by a strong fort, mounting a great number of guns. He immediately ranged his little vessel up under the batteries, but for three hours the Chinese kept up a steady fire, when, with nearly the last remaining charge, the little brig silenced the batteries; then anchoring her close under, Lieutenant Mason waited an hour to see if they wished a renewal, and then took his departure to join the squadron." "We

An eye-witness at Chuenpe and Tykokto, in 1841, says: do not expect to find in the construction of Chinese forts any exhibition of engineering skill; they have not had a Vauban. It appears, however, that the materials they use for the upper part of their works, is a composition of chunam, upon which our shot made little impression. Most of their guns were of small calibre, the iron wretched, a single blow of a hammer being sufficient to knock off the trunnions. The stockades were well built, but the situation badly chosen, being commanded by the neighbouring hills. From their freshness they could only have been a few days built-just at the time the British authorities were negotiating, î. e., being bamboozled."

The rapidity of our successes is thus seen: Amoy, 26th August, 1841; Chusan, 3rd October, 1841; Ningpo and Ching-hae, 10th March, 1842; Repulse of enemy at Ching-hae, 10th March, 1842; Chapoo, 18th May, 1842; Woo-sung, 16th June, 1842; Shang-hae, 18th June, 1842; Chin-kiang-foo, 21st July, 1842; peace at Nankin, 29th August, 1842.

During this short period, notwithstanding adverse weather, eleven fortified cities and encampments fell into our hands, on an unknown line of coast of nearly one thousand miles in extent. Had we proceeded at once to Nanking, instead of thus wasting our

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TREATY OF NANKIN, AN OLD DOCUMENT.

strength and resources, peace would have been immediately obtained.

To procced with the close of the narrative.

August 1842. Arrangements were made for placing a strong British garrison at Chin Kiang, as it commands the entrance to the grand canal.

The remainder of the expedition sailed for Nanking on the 3rd of August, which is situated about forty miles distant, and three miles from the Yangtzekang; but connected by a variety of canals.

On the 11th every thing being ready for an attack, a white flag. was displayed, several friendly conferences ensued, ending on the 29th by formally signing and sealing a treaty of peace.

It is understood that the Chinese government had at length become really aware of its own weakness and of our strength; that the Emperor had made preparations for flight into Mantchouria, and that the three commissioners sent to Nanking to procure peace were instructed to obtain it on any terms which might be asked. Instead, however, of forming a treaty in accordance with our position and adequate to our wants, the old treaty framed by the late Mr. Poulett Thompson in 1840,-on the suggestion of Sir George Larpent and others (see page 40)-which had been printed at the Foreign Office in Downing Street, and sent out as a rough outline for the guidance of Captain Elliott in 1841, with a blank after the words "the cession of the islands of

" and with another blank after the words "Indemnity money ," this old draft of a treaty was sent on shore by Sir Henry Pottinger with s struck out of the word "islands," and the word "Hong Kong" alone left there; for reasons some of which will be explained in the last chapter of this work. The terms of peace having been read, Elepoo the senior commissioner paused, expecting something more, and at length said "is that all ?" Mr. Morrison inquired of Lieutenant-colonel Malcolm if there were anything else, and being answered in the negative, Elepoo immediately and with great tact closed the negotiation by saying, "all shall be granted-it is settled-it is finished." Such were the preliminary negotiations of the following treaty

"Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being desirous of putting an end to the misunderstandings and consequent hostilities which have arisen between the two countries, have resolved to conclude a treaty for that purpose, and have therefore named as their plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., a Major-general in the service of the East India Company, &c. &c. And his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, the high commissioners Kíying, a member of the Imperial

PORTS TO BE OPENED FOR TRADE.

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House, a guardian of the Crown Prince, and general of the garrison of Canton; and I'lípú, of the Imperial Kindred, graciously permitted to wear the insigna of the first rank, and the distinction of a peacock's feather, lately minister and governor-general, &c., and now lieutenant-general commanding at Chápú:-who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles :

1st. "There shall henceforward be peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy full security and protection for their persons and property within the dominions of the other.

2nd. "His Majesty the Emperor of China agrees, that British subjects, with their families and establishments, shall be allowed to reside, for the purpose of carrying on their mercantile pursuits, without molestation or restraint, at the cities and towns of Canton, Amoy, Fuhchoo-fú, Ningpo, and Shánghái; and Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., will appoint superintendents, or consular officers, to reside at each of the above-named cities or towns, to be the medium of communication between the Chinese authorities and the said merchants, and to see that the just duties and other dues of the Chinese government, as hereafter provided for, are duly discharged by Her Britannic Majesty's subjects.

3rd. "It being obviously necessary and desirable that British subjects should have some port whereat they may careen and refit their ships when required, and keep stores for that purpose, His Majesty the Emperor of China cedes to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., the island of Hong Kong, to be possessed in perpetuity by Her Britannic Majesty, her heirs and successors, and to be governed by such laws and regulations as Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., shall see fit to direct.

4th. "The Emperor of China agrees to pay the sum of six millions of dollars, as the value of the opium which was delivered up at Canton in the month of March, 1839, as a ransom for the lives of Her Britanic Majesty's snperintendent and subjects, who had been imprisoned and threatened with death by the Chinese high officers.

5th. "The government of China having compelled the British merchants trading at Canton to deal exclusively with certain Chinese merchants, called Hong-merchants (or co-hong), who had been licensed by the Chinese government for that purpose, the Emperor of China agrees to abolish that practice in future at all ports where British merchants may reside, and to permit them to carry on their mercantile transactions with whatever persons they please; and His Imperial Majesty further agrees to pay to the British government the sum of three millions of dollars, on ac

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count of debts due to British subjects by some of the Hong merchants, or co-hong, who have become insolvent, and who owe very large sums of money to subjects of Her Britannic Majesty.

6th. "The government of Her Britannic Majesty having been obliged to send out an expedition to demand and obtain redress for the violent and unjust proceedings of the Chinese high authorities towards Her Britannic Majesty's officer and subjects, the Emperor of China agrees to pay the sum of twelve millions of dollars, on account of the expenses incurred; and Her Britannic Majesty's plenipotentiary voluntarily agrees, on behalf of Her Majesty, to deduct from the said amount of twelve millions of dollars, any sums which may have been received by Her Majesty's combined forces, as ransom for cities and towns in China, subsequent to the 1st day of August, 1841.

7th. "It is agreed, that the total amount of twenty-one millions of dollars, described in the three preceding articles, shall be paid as follows:

"Six millions immediately. Six millions in 1843; that is, three millions on or before the 30th of the month of June, and three millions on or before the 31st of December. Five millions in 1844; that is, two millions and a half on or before the 30th of June, and two millions and a half on or before the 31st of December. Four millions in 1845; that is, two millions on or before the 30th of June, and two millions on or before the 31st of December.

"And it is further stipulated, that interest, at the rate of five per cent. per annum, shall be paid by the government of China on any portion of the above sums that are not punctually discharged at the periods fixed.

8th. "The Emperor of China agrees to release, unconditionally, all subjects of Her Britannic Majesty (whether natives of Europe or India), who may be in confinement at this moment in any part of the Chinese Empire.

9th. "The Emperor of China agrees to publish and promulgate, under His Imperial Sign Manual and Seal, a full and entire amnesty and act of indemnity to all subjects of China, on account of their having resided under, or having had dealings and intercourse with, or having entered the service of, Her Britannic Majesty, or of Her Majesty's officers; and His Imperial Majesty further engages to release all Chinese subjects who may be at this moment in confinement for similar reasons.

10th. "His Majesty the Emperor of China agrees to establish at all the ports which are, by the second article of this Treaty, to be thrown open for the resort of British merchants, a fair and regular tariff of export and import customs and other dues, which tariff shall be publicly notified and promulgated for general information; and the Emperor further engages, that when British merchandise shall have once paid at any of the ports the regulated customs