key to Chin-hae, and the large and opulent city of Ning-po, about fifteen miles up the river; and it is so important as a military post, that I trust I may be excused for attempting to describe it. It stands about 250 feet above the sea, and is encircled by a strong wall, with iron-plated gates at the east and west ends. The north and south sides of the heights are exceedingly steep; the former accessible only from the sea by a narrow winding path from the rocks at its base, the south side and eastern end being nearly precipitous. At the east end of the citadel, outside its wall, twenty-one guns were mounted in three batteries of masonry and sand-bags, to defend the entrance to the river. The only communication between the citadel and city is on the west side, by a steep but regular causeway, to a barrier-gate at the bottom of the hill, where a wooden bridge over a wet ditch connects it with the isthmus and the gates of the city, the whole of which are covered with iron plates, and strongly secured. The space on the isthmus between the citadel hill and the city wall is filled up towards the sea with a battery of five guns, having a row of strong piles driven in a little beach in front of it, to prevent a descent in that quarter; and on the river side of the the river side of the isthmus are two batteries adjoining the suburbs, and mounting twenty-two and nineteen guns, for flanking the entrance; twenty-eight guns of different sizes, and numberless gingals, were also planted on the city walls, principally towards the sea."

and decision. The explosion of a magazine within the citadel burst open the gate, and the remnant of the garrison fled as the British rushed impetuously in. No sooner were they within the walls than another explosion occurred, probably from design, but without injuring any of our men. This post secured, the troops were re-formed, and again pushed onwards towards the city. The Chinese still occupied its walls and two adjacent batteries in considerable force; but their hearts failed them before the terrible foe they had to encounter, and they also fled after a few volleys of musketry. The city wall was then scaled in two places; the Chinese, in terror and confusion, made their escape by the western gate, and the British colours were upraised over the walls of Chin-hae.

The loss sustained by the British in this affair was very slight, but great numbers of the Chinese perished. Many were shot, others drowned in their attempts to escape, and a great number of prisoners were taken, besides many pieces of cannon. The prisoners were deprived of their arms, and liberated on the following day. Some were subjected, before their departure, to the indignity of losing their much-valued long plaited tailsplaited tails-a fitting punishment for their arrogance, and one they regarded as an extreme humiliation. Sir Hugh Gough, on hearing this, gave orders that the Chinese should be spared this affront; but the command was not received until our rough barbers had completed their operations.

The British troops were landed early on Having left a garrison in Chin-hae, the the 10th of October, the operations being expedition proceeded up the river to the protected by the ships of war, which, in city of Ning-po, before which they made performing this important duty, sustained their appearance on the 13th. Its walls but very little damage from the fire of the were nearly five miles in circumference, and enemy. Shortly after eleven, most of the it contained a population of 300,000 persons. Chinese batteries were carried, and their As the British vessels grimly took up their terrified defenders fleeing in every direction. positions, no soldiers made their appearance, Another quarter of an hour of furious bom-though the inhabitants were collected in bardment, and the wall of the citadel was clusters on both banks of the river, and breached by the iron tempest hurled against it. On this point the Chinese had hitherto worked their guns with considerable firmness, but they abandoned them on seeing their defences reduced to a ruinous condition, and retreated precipitately towards the city. Not a moment was allowed them to recover from the shock they had sustained; the battalion of seamen and marines were landed, together with the detachments of artillery and sappers; and the whole force advanced to the assault with startling rapidity

densely thronged the bridge of boats which extended across it. On the British landing, they found the town undefended, although the gate was barricaded. The walls, however, were soon scaled; the Chinese themselves assisting in removing the obstructions and in opening the gate. These poor people all appeared anxious to throw themselves on British protection, saying that their Mandarins had deserted them, and that their own soldiers were unable to defend them. Sir Hugh Gough assembled some of the

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most respectable of the commercial class there, but no great amount of bullion was who had remained in the city, and assured found. Several extensive stores of money them of his desire to afford them all the were reported, but they were affirmed not protection consistent with his instructions to press the Chinese government. He also issued a proclamation calling upon the people to reopen their shops, promising that they should not be molested. This they did to some extent; and every precaution was taken to prevent the troops from plundering, though the conduct of the latter was so gratifying in this respect, that it elicited the warmest commendation of the commander-in-chief. A strict search, however, was instituted to discover any public treasure that might have been preserved

to belong to the government, but to the merchants and bankers of the city. These statements were naturally received with much suspicion; but ultimately a compromise was made, and the holders were compelled to pay a per-centage for the security, which the British authority extended to the remainder. In the public granaries an enormous quantity of rice and corn was found. This was disposed of to the Chinese, each of whom were allowed to take away as much as he could carry for a dollar. Thus the distress caused by the war was partially alleviated.

PROGRESS OF THE WAR-CAPTURE OF THE CITIES OF CHAPOO AND CHINKIANG-FO0-SCENES OF HORROR ENACTED AT THE LATTER.

gether advance and exterminate-not allowing so much as a bit of broken plank of the English to return: then will be laid aside my imperial resentment."

Ir might be supposed that the severe lessons | Woolung, and Solun, will also hasten to the Chinese had received, and their repeatedly assemble at the capital, that we may altoproved incompetency to resist the English, would have taught them to abate their arrogant tone, and induce them to seek for peace. Such, however, was not the case; and the vaunting impotence of the imperial Other edicts followed, all expressing the decrees became even more insolent than impotent fury of the emperor, who declared before. Instead of speaking of the English that the indignation of both gods and as an equal and powerful enemy, the celes- men was aroused against the English bartial emperor described them as "rebels," barians: that he would treat all their soliciwho had dared to act contemptuously to- tations for peace with utter scorn, and, colwards his dynasty; and at length proceeded lecting a great army, destroy their nests to the absurd extent of decreeing their and dens (in England and India), and thus utter annihilation. "I, the emperor," said cut them off, both root and branch, allowhe, in an imperial edict, now order ing them not one foot of ground, in order Meenfang, and the great minister Hoo, to that his imperial wrath might be appeased. lead forth the army of 50,000 men, and Unable to wreak his vengeance on his foes, most decidedly make a thorough extermina- this eastern despot visited his own subjects tion of the English rebels, in order to tran- with brutal and vindictive punishments. quillise the hearts of our people. But if Keshen, the unfortunate Mandarin who you dare to be cowardly, and privately, of had negotiated with the English, was acyour own accord, proceed to make peace, cused of receiving bribes from them, and most certainly will you be put to death. the emperor ordered him to be cut in Let the two words 'make peace,' for ever sunder at the waist. The imperial savage after this find no place in your hearts, nor also commanded all who officially attended ever give them form by writing them out. Keshen, whether great or small, his relaIf you both (Meenfang and Hoo) do not tions, and all who appertained unto him, tremblingly carry out my imperial design, to be decapitated indiscriminately. then are you not the son and minister of doomed another unhappy wretch, accused our realm. And should you dare to become of traitorously combining with the English, tardy in your duties, and listen to their pre- to be put to death, by having his flesh cut tensions to make peace, I, the emperor, will from his bones in small bits; his native place myself at the head of a mighty force, place also was to be laid waste, and his and most uncompromisingly make an end relatives sentenced to the penalty of transof English guilt. All the troops of Keelin, | portation. The emperor also degraded

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many of his Mandarins, and deprived every officer of the province of Canton of his official button, until they should make good their delinquencies by efficiency of effort.

General Gough sent a force of 1,500 men to disperse them. The Chinese were discovered drawn up in a position of some strength, and when they were attacked, displayed more determination than was usual with them. They were, however, defeated with a loss of five or six hundred men; while that of the English amounted but to three killed and twenty wounded,a powerful instance, if any were needed, to show that the antiquated tactics of these Asiatic conservatives could never compete with the strength and science of European troops. It was understood that the force thus encountered was the élite of the Chinese army, and had been sent, under Commander Yih King, to "exterminate the barbarians."

As nothing was to be gained by remaining at Ning-po, the expedition abandoned it on the 7th of May, and sailed for the river Tsëentang, in order to attack the city of Chapoo. On the 18th the fleet opened

The hostile operations against the Chinese were continued; but minutely to follow the movements against them would weary the reader, from its monotonous repetition of details of advance and particulars of flight. The exclusive system so long pursued by those who sway the destinies of the Chinese empire, of shutting out all whom they termed barbarians, together with the knowledge they had acquired and the discoveries they had made, now recoiled upon those who had pursued so senseless and suicidal a policy. China, uninfluenced by the knowledge and progress of more enlightened nations, ignorant of its own weakness, and holding, with a superstitious reverence, to ancient modes of art and warfare long since abandoned by more active-minded states, was, in the hour of trial, found to be almost a fire upon the place, and its defenders, defenceless. Pompous boastings and threats which they supposed their enemies would regard as awful, soon appeared in the light of amusing absurdities, when opposed to the bold movements of European warfare. The Chinese concluded that the preposterous language they had for ages considered to be appropriate in all their communications with representatives of the western world, had actually secured to their empire the omnipotence it assumed. More frankness and resolution on the part of the foreign ambassadors, might have undeceived the tea-growers and their government half a century sooner, and spared them the bitter mortification which they had now to experience. Their air-built castles and vanitybred day-dreams of universal authority, were soon to burst and vanish like gaudy sunpainted bubbles blown by sportive children on a summer's day.

Urged forward to action by a fear of incurring the merciless anger of their emperor, the Chinese made a desperate effort to recover both Chin-hae and Ning-po, but with the usual result-repulse and considerable slaughter on their side, and comparative immunity from loss on that of the English. Attempts were then made to cut off the supplies of the latter, and thus reduce them by starvation. It was ascertained that a body of from three to four thousand men were encamped at a town called Tse-kee, about ten or eleven miles' distance from Ning-po. On the 15th of March, 1842,

though 10,000 strong, were soon overpowered. The town was carried with but little loss, and, as usual, the Chinese sought for safety in precipitate flight. A body of Tartar troops, consisting of about 300 men, on finding their retreat intercepted, threw themselves into a joss-house, and there fought desperately until the building, riddled by British bullets, fell in upon them. Forty of them surrendered, and seven were made prisoners; the rest perished miserably by bullet and bayonet. The squadron, after destroying the batteries, magazines, foundries, barracks, and other public buildings of Chapoo, sailed towards that part of the great Yank-tse-keang river where it is joined by the Woo-sung.

The astonishment and perplexity of the Chinese authorities were extreme as the unwelcome truth came with irresistible evidence upon their obtuse minds, that they were unable to crush the powerful foes whose anger they had so arrogantly provoked. The troops of the Celestial Empire were scattered in disgraceful flight before the forces of a distant, and, as they supposed, or affected to suppose, obscure nation; its cities were captured, and the edicts of the Son of Heaven set at defiance! The Chinese had already taxed their invention and resources to the uttermost, but without effect. The English captured some large pieces of cannon, which had received names indicative of the service they were intended to perform. One was called "the terror