After This Sir Hugh Gough Threatened To Bombard Canton If There
Were Any More Attacks On His Camp, And They
At once ceased, and when the
whole of the indemnity was paid the English troops were withdrawn, leaving
Canton as
It was, for a second time "a record of British magnanimity and
forbearance."
After this trade reverted to its former footing, and by the Canton
convention, signed by the imperial commissioners in July, 1841, the
English obtained all the privileges they could hope for from the local
authorities. But it was essentially a truce, not a treaty, and the great
point of direct intercourse with the central government was no nearer
settlement than ever. At this moment Sir Henry Pottinger arrived as
Plenipotentiary from England, and he at once set himself to obtaining a
formal recognition from the Pekin executive of his position and the
admission of his right to address them on diplomatic business. With the
view of pressing this matter on the attention of Taoukwang, who personally
had not deviated from his original attitude of emphatic hostility, Sir
Henry Pottinger sailed northward with the fleet and a large portion of the
land forces about the end of August. The important seaport of Amoy was
attacked and taken after what was called "a short but animated
resistance." This town is situated on an island, the largest of a group
lying at the entrance to the estuary of Lungkiang, and it has long been
famous as a convenient port and flourishing place of trade. The Chinese
had raised a rampart of 1,100 yards in length, and this they had armed
with ninety guns, while a battery of forty-two guns protected its flank.
Kulangsu was also fortified, and the Chinese had placed in all 500 guns in
position. They believed in the impregnability of Amoy, and it was allowed
that no inconsiderable skill as well as great expense had been devoted to
the strengthening of the place. When the English fleet arrived off the
port the Chinese sent a flag of truce to demand what it wanted, and they
were informed the surrender of the town. The necessity for this measure
would be hard to justify, especially as we were nominally at peace with
China, for the people of Amoy had inflicted no injury on our trade, and
their chastisement would not bring us any nearer to Pekin. Nor was the
occupation of Amoy necessary on military grounds. It was strong only for
itself, and its capture had no important consequences. As the Chinese
determined to resist the English, the fleet engaged the batteries, and the
Chinese, standing to their guns "right manfully," only abandoned their
position when they found their rear threatened by a landing party. Then,
after a faint resistance, the Chinese sought safety in flight, but some of
their officers, preferring death to dishonor, committed suicide, one of
them being seen to walk calmly into the sea and drown himself in face of
both armies. The capture of Amoy followed.
As the authorities at Amoy refused to hold any intercourse with the
English, the achievement remained barren of any useful consequence, and
after leaving a small garrison on Kulangsu, and three warships in the
roadstead, the English expedition continued its northern course. After
being scattered by a storm in the perilous Formosa channel, the fleet
reunited off Ningpo, whence it proceeded to attack Chusan for a second
time. The Chinese defended Tinghai, the capital, with great resolution. At
this place General Keo, the chief naval and military commander, was
killed, and all his officers, sticking to him to the last, also fell with
him. Their conduct in fact was noble; nothing could have surpassed it. On
the reoccupation of Chusan, which it was decided to retain until a formal
treaty had been concluded with the emperor, Sir Henry Pottinger issued a
proclamation to the effect that years might elapse before that place would
be restored to the emperor's authority, and many persons wished that it
should be permanently annexed as the best base for commercial operations
in China. A garrison of 400 men was left at Tinghai, and then the
expedition proceeded to attack Chinhai on the mainland, where the Chinese
had made every preparation to offer a strenuous resistance. The Chinese
suffered the most signal defeat and the greatest loss they had yet
incurred during the war. The victory at Chinhai was followed by the
unopposed occupation of the important city of Ningpo, where the
inhabitants shut themselves up in their houses, and wrote on their doors
"Submissive People." Ningpo was put to ransom and the authorities informed
that unless they paid the sum within a certain time their city would be
handed over to pillage and destruction. As the Pekin government had made
no sign of giving in, it was felt that no occasion ought to be lost of
overawing the Chinese, and compelling them to admit that any further
prolongation of the struggle would be hopeless. The arrival of further
troops and warships from Europe enabled the English commanders to adopt a
more determined and uncompromising attitude, and the capture of Ningpo
would have been followed up at once but for the disastrous events in
Afghanistan, which distracted attention from the Chinese question, and
delayed its settlement. It was hoped, however, that the continued
occupation of Amoy, Chusan and Ningpo would cause sufficient pressure on
the Pekin government to induce it to yield all that was demanded.
These anticipations were not fulfilled, for neither the swift-recurring
visitation of disaster nor the waning resources of the imperial government
in both men and treasure, could shake the fixed hostility of Taoukwang or
induce him to abate his proud pretensions. Minister after minister passed
into disgrace and exile. Misfortune shared the same fate as incompetence,
and the more the embarrassments of the state increased the heavier fell
the hand of the ruler and the verdict of the Board of Punishments upon
beaten generals and unsuccessful statesmen.
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Page 102 of 188
Words from 103076 to 104076
of 191255
