In These Encounters Thirteen Men Were Killed
And Forty Wounded, Of Whom Several Succumbed To Their Wounds, For It Was
Noticed That The Chinese Shot Inflicted Cruel Injuries.
The destruction of
the Chinese fleet on the Canton River could not be considered heavily
purchased at the cost, and the extent of the trepidation caused by
Commodore Keppel's intrepidity could not be accurately measured.
Lord Elgin reached Hongkong very soon after this event, and, although he
brought no soldiers with him, he found English opinion at Hongkong very
pronounced in favor of an attack on Canton with a view of re-opening that
city to trade. But the necessary force was not available, and Lord Elgin
refused to commit himself to this risky course. Sir Michael Seymour said
the attack would require 5,000 troops, and General Ashburnham thought it
could be done with 4,000 men if all were effective, while the whole
Hongkong garrison numbered only 1,500, and of these one-sixth were
invalided. Lord Elgin decided to go to Calcutta, and ascertain when Lord
Canning would be able to spare him the troops necessary to bring China to
reason. He returned to Hongkong on September 20, and he found matters very
much as he had left them, and all the English force was capable of was to
blockade the river. To supplement the weakness of the garrison a coolie
corps of 750 Chinese was organized, and proved very efficient, and toward
the end of November troops, chiefly marines, began at last to arrive from
England.
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