is in possession of Her Majesty's Consul. Nearly all the Chinese servants now quitted the factory.

A detachment of eighteen gunners, of Royal Artillery, under Captain Guy Rotton, joined me. I stationed them at first in the Dutch Folly, where they performed good service.

14. No change having taken place in the aspect of affairs from the proceedings of the 27th, I resumed operations on the following day from the Dutch Folly, where I placed in position two of the Encounter's 32-pounder guns. I had pre

viously given the fullest warning to the inhabitants in the vicinity to remove their persons and property (Captain Hall having landed twice for that purpose), in which occupation they were engaged during the whole of the night. I began firing shortly after noon, my object being to open a clear passage to the wall of the city. This was materially furthered by a conflagration of a large portion of the houses in our line of attack, which opened the wall to our view. I ceased firing at

sunset.

Captain the Honourable Keith Stewart, of Her Majesty's ship Nankin, joined me on the morning of the 28th, with 140 of his crew and two fieldpieces. 65 of the crew of the United States' corvette Levant, also arrived to protect American interests, making their total force 140 officers and men, under Commanders Foote and Smith.

15. Our fire re-opened earlier on the morning of the 29th than was intended, owing to an appearance as if guns had been mounted on the city wall during the night. At 11 A.M. Commander W. T. Bate and Mr. C. G. Johnston, Acting-Master, late of the Bittern, having ascertained, by personal examination, and at considerable risk, the practicability of the breach, the force particularized in

the enclosed return was told off for the assault, under the eommand of Commodore the Honourable C. Elliot.

The landing was effected at 2 P.M., and the men having formed, were at once led to the attack (accompanied by two field pieces in charge of Lieutenants Bushnell and Twysden), the seamen by the Commodore, Captain the Honourable Keith Stewart, and Commanders Bate and Rolland; the Royal Marines by Captains P. C. Penrose and R. Boyle. The way was most gallantly shown by Commander Bate, whom I observed alone, waving an ensign on the top of the breach. The parapet of the wall was immediately afterwards covered with the marines and seamen, who, diverging to the left and right, had within ten minutes, complete possession of the defences between two of the gates, with the field pieces in the breach.

Captain Penrose, on gaining the wall, hastened to the gate to the right, on which he hoisted a smail flag, to shew its position to Captain Hall, who then promptly landed with the boats' crews of the Calcutta and Barracouta, and having pushed his way through the streets to the city gate, quickly effected an entrance, with the assistance of Commander Fortescue, Lieutenant G. C. Fowler, my flag-lieutenant, Captain Rotton, Royal Artillery, and 4 gunners of that corps.

The gate was then blown to pieces, and the archway partially destroyed, by two large charges of gunpowder.

Little opposition was offered by the Chinese troops (though the guns were loaded on the parapet) beyond keeping up a scattered and desultory fire from the streets and houses, by which we sustained a loss of 3 private marines killed,

and 11 men wounded. The wounded were conveyed to the Dutch Folly, where they received every attention from Dr. C. A. Anderson, StaffSurgeon of the flag-ship, and Assistant-Surgeon Newton, of the Bittern.

I had the satisfaction of entering the city through the gate, soon after its passage had been secured, and accompanied by the Commodore, Her Majesty's Consul, and a portion of the force, I visited and inspected the house and premises of the High Commissioner. We re-embarked at

sunset, and the officers and men were returned to their respective quarters; my object, which was to show his Excellency that I had the power to enter the city, having been fully accomplished.

Before the landing took place, I assembled the officers and urgently impressed upon them (as I had previously done by written order) the necessity of restraining the men from molesting the persons and property of the inhabitants, confining warlike operations against the troops only; and I have pleasure in bearing testimony to the forbearance and good conduct of the seamen and marines. No straggling took place, and when the orders were given to re-embark the men returned to their boats with regularity and despatch.

About 5 P.M., a second fire broke out in the suburbs, bordering on the first one, which consumed a large number of houses.

16. At daylight on the 30th, it was discovered that the breach had been filled up during the night with sand bags and timber; a few shot, however, soon cleared it again, as well as on the mornings of the 31st, and the 1st November.

17. I now judged it expedient to personally address the High Commissioner, in the hope of inducing him to accede to our demands. I pointed out that the steps which had been taken were

occasioned by his refusal to afford reparation in the case of the Arrow; that the city of Canton was at my mercy; and that it was in his power, by an immediate consultation with me, to terminate a state of affairs so likely to lead to the most serious calamities. His Excellency's reply consisted of a resumé of his letters to Mr. Parkes; he defended his conduct, and intimated that he had already appointed his deputy to consult with me (this was an officer of very inferior rank to my own).

I sent an immediate answer, and informed the High Commissioner that unless I received an explicit assurance of his assent to what I had proposed, I should at once resume operations. I added, that the deliberation with which I had so far proceeded, should have convinced his Excellency of my reluctance to visit the consequences of his acts on the inhabitants of Canton, but that should he persist in his present policy, he would be responsible for the result, and would learn, when too late, that we had the power to execute what we undertook. His Excellency rejoined on the 3rd November, and after recapitulating his former correspondence, avoided touching on the subject of our demands.

18. Fears being entertained that the Chinese would set fire to the houses round the factory, to ensure its destruction, a party was employed for three days in pulling down such houses as were necessary to our safety, leaving an open space between the town and the factory. One of the rows of houses (called Hog-lane), penetrated the whole length between two of the factories, and had long been a source of disquiet to the mercantile community. The officer commanding the troops at Hong Kong subsequently sent me a company of gun Lascars to clear away the débris.

Captain Thomas Wilson arrived on the 31st with 90 officers and seamen of Her Majesty's ship Winchester.

19. As the Chinese boats continued to furnish supplies to our ships, during the operations, I considered it of great importance to inform the public of the nature of our grievances, the more particularly as various placards had been issued by the Government with a view to excite enmity against us. I therefore had copies of my letters to the High Commissioner printed, and Captain Hall distributed them from his boat. They were eagerly sought for. Mr. Parkes also promulgated a précis of the whole affair.

20. At eleven o'clock in the morning of the 3rd of November, I commenced a slow firing on the Government buildings in the Tartar city, and at Gough's Fort, from the Encounter, Sampson, and the Dutch Folly, and continued it till five P.M. At midnight an explosion took place in a small boat inserted under the platform of the Club-house, where the seamen and marines are lodged. It was evidently intended to blow up and set fire to the building. Fortunately it did no damage, beyond slightly burning one of the sentries. All the Chinese boats which had heretofore been allowed to remain unmolested round the factory sea-wall, were now driven away.

21. Being most anxious to avoid the necessity of further coercive measures, I again addressed the High Commissioner on the 3rd, but as he could not be brought to entertain the justice of our demands, I was compelled to re-open fire on the 4th, and again on the 5th, from one of the Sampson's 68 pounders, mounted in the Dutch Folly. It was principally directed at a fortification crowning a hill in the rear of the city, hitherto considered impregnable; but, although at extreme range,