odshed, retired
with his ships to Macao, where he embarked a number of British
residents. Kwang, in consequence, boasted that he had gained a great
victory, and was covered with honours, his countrymen being encouraged
to persevere in the contest. The Chinese also issued a proclamation
offering 20,000 Spanish dollars to any one who would capture an English
80-gun ship, and 5000 dollars to the man who took alive a foreign
mandarin or captain, and so on in proportion to the rank of the
captives; while a third of the sum was to be paid for killing them. The
Chinese, determined to resist, prepared fire-ships, exercised their
troops, and got up sham fights, dressing some of their men in red
clothes, who were always soundly beaten, to teach the Celestials to
conquer the barbarian English. They had likewise purchased the
_Cambridge_, an old East Indiaman, of 900 tons, and armed her with
thirty-four guns, and had built some curious craft with paddle-wheels,
in imitation of English steamers. It was said even that they had
funnels, with fires below them to create a smoke, in order to deceive
the barbarians. They also threw up forts along the banks of their
rivers, sometimes facing them with thin boards or canvas, painted to
look like stone, in order to frighten their invaders.

A considerable squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Elliott, in
the _Melville_, 74, now arrived. When at Singapore, Captain Maitland
had drilled 350 of her seamen to act as light-infantry troops, and had
brought them into an admirable state of efficiency. While one part of
the fleet blockaded the mouth of the Canton River, the remainder
proceeded to the northward to look into different harbours. On her way
the _Blonde_ came off Amoa, near which she observed batteries thrown up,
and in a short time a number of large armed junks came down as if to
attack her. On a boat being sent on shore with a flag of truce, she was
fired on by the Chinese. On this the _Blonde_ opened her broadsides,
soon knocked the forts to pieces, and compelled the war-junks to run up
the harbour.

The _Wellesley_, with a part of the squadron, then appeared off Chusan.
Commodore Bremer was in hopes that his overwhelming force would induce
the Chinese to yield, but their fleet was commanded by a tough old
admiral, who, ignorant of the power of the English, had no intention of
doing so without a fight. During the night the Chinese were seen by the
light of thousands o