f painted lanterns throwing up embankments, and
placing fresh guns in position, while numberless merchant-junks, loaded
with goods, women, and children, were observed making their way down the
river to escape. After giving the Chinese several opportunities of
negotiating for peace, the _Wellesley_ opened her fire. It was answered
by the whole of the Chinese line of defence. The rest of the fleet than
began bombarding the place, and in seven or eight minutes it was reduced
to ruins. On the smoke clearing away, the principal battery was seen to
be knocked to pieces, as were four war-junks, a few wounded men only
being visible, among whom was the brave old admiral, who had lost his
leg from a round-shot. On the troops being landed, possession was taken
of the abandoned fortifications, and the British flag floated on the
first military position in the Chinese Empire captured by her majesty's
forces. An inner fortress was, however, discovered, from which the
Chinese soldiers which crowded it, opened their fire, beating their
tom-toms and gongs, waving banners, and beckoning the English to attack.
A few shells having been thrown into it, the Chinese evacuated the
place during the night, and with many of the inhabitants fled into the
country. Several persons were found to have been killed, and the
governor of the town drowned himself in despair. Chusan was held for
some months, at the cost of the lives of many of the soldiers, who
suffered from the poisonous exhalations from the paddy-fields, having
nothing to do to employ their minds; while the seamen of the _Melville_,
which had been hove down for repairs, kept their health during the six
weeks they were employed on her. The squadron got as far north as the
great wall of China. On the passage the _Pylades_ corvette, Captain
Anson, fell in with three junks. As his boats ranged up alongside of
them, upwards of 100 men, who had been concealed, started up and
commenced firing and hurling spears and stink-pots on the crews. On
this the British shoved off to a short distance, and pouring in some
well-directed volleys, killed half the pirates, the remainder jumping
overboard and making for the shore--though many were drowned. The other
two junks escaped.

One of the favourite exploits of the Chinese was to kidnap the English.
A Madras officer of artillery, Captain Anstruther, had been carried off
while taking a survey near Chusan. The crew of a merchant-vessel, the
_K