usually dark; a sharp look-out was therefore kept, the
officers lying down in their cloaks on the decks of the ships, ready for
service. The _Modeste_ being a little in advance, one of her sentries
observed several dark-looking masses dropping down with the stream. On
his hailing, they were immediately set on fire by the Chinese, and the
flames bursting forth, pointed out the danger to the other vessels. In
nine minutes the _Nemesis_ had her steam up, and was running towards the
fire-rafts to assist the boats in towing them away. These rafts were
formed of boats chained together, so that, drifting down with the
stream, they might hang across the bows of the ships, from which they
would with much difficulty have been cleared. The Chinese batteries at
the same time opened on the squadron, which of course fired in return,
while the small-arm men picked off the people on the fire-rafts. In the
morning the Shameen battery was taken, and 43 war-junks and 32
fire-rafts were destroyed. During these operations a Congreve rocket,
which had been placed in a tube and ignited, hung within it instead of
flying out. In another moment it would have burst, scattering
destruction around, when Mr Hall thrust his arm into the tube and
forced it out from behind. The rush of fire, however, severely burnt
his hand, and caused him much suffering. Several other attempts to
destroy the squadron by fire-ships were defeated by the vigilance of the
officers and crews. On one occasion, the _Wellesley_, anchored at the
Bogue, was attacked by 20 fire-vessels, filled with gunpowder and a
variety of combustibles, and chained in twos and threes. Captain
Maitland was absent with most of her boats and a large number of her
crew and officers, and it was not without great exertion that Commander
Fletcher, who had only three boats left on board, was able to tow them
clear of the ship.

As it was evident that the Chinese still intended to hold out, the fleet
proceeded to attack Canton. The troops and the blue-jackets, who had
been landed quickly, stormed the outer defences, while the smaller
vessels of the squadron bombarded the batteries on the river-front of
the city. The Chinese again made use of fire-vessels, but as they drove
down rapidly towards the fleet, the boats pushing off, towed them clear
and carried them on shore, when they set fire to the suburbs. Several
naval officers lost their lives, and others were wounded. Lieutenant
Fox an