nto slavery. On information of the outrage being received at
Gibraltar the _Janus_, Captain Powell, started immediately to punish the
pirates. Both vessels were found total wrecks on shore. The _Janus_
could therefore only retaliate by firing on the piratical boats, which
she did, totally destroying the whole of those seen. She afterwards
came in sight of another large pirate fleet. The boats were sent on
shore to destroy them, but the Riff people collecting in overwhelming
numbers, attacked them so furiously that they were compelled to return
to the ship, Captain Powell himself and seven men being wounded. The
_Violet's_ crew were, however, liberated.

WAR WITH CHINA--1856.

The seizure of the _Arrow_, sailing under British colours, by the
Chinese, and their haughty refusal to make any reparation, compelled the
British minister at Canton to apply to Sir Michael Seymour,
commander-in-chief on the China station, to try the efficacy of his guns
in inducing the commissioner, Yeh, to yield to his demands. The
admiral's flag was flying on board the _Calcutta_, 84; he had under him
the _Winchester_, of 50 guns, the _Sybil_ and _Pique_, of 40, and the
_Hornet_ and _Encounter_, screw-steamers, the first of 17 and the other
of 15 guns, and three paddle-wheel steamers and three sloops of war. He
was in a short time reinforced by the _Sanspareil_, of 70 guns, the
_Nankin_, of 50, the _Amethyst_, of 26, several screw-steamers, and a
considerable number of gunboats, well suited for navigating the Chinese
rivers. The English admiral first sailed up to Canton, and took
possession of all its outer defences, one of which, the Macao fort,
situated in the middle of the river, he garrisoned with a force of
marines. The Barrier Forts, armed with 150 guns, were stormed and
captured, the guns spiked, and the buildings destroyed. These
proceedings, however, had no effect on Yeh, and he still held out.
Accordingly, bringing up other vessels, the admiral ordered an attack on
Canton itself. The ships soon made a breach in the walls, when a body
of seamen and marines under Captains Elliott and Stuart and Commanders
Holland and Bate stormed the place, and in a short time the gallant Bate
having scaled the walls at the head of one detachment, waved the British
ensign on the top of the breach; the gate of the city was blown open,
and in less than an hour Canton was in possession of the British. The
blue-jackets and marines abstained fro