ghts at
the Bogue, dressing those who were to act as assailants in red coats, in
order to accustom the defenders to the sight of the red uniform,--the
redcoats, of course, being always driven back with tremendous slaughter.
They also ran up formidable-looking forts along the banks of many of
their rivers, which on examination, however, turned out to be merely
thin planks painted. The object of these was to alarm the barbarians,
and to prevent them from entering their harbours. But the crowning and
most ingenious device was the construction of some vessels, with large
paddle-wheels like those of steamers, which were worked inside by men;
though, that they might appear to be real steamers, they had, it is
said, funnels and fires under them to create a smoke.

Although from these accounts it would appear that the Chinese were not
very formidable enemies, it must be understood that they also possessed
some forts which were really very strong; and that though the true
Chinese are not very fond of fighting, and, from their peculiar
temperament, (looking upon discretion as the better part of valour),
prefer running away to stopping with the certainty of being shot or
bayoneted, yet that, as they fully understand division of labour, they
employ a large number of Tartars to do their fighting for them. These
Tartars are very brave fellows, and so are their officers; and in
numberless instances they preferred death to defeat. They invariably
fought to the last; and often, when they could fight no longer, cut the
throats of their wives and children, and then their own, rather than
yield. This horrible practice arose undoubtedly from ignorance, they
believing that their conquerors would ill-treat and enslave them if they
captured them alive. Besides these Tartar troops, who were far from
contemptible enemies, our gallant redcoats and bluejackets had to
contend with the pernicious climate of the south of China, by which,
more than by the jingall-balls of the enemy, numbers were cut off. The
Tartars we have been speaking of are powerful men, armed with long
spears, and often they crossed them with the British bayonet, for which
the long spear was sometimes more than a match. Hand-to-hand encounters
with the Tartar troops were not uncommon, and our men learned to their
cost that they had held the Chinese too cheap. Instances occurred in
which the powerful Tartar soldier rushed within the bayonet guard of his
opponent, and grap