me five
miles up one of them, called Escape Creek, and accordingly, early on the
25th of May, he went on board the _Hong-Kong_ gunboat, and got under
weigh, followed by _Bustard, Staunch, Starling_, and _Forbes_, towing
the boats manned from the _Inflexible, Hornet_, and _Tribune_. Steaming
into the creek, they before long came upon forty-one Mandarin junks,
moored across the stream. Each junk had a long twenty-four or
thirty-two pounder gun forward, and carried also four or six
nine-pounders. The _Hong-Kong_ gallantly led. No sooner had she got
within range, than the Chinese, with much spirit, opened fire, the first
shot striking her, and others following rattling thick and fast on
board. The other gunboats coming up, formed in as wide order as
possible, and opened fire. It was wonderful, considering the exposed
position of the Chinese guns, that the crews so long stood the return
shower of shot sent at them by the gunboats. In time, however, they
began to show signs of not liking the treatment they were receiving.
First one was seen to cut her cable, get out her oars, or hoist her
sails, and, falling out of the line, turn her stern for flight up the
creek.

The example set by one was quickly followed by others. The whole
Mandarin fleet was soon in full flight, firing away, however, with their
stern-chasers; but they were guns of light calibre, and were not well
served, thus doing little damage. The junks were fast craft, and the
crews pulled for their lives, to aid the sails, so that the steamers had
to put on all speed to come up with them. They had not got far before
the water shoaled. The gunboats drew upwards of seven feet, the junks
less than three. One after the other the gunboats grounded. "On, lads,
on!" cried the commodore, leaping into one of the boats towing astern;
"never mind the vessels." Imitating his example, officers and men
jumped into the boats, each boat having a gun in her bows; and after the
junks they pulled with might and main. Away went the junks up the
creek, the boats hotly pursuing them. The guns in the bows of the
latter kept up a hot fire on the enemy, and told with great effect. The
speed of several lessened, and, one after the other, numbers were
overtaken. Though all hope of escape was gone, when a boat got
alongside, the Chinese fired a broadside of grape into her, and then,
leaping overboard on the opposite side, swam towards the shore, and were
soon beyond pursuit