ate, while
Captains Peter Richards and Watson, with the seamen and marines, had
scaled the walls in another direction. Still, in the interior of the
city, the Tartars held every house and street where they could hope to
make a stand, determined to sell their lives dearly; and often, when
driven back by superior force, they with perfect deliberation put an end
to their own lives, and frequently those of their wives and children.

While these events were taking place, another of a more naval character
was enacting elsewhere. The _Blonde_ was anchored off the mouth of the
Grand Canal, and her boats had been employed in the morning in landing
the artillery brigade. At ten o'clock they were ordered away to carry
some of the artillery, with two howitzers, up the canal, to create a
diversion in favour of the troops. They were under the command of
Lieutenant Crouch, of the _Blonde_, who had with him Messrs. Lambert,
Jenkins, and Lyons, midshipmen. The barge, cutter, and a flat were a
little in advance, when, coming suddenly in sight of the west gate of
the city, they were assailed by a heavy fire of jingalls and matchlocks
from the whole line of the city wall, running parallel with the canal.
As the wall was nearly forty feet high, the gun in the barge could not
be elevated sufficiently to do service, and the fire of the musketry was
ineffectual. Lieutenant Crouch and Mr Lyons, midshipman, two artillery
officers, sixteen seamen, and eight artillerymen were wounded. As it
would have been madness to have remained longer than necessary exposed
to such a fire, the men leaped from the boats, which they abandoned, and
took shelter under cover of some houses in the suburbs. The crews of
the launch and pinnace, however, which were some way astern, remained
under cover of some buildings, and escaped without loss. Lieutenant
Crouch's party now saw that their only chance of escape was to join the
latter, though to do so they would have to pass across a wide space,
exposed to the fire from the walls. They succeeded, however, in doing
this without loss, and in getting on board the two boats. The whole
party returned down the canal to the _Cornwallis_, where they reported
what had happened to Captain Richards. They were compelled to leave
some of the wounded behind, who, it is satisfactory to report, were
kindly treated by the Chinese,--a strong proof of the advantage of the
example set by the British.

As soon as Captain Richar