mportant to impress practically upon the
mind of the Chinese authorities the possibility of the garrison and the
naval force at Hong-Kong being sufficient, without aid from India
or England, to chastise any affronts or injuries offered to British
persons, honour, or interests. It had been well if, in subsequent
events, similar views had been entertained by British officers and
British governments. The promptitude of the general's action harmonised
with the wisdom and boldness of his opinion. By midnight of the day
on which he received his orders, the troops were embarked; and at nine
o'clock the following morning the squadron arrived at the Bocca Tigris.
The _Vulture_ then lowered her boats, into which the general ordered two
detachments, the one under Lieutenant-colonel Brereton, the other under
his own immediate orders. On landing, all the batteries were seized,
the guns spiked, the ammunition destroyed, and the garrisons sent,
unmolested, away. This bold measure was necessary to the safety of the
general's small force, for had he left these batteries in his rear, his
return would have been endangered. At six o'clock, the squadron arrived
at Whampoa. As the _Vulture_ was of too large a draught to proceed
higher, the troops were placed on board the steamers _Pluto_ and
_Corsair_. Sir John Davis accompanied the general in the _Pluto_. At
eleven o'clock the squadron arrived before several forts, which were
attacked. Lieutenant-colonel Brereton, landing, took two of them by
a _coup de main_, blowing in the gates with gunpowder, and instantly
seizing and spiking the guns. General D'Aguilar and his party were
received by the other two forts with round and case shot, but the
boats pushed in, blew open the gates, and spiked the guns, the garrison
retreating by the rear. The expedition then proceeded to the French
Folly Fort, a stronger place than any of those already captured, and
situated on one of the narrowest bends of the river. The British swooped
down upon this place as an eagle upon its prey, and their rapidity was
rewarded by its immediate capture, for a few minutes delay and the
guns of the work would have given our troops a reception more warm than
welcome. Four other batteries were taken and spiked on their way up
river by the general and commodore, and by six o'clock in the evening
the troops were landed in the factories. Eight hundred and seventy-nine
pieces of Chinese cannon had been spiked, to the amazement of th