12)

5. It is required that the Kwang-chowfoo shall produce full powers to conclude this arrangement on the part of the three the general of the Tartar garrison, the governor-general, and the fooyun of Kwangtung.

Commissioners

At ten o'clock, at the request of Yang, the Tartar general, a conference was held between Sir H. Gough, (accompanied by Sir F. Senhouse and himself,) when a long parley ensued. Sir Hugh explained to him that Her Majesty's plenipotentiary having resumed negotiations with the local authorities, he should await a further communication from him.

At twelve o'clock A. M., Captain Elliot arrived in camp, when all further active operations ceased. The day fol lowing, (the 28th,) a conference was held with the Kwang-chow-foo under the walls of the city, when every arrangement was made for the evacuation of the city, by as large a body of the Tartar troops as could be got ready, and a mandarin of rank was permitted to pass through the British ranks to procure quarters for them.

The next day, (29th,) a large body of troops, apparently regulars, numbering about five thousand, armed with long spears, shields, and swords, were collected on the heights, and were rapidly increasing. The general advanced against them with a wing of the 26th, three companies of the 49th, the 37th Madras N. I, and the Bengal volunteers, supported by the royal marines. The enemy were dispersed with some difficulty, on account of a thunder-storm that came on, and which wetted the muskets of the troops so that they would not go off. The heat of the sun was at this time so insupportable, that Major Beecher, deputy quarter-master-general, fell from exhaustion, and expired in a few minutes. Indeed, both officers and men were nearly exhausted. The next day, a similar force of the enemy had assembled, and meditated an attack on our camp; upon which Sir H. Gough sent to the Kwang-chow-foo, stating that he would resume hostilities if a similar insult should again be offered.

accompany him. Captain Moore, of the 34th Bengal N. I., volunteered to do so, and they were quite successful, as the enemy entirely dispersed on learning the reason of their coming. Sir H. Gough, finding that five millions of dollars had been paid, and that Captain Elliot was satisfied with the security for the remaining million for the ransom of Canton; that fourteen thousand five hundred Tartar troops had marched out of the town; that three thousand had gone by water, and that the remainder were prepared to follow, when carriage could be procured, acceded to the wish of Her Majesty's plenipotentiary to reembark the troops, the Chinese finding coolies to convey the guns and ammunition.

The coolies being furnished on the 1st of June, the troops and guns were embarked, the British flag was lowered in the four forts, and the expedition returned to Tsing-hae.

The loss of the British in these operations consisted of Major Beecher, who died from over-fatigue, Lieutenant Fox of the Nimrod, and thirteen soldiers and seamen killed, and fifteen officers and ninety-seven privates wounded. A few days afterwards, June 14, Sir Humphrey le Fleming Senhouse, who commanded the naval forces, died on board the Blenheim, of fever caused by excessive fatigue, and was buried at his request at Macao. Capt. Elliot issued a proclamation, notifying the inhabitants of Canton that they might return, and continue their peaceful pursuits in security, so long as the high officers continued to fulfil their engagements. He called on the foreigners who had suffered losses from the pillage of the factories to bring in a statement of the amount, with an inventory of the particulars. He warned British subjects that he did not consider it safe for them to enter the river with their shipping, and recommended to them to proceed to Hongkong, where they would receive protection from the officers of the British nation. He gave notice, that if there should be any obstruction to the freedom of Hongkong, there would be an immediate embargo upon the port of Canton. The five millions of dollars On Captain Elliot joining the camp, a paid for the ransom of Canton were demeeting was held with the prefect, who livered on board the government ship declared that the conduct of the soldiers Nimrod, and by her conveyed to Calwas contrary to the wishes of the author-cutta. She sailed from Macao June 8. ities, and that he would soon disperse There was considerable sickness on board them by sending off hisown assistant, if the British fleet, particularly in the ship the general would depute an officer to Conway. Capt. Elliot laid out sites for

houses in a projected town on the island of Hongkong, and the lots were advertised to be disposed of by public sale. Sir G. Bremer arrived at Hongkong near the end of June, and the steamer from Bombay, having on board Sir Henry Pottinger, who is appointed plenipotentiary to supersede Capt. Elliot, with Admiral Sir William Parker, who is to take the command of the fleet, was spoken in the straits of Malacca on the 28th of July. It was anticipated, that on the arrival of Admiral Parker, if not before, the British forces would proceed to the northward, and take possession of some place on the eastern coast, probably Ningpo.

The Chinese Official Account of the Attack upon Canton. Report of Yihshan, the imperial nephew and commissioner, dated the 31st of May, sent by couriers at the rate of six hundred le per day, [two hundred miles.]

Since my arrival in Canton Province, the forts of Oo chung (first bar), Tywong-kow (Macao passage fort), Tungwong-kong (Swallow's nest fort), and other places were lost. I then consulted with Lung and Yang, assistant-commissioners, and erected on the banks of the river in succession, the stone fort or Nyching, (near where the British troops landed,) and batteries at Wungsha, at the Singh gate (petition gate), and at Hung-meou-chuck (a temple of the suburbs), at Hwangcha, (above Shaming,) and at Yih-cha-wih and other places. Officers and soldiers guarded them, and all around we put up sand-bags, palisadoes, piles of stones and balls; we moreover dug trenches for the protection of the soldiers. We also placed sand-bags all around the city walls to make then stronger, and I myself, with the assistant commissioners, went round to reconnoitre and inspect the works in different places. Besides, we embodied some of the brave Fokeen sailors to the number of more than one thousand men, and prepared rafts and straw to make attacks by fire.

their extermination; but all on a sudden the number of their vessels was increased by sixteen ships, eight steam boats, and eighty ship's boats, which all pressed forward. The soldiers, on account of the hard fighting during the night, were all fatigued, their guns were few, and, although they had fired several tens of rounds, yet, the barbarian ships being strong and numerous, they could not beat them back. Their soldiers finally got on shore, and rushed to the plunder of the city, entering the forts at the small and large northern gates, and attacking the town on three sides. Their rockets were thrown in masses; their balls hit the people's houses, and they caught fire; all our own soldiers had not a place to stand on; their cannon was melted by the fire of the barbarians; and the buildings destroyed (magazines blown up?). I cannot yet accurately ascertain the number of all the soldiers and great officers that were killed and wounded. We were hard pressed, and returning into the city, myriads of people were weeping and wailing; the number of those who invoked Heaven and begged for peace covered the roads. When your Minister looked with his own eyes upon this, his very bowels were torn asunder. In stooping down from the wall, I made inquiries from the barbarians; they all said, that several millions of taels for the surrendered opium had not yet been paid, and therefore they requested the sum of one million taels in liquidation thereof, and then they would immediately withdraw their soldiers, and retire outside the Bogue; that they had to make no other request; and that then the people might go out in their customary way. I then asked them about the surrender of the whole territory of Hongkong, and they replied that Keshen had given it them, and that an authenticated paper from him to this effect had been placed on record.

Your Minister thought that the city On the evening of the first day of the was in danger; that there had been refourth moon, (21st of May,) the great peated disturbances, and that the whole conflict with the barbarians cominenced people were prostrated in mud and ashes. at the western fort. We attacked them I therefore agreed to this pro tempore. with our guns, burning instantly five of Moreover, I consider again that this was their boats, breaking two of their guns, a solitary city to be fought against, and and smashing two great masts of the that both the fat and liver were greatly barbarian ships. They were now all re-injured. There was, moreover, no battle turning, when your Minister, at the fifth watch, (3 o'clock to 5 A. M) was upon the point of bringing up his soldiers for

field for deploying a great army, and 1 could not do otherwise than beguile them to go out of the Bogue. Then we shall

water, but were all swamped immediately. About three hours after, the De Witt Clinton steamboat, and vessels from Dunkirk, arrived at the spot, and took up such of the passengers as had succeeded in supporting themselves in the water. Only 29, however, are known to nave been saved.

August 16. The U. S. frigate Congress was launched, at the Navy Yard at Portsmouth, N. H. at past 11 o'clock, A. M. She glided off the stocks in a beautiful manner, in presence of a vast concourse of spectators, on the surrounding shores and on the water, and was immediately taken in tow, and conducted to her moorings, by the steamers Portland and Huntress. The frigate is a beautiful ship, of fine proportions and workmanship. The Portsmouth Journal gives the following statement of her dimensions: --

Length between perpendiculars from fore-
side of rabbet of stem to aft side rabbet of
post, at height of gun deck forward,
and cross seam aft,
179 ft. 9 in.
46 6

Moulded breadth of Beam,
Extreme breadth outside

plank,

Depth from base line to top of gun deck,

of

164 feet.

183

From top of gun deck to top of spar deck,

From top of spar deck to top rail,

Total depth from base to rail,

Extreme length from

end of cutwater to

taffrail,

204

186

Armament, 26 32 Pounders, Gun
4 Paixham, Deck.
20 32 Medium, Spar Deck.

50 Guns.

work was suspended from Sept 1839 to April 1840; making the working days on the ship 522. The average number of men employed was 42 carpenters, 15 laborers, 8 smiths, 10 joiners, 6 sawyers and 5 caulkers. Average rate of pay, 1 dollar 43 c. per day. The Congress is of heavier tonnage than the 74 America, built in this harbor in the Revolutionary War.

The naval constructor is Samuel M. Pook, Esq. During the first year from the commencement of the work, the navy yard was under the command of Commodore Crane, and the last year under Capt. John H. Sloat.

The former frigate Congress, of 1250 tons and 36 guns; the frigate Crescent, of 600 tons and 36 guns, built as a present for the Dey of Algiers, and the sloop-of war Portsmouth, were built at Portsmouth from 1796 to 1799. During the Revolutionary War, there were built at the same place, for the United States, the frigate Raleigh, of 750 tons, and guns; the Portsmouth, Ranger, and BelTower, of 300 tons, and 18 guns each; and the America, of 1700 tons, and 74 guns.

AUG. 4. Died in Kentucky, Rev. John Breckenridge, D. D., distinguished for many years for his philanthropic exertions in behalf of charitable and relig ious institutions.

AUG. 16. General Wool was appointed Brigadier-General in the army in the place of General Scott, promoted.

Sept. 25. The Herkimer County Bank, New York, was robbed of $70,000. After a close pursuit, however, the robbers were arrested, and nearly all the money recovered.

OCT. 3. A violent gale from the northeast prevailed along the northern sea board of the United States. A large number of coasters and fishermen were lost, it being a few weeks before the expiration of the fishing season. A breakwater at Rockport, Cape Ann, was carShe has a billet head. Her stern orna- ried away, and all but two of sixteen ments are the national emblem, an Ea-vessels in the harbor were lost. gle; on each side is the National Flag and Olive Branch, emblematic of peace and thrift. The centre piece is the Roman emblem of the strength of union and authority,- -a branch of rods bound together. About 50,000 pounds of copper bolts were used in constructing her, and about 30,000 lbs. of sheet copper were used on her outer work. The keel was laid in the month of August, '39. The

OCT. 4. The new cabinet was completed by the appointment of Hon. John C. Spencer of New York, as Secretary of War. Mr. Spencer accepted the ap pointinent, and entered on the duties of the office on the 12th inst.

OCT. 4. The trial of Alexander MeLeod for the murder of Durfee in the attack on the Caroline steamer, which has attracted so much attention in England

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