mander Watson to take up a position as near as possible to these batteries, without drawing their fire, until the expeditionary forces joined; but to destroy the guns and stores in them, if the panic caused by the attack of the 16th should induce the Chinese to quit them without much resistance; and I now transmit a copy of Commander Watson's report of his having taken possession of both these works without opposition.

The expeditionary forces were joined on the 16th by the Dido, with eight transports containing the 2d Madras Native Infantry and other reinforcements from India, and, the destruction of the guns and military stores at Paoushan and Woosung being completed, the troops were embarked on the morning of the 19th inst. in the Tenasserim, Nemesis, Phlegethon, and Pluto, which respectively took the North Star, Modeste, Columbine, and Clio in tow, and proceeded up the river, the marines of the squadron being put on board the Medusa, in which the General and his staff did me the honour to accompany me, together with Captains Bourchier, Richards, and Keppel, and a few boats from their respective ships to assist in landing the troops. A force of about 500 men, including some Horse Artillery, were also despatched by the General, by land, towards Shanghae, which is about 12 miles above Woosung.

With the exception of one or two narrow channels we found no difficulty in navigating this splendid river, and by half-past 1 o'clock had approached within sight of the city, when the North Star, which was leading, observed a range of batteries at the north end of it, which soon afterwards opened a distant fire without doing any mischief. The squadron were then directed by signal to cast off the steamers and engage, when the ships promptly shot in to close positions, and on the discharge of two well-directed broadsides from the North Star and Modeste, (by which four guns were dismounted,) and a few guns from the steam vessels, the Chinese fled with precipitation, and Capt. Bourchier immediately landed with the seamen and marines, and took possession of the batteries, on which 49 guns (17 of brass) were mounted, and a considerable quantity of arms of different descriptions, the whole of which, with the exception of the brass guns, were destroyed.

The troops disembarked in the city from the steam vessels nearly at the same time, when they were joined by the party that marched from Woosung, which had previously entered on the west side, but the mandarin authorities had fled, and the principal inhabitants were departing as fast as possible in every direction.

The Columbine and Medusa were sent to the southward of the city to endeavour to check this depopulation, but, although the river at Shanghae is not less than 650 yards wide, it was literally covered with junks and boats of all sizes, carrying off furniture and goods. The respectable inhabitants, however, who did remain, appeared to regard us with less apprehension than I had anywhere before seen, and they freely produced the supplies of provisions, &c., that were required. We were informed that the day before our arrival a serious affray had occurred between the inhabitants and a mandarin party, and several lives lost in consequence of the heavy exactions of the latter, for the avowed purpose of defending the place, and their hasty abandonment of it on our approach.

A large number of guns, arms, and other munitions of war, as well as an abundant store of rice, were found in the arsenal and magazine at Shanghae, and while the land forces were occupied in examining and destroying them, and the ships in getting off the brass guns, &c., feeling it very desirable to ascertain, as far as it was practicable, the navigable course of the river and other water communications of the interior, Capt. Bourchier and Com. Kellett proceeded on the 20th with the Phlegethon and Medusa, the barge, and some marines of the Cornwallis, and a boat of the Columbine, for 30 miles without interruption, when two batteries of five guns each were observed on the left bank, in the supposed vicinity of Sungkeang. They were, however, abandoned on the ap proach of the steam-vessels, and Lieutenant Wise, with the boats and Marines of the Cornwallis, landed and destroyed them without resistance, although a considerable body of troops had assembled within a short distance.

Capt. Bourchier's report of his progress up the river was so satisfactory, that, I determined to prosecute the examination still further, and accordingly proceeded, on the following day, with the addition of the Nemesis, and we succeeded in ascending 37 miles in a direct line, and 47 miles including the sinuositics of the river above Shanghae, where we were stopped by the shallowness of the water at the entrance of a large lagoon. But having spoken with some small junks loaded with coal, which left Suchanfu only on the preceding day, we satisfactorily ascertained that there is a water communication from the Woosung river with that rich and populous city, and that we had actually reached within 25 miles of it, with encouraging hopes that the small steamers might convey troops within a short distance of it, should it be desirable.

Commander Kellett's zeal on this service, and every other in which he is engaged, exceeds all praise; and I have the satisfaction of herewith transmitting, for their Lordships' information, a sketch, which he has drawn with much ability, of the coast of the Woosung, from its entrance as far as we have proceeded. It will convey to their Lordships the best idea of the locality in which we have been operating; and, I trust, prove a satisfactory addition to our present geographical knowledge of these parts.

The troops were all re-embarked at Shanghae early on the morning of the 23rd, when the squadron dropped down the river, and they were in the course of the afternoon transferred to their respective transports at the anchorage off Woosung.

The surveying vessels and light ships of the squadron will now proceed up the Yang-tse-Kiang, and their lordships may depend that no time will be lost in proceeding with the expeditionary forces in prosecution of further operations. I have, &c.,

W. PARKER, Vice-Admiral. P.S.-I enclose a list of guns taken and destroyed in the batteries between Woosung and Shanghae, in the arsenal and batteries at Shanghae, and above that city on the banks of the river.

(True copy)

W. PARKER, Vice-Admiral.

From Commander R. B. Watson, H.M.S. Modeste, to Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, K.C.B., Commander-in-Chief.

Modeste, Woosung River, June 18th, 1842. SIR.-In pursuance of your Excellency's order of yesterday's date, I have placed the ships under my command (except the Clio, which unfortunately got aground on her way up, and has not as yet been got afloat) out of gun-shot of the batteries.

Finding this morning that the batteries on the starboard and larboard sides above us had been deserted by the enemy, I dropped the Modeste nearer, and landed and took possession of them with the marines and small-arm men of the Modeste and Columbine.

I found the guns-viz., on the larboard side, 8 copper and 33 iron guns; on the starboard side, 8 copper and 6 iron guns, had been dismounted, tents destroyed, and the carriages most of them taken away. Above the batteries I found 8 war junks, all of which were burnt, except a small one, in which I hope this evening to have all the copper guns embarked.

I have also the honour to enclose to your Excellency a copy of Mr. Forster's remarks, who has been sounding about a mile above the batteries in our boats. I have also to inform your Excellency, that the chop intrusted to me was forwarded to the city of Shanghae by a Chinaman, who undertook to deliver it there on the payment of a few dollars.

I have, &c., R. B. WATSON, Commander. (True Copy) W. PARKER, Vice-Admiral.

No less than 135 guns of different calibre were destroyed in the batteries between Woosung and Shanghae, at Shanghae itself, and above the town. ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 1.-VOL. FOR 1843.

I

Admiralty, Nov. 23rd, 1842.

Despatches have this day been received at this office from Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, KCB., addressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty, of which the following are copies or extracts.

Cornwallis, off the city of Chin-kiang-foo, at the Entrance of the

South Grand Canal in the Yang-tse-kiang, July 26th, 1842. SIR.-It is with the greatest satisfaction that I announce to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the safe arrival of the China expeditionary force off the island of Kinshan, at the entrance of the Grand Canal, in the Yang-tse-kiang, and that the city of Ching-kiang-foo was taken possession of by her Majesty's combined forces on the 21st inst., after vigorous assaults on three points, and a determined resistance by Tartar troops, who lined the walls for its defence on every part, comprising a circumference of four miles and a quarter.

The squadron and transports, amounting altogether to 73 sail, left Woosung on the 6th inst., ascending this noble river in five divisions, preceded by the surveying vessels, small steamers, sloops, and my flag-ship.

The intricate parts of the channel, delineated in Capt. Bethune's chart, having been previously buoyed by the surveying officers, the fleet succeeded in reaching the extent of that officer's valuable researches within two days and a half, and every subsequent difficulty has been most commendably overcome by the unremitting exertions of Commanders Kellett and Collinson, assisted by other surveying officers, and the masters of the squadron, supported by the sloops which were sent in advance.

It was not to be expected that a distance of 170 miles in a river, of which the dangers in the greater portion were altogether unknown, and with rapid tides, would be navigated without some mishaps, and I believe that every ship of the squadron, as well as many of the transports, have been on shore; but the bottom was everywhere of soft mud, and fortunately no damage resulted. We were favored with fine breezes and met with comparatively few impediments from shoals, and none (that deserve the term) from any of the Chinese works of defence in our progress to this anchorage.

At Fushan and Keang-yin, on the right bank, two batteries of 12 and 7 guns each were erected; but the guns were removed on our approach. At Seshan, however, about five leagues below the intersection of the Grand Canal, and where the river narrows considerably for some distance, the surveying vessels were fired at from three batteries mounting 20 guns, which were also discharged ineffectually at the advanced squadron, as they arrived off the spot three days afterwards; but they were abandoned on a few guns being opened on them by the Modeste, and the whole, together with the barracks and magazines were completety destroyed by a party of seamen and marines, which were landed for that purpose from the Cornwallis and advanced squadron, under Commander C. Richards of this ship.

The fleet was detained some days off Seshan by scant winds; and at this point we lost the advantage of any run of flood tide, the stream constantly setting down at a rate varying from two and a half to three and a half miles an hour, with a rise and fall of water averaging two feet.

On the 15th, Commander Kellett, in prosecuting his examination of the river with the Phlegethon and Medusa, was opposed at the entrance of the narrow channel between the island of Tscaoushan and a commanding promontory on its south side by a battery of 12 guns, which were soon silenced by the steamvessels, with much credit to Lieutenants M'Cleverty and Hewitt; and the same afternoon Sir Hugh Gough and myself proceeded with the Vixen and Medusa to reconnoitre the approaches to Chin-kiang, when we not only found the battery and adjoining village deserted, but passed on without the slightest opposition close to the suburbs of the city and above the island of Kinshan, carrying the whole way an ample depth of water.

On the 17th, Capt. Bourchier was despatched with the Blonde, Modeste,

Queen, and Nemesis, followed by the Dido, Calliope, Childers, Plover, and Starling, to blockade the entrances of the Grand Canal, and with the aid of the steamers he gained admirable positions for this object above Kinshan, by which it is estimated that the traffic of not less than 700 junks has been intercepted. A party was also landed from the Blonde, and destroyed the guns which had fired at the Phlegethon and Medusa.

On the 19th, the Cornwallis, towed by the Vixen, succeeded in reaching our present anchorage, when the island of Kinshan was immediately taken possession of by a small party of marines, but it is entirely covered with buildings of a religious character, and altogether too insignificant for military occupation. The wind in the course of the day veered to a more favourable point, and I had the satisfaction of being joined the same evening, and on the 20th, by the remainder of the fleet. The Jupiter, and some of the transports, however, got aground a few miles below us, which obliged me to detach the large steamers to their assistance.

The Grand Canal on the south side of the river runs through the suburbs of Chin-kiang, and no time was lost in making the preparatory arrangements for taking possession of that city. It was ascertained that a body of about 1,500 Chinese troops were posted in an entrenched camp, about a mile and a half to the south-west of the town, and on the hills beyond. The General, therefore, made his arrangements for landing the 1st and 3rd brigades of the army to the westward of the city, opposite the island of Kinshan; and the 2nd brigade at a commanding position to the eastward, within 700 yards of the north-east angle of the walls; and so little was resistance expected against such a combination of force, that it was not deemed necessary to add the seamen and marines from the squadron.

The disembarkation, which commenced on the 21st, at break of day, was judiciously conducted by Commander Richards, of the Cornwallis, covered by the Auckland, the small steam vessels, and armed boats, without opposition.

The 1st brigade, under Major-General Lord Saltoun, as soon as it was formed moved forward to attack the entrenched camp, which was gallantly carried about 9 o'clock, after a short resistance; the Chinese precipitately retiring over the hills.

Major-General Schoedde, with the second brigade, about the same time ascended the heights assigned him on the river side, and after discharging some rockets into the city, and supported by a well directed fire of shot and shells from the Auckland steam-vessel, he gallantly pushed forward under a smart fire of cannon, gingalls, and musketry from the walls, and entered that point of the city by escalade about 10 o'clock.

Capt. Grey of the Endymion, accompanied this brigade; Capt. Bourchier and other naval officers attached themselves to the forces which attacked on the land side, and I had the pleasure of accompanying my gallant friend Sir Hugh Gough during a great part of the operations of the day.

The city gates were all strongly barricaded, and as it was Sir H. Gough's intention to escalade the walls in the direction of the south-gate, some guns were advanced on a height to dislodge the troops, with which it was now observed the ramparts were lined. But the canal was found to run close under its walls, which rendered an assault at this point impracticable. It was therefore determined to blow open the west gate with powder-bags, and enter the city by the bridge at that point as soon as the 3rd brigade, under Major-General Bartley (which was the last landed) could assemble.

During these proceedings the boats of the Blonde, in an anxious desire to land the artillery guns as near as possible to the west-gate, unfortunately advanced by the canal, under the city walls, which were much obscured by buildings before they were aware of the force to which they became exposed; and thus fell under a very severe fire, by which 16 men out of 24, which formed the crews of the Blonde's barge and flat boat, and two officers and eight men of the Madras Artillery were wounded; and it was only by great presence of

mind that Lieut. Crouch, of that ship, after receiving three wounds, succeeded in getting the men from those boats landed in the suburbs on the opposite side, and removed the other boats from a position in which it was impossible to use their guns.

Not a moment was lost in communicating this casualty to the flag-ship, when Capt. Richards, with excellent judgment and promptitude immediately landed with 200 marines at the entrance of the canal, where he was joined by a detachment of 300 of the 6th Madras Native Infantry, under Capt. Maclean of that corps, and pushed through the suburbs to the city walls, while the whole of the boats of the Cornwallis, with their guns, under the command of Lieut. Stoddart, advanced by the canal on his right flank. This little flotilla having joined the boats of the Blonde, took up an excellent position and opened their fire with good effect in checking that of the Chinese at the west gate.

Captain Richards had determined, if possible, to scale the walls, in the hope of forming a junction with General Shoedde's brigade in the city; and having fortunately discovered a heap of rubbish from which his ladders could reach the parapet (about 30 feet high) he was in the act of rearing them, when Commander Watson and Mr. Forster, master, with a boat's crew and a small escort of marines joined him from the Modeste, which was stationed some miles higher up the river.

Lieutenant Baker, of the Madras artillery, Commander Watson, Captain Richards, and a private marine of the Modeste, were the first who ascended. The two former were wounded, and the latter killed by the fire from the westgate, in this intrepid achievement; the remainder of the gallant band, including part of the 6th Madras Native Infantry, happily followed, without further loss, thus effecting an important lodgment in the suburbs of the city, between the outer and inner west gates, where they shortly afterwards communicated with the advance of Major-General Shoedde's brigade.

About noon the arrangements for forcing the west outer gate being completed, it was most effectually blown in, when the third brigade, under MajorGeneral Bartley, accompanied by the commander-in-chief of the forces, gallantly rushed in, sweeping all before them. The buildings above the gate, in which the Tartar troops had been posted, were at the same time completely enveloped in flames. The Tartars, however, within the city, were still unsubdued; and, having collected in a large body, the 18th and 49th regiments, in advancing by the ramparts, about half an hour after the explosion of the gate, were suddenly fired upon, and unfortunately sustained a severe loss of officers and men, although their opponents suffered in a tenfold degree.

The seamen and marines under Captain Richards were at this time halted for temporary rest, on another part of the ramparts, but immediately advanced in the direction of the firing; and in passing along a narrow street in the Tartar city, received a volley from a considerable body of those troops, who had posted themselves at a gateway, where they seemed inclined to make a determined stand. But on the advance of our men, and the discharge of a few rockets, they retired, leaving several men dead; and many others, who had the temerity to fire from the houses as our men passed along the streets, shared the same fate. In this movement I regret to say, that Lieut. Fitzjames, one seaman, and one marine of the Cornwallis were severely wounded.

The operations of this day were executed under a burning sun, with the thermometer above 90°, and the loss of life in consequence has been serious. In addition to those wounded or killed in action, I have to lament the loss of Brevet-Major Uniacke, an old and distinguished officer of the Royal Marines, and one private of the Plover, who died from the effect of the sun; and I fear the army did not lose less than 16 from the same cause.

The movements were so entirely military that I can but express my admiration of the energy and ability with which they were conducted by my gallant colleague, the general; and it is with renewed pleasure that I again report, the zeal and gallantry evinced by every officer and man of the Royal and