well served, its shot would have mowed down many of the gallant Camerouians and marines.

The sites of houses of huts are now only to be distinguished by smoking ruins. The ground over the whole extent of the fortifications is thickly strewn with tattered remnants of clothes, &c.; the Chinese suffered horribly from falling when wounded, on their burning matches, which set fire to their padded cotton garments and powder-flasks, which they wear round the waist, and literally blew them up, and burnt then slowly to death. The burial of these black, mangled corpses was a fearful spectacle.

The beach running from Chuenpee fort down into Ansons Bay is strewn with the charred timbers of the junks so effectually destroyed by the Nemesis and boats of the squadron, among which many Chinese corpses are yet lying January 12, 13, and 14. Many of the bodies were large and athletic, much beyond the generalty of the natives of this province.

Just over the brow of the rising ground at the landing place of the Chuenpee fort, great numbers of the dead lie buried in one large common grave, over whom some careless, thoughtless "jolly Jack tar," has raised a board, bearing the following inscriptions :- "This is the road to glory."

The poorer natives do not show any fear at our having taken Chuenpee: numbers of boats are about the fleet, and in many instances the Chinese have returned to seek the bodies of their slain relations, which they have exhumed, and although in a state of decomposition, they are carrying away the bodies in great numbers. But among these exhibitions of filial and fraternal feeling there have been some impostors, seeking their "young brothers," evidently trying to excite the compassion of the officers. Provisions are easily procured. One old man and woman are the only natives left in the island; they were on the point where death was rifest, but would not abandon the hearth of their fathers. The old man was slightly wounded, but is under the care, as are many of the wounded Chinese, of our surgeons. Great praise is due to those gentlemen for the humane attention they bestowed, as far as was in their power, on the wounded sons of Han.

The following anecdote exhibits the base cunning, and callous heartlessness of the Chinese character. A charge was brought by them against some of our men for murdering a man; the charge, however, upon investigation, was proved to be unfounded, and that, instead of a man, it was a bullock that had been murdered. The Chinese said they could produce the body of the murdered man, in proof of their charge; they were required to do so, when they brought a corpse in a state of decomposition, which had evidently been procured for the occasion from the graves in the fort. We have heard of similar charges having been made, and similar proofs having been exhibited, more than once at Whampoa many years ago.

When a place is carried by storm, it is always given up to plunder, but there was nothing found in the Chuenpee fort but a few cloaks and caps; yet one thing was discovered, which, although it may surprise some, will not surprise others-about 160 balls of the "foreign smoke" were found. It is probable the spirits of the Chinese were exalted to the gallant resistance they opposed to our troops by a few additional pipes or pills of this stimulant; and if such was the effect, we think neither the Emperor nor his commissioners will blame its use on that occasion. We are really inclined to think so, from a most singular instance of obstinacy of a Tartar officer at Tykoktow fort, as recorded above, which brings to mind the old ballad of "Chevy Chace" and the gallant Witherington, as well as from the obstinacy of the hiptae; although an ignorance of our conditions of quarter, and an ignorant and foolish fear of torture if they were made prisoners, might have had an effect in producing such determined resistance in both cases.

We are conscious the above account requires many corrections.

The proceedings of Captain Smith's division, and the anecdote of the gallant bearing of the hiptae, we have extracted from the description of the day's proceedings by the correspondent of the Canton Press.

A friend has sent us the following particular statement of the services of the Nemesis. The Chinese say that the shells and rockets thrown by this iron steamer, are the invention of the or rather of infernal invention.

A statement of the services of the Honourable Company's Iron Steam Ship Nemesis, on the 7th of January, 1841.

Arrangements having been made by Commodore Sir James J. Gordon Bremer, K.C.B., &c., &c., for the capture of the Chuenpee forts, and the opposite one of Tykoktow the Nemesis, after disembarking the 37th regiment Native Infantry, took up an advantageous position under the upper battery of Chuenpee, in company with the Hon. Company's ship Queen, and commenced throwing shell with good effect, lodging many within the walls, thereby enabling the troops to advance and take possession, which they did in the most gallant style. This accomplished, she proceeded round the point to assist in silencing the lower fort, throwing in grape, canister, and musketry, thereby distracting the attention of the enemy on the sea-side, and giving the troops, and some of the Hyacinth's crew, whom we observed scaling the walls, greater facilities for entering, which they speedily did, driving all before them. She then pushed on to attack the "war junks" strongly moored at the mouth of a small and shallow river, at the bottom of Ansons Bay, and when within 500 yards commenced a heavy fire of shot and shell on the four largest, which was returned by them. The first Congreve rocket fired by her took terrifie and instantaneous effect, blowing up one of the largest with all her crew. The others being soon silenced, she then despatched her boats, in company with those of her Majesty's ship Sulphur, and one or two others from the Larne, Calliope, and Hyacinthjunk after junk was boarded and set fire to. The whole, eleven in number, blew up as the fire reached their magazines, and thus were completely destroyed. She now proceeded to a town up the river, much to the astonishment of the natives, and brought away two war junks which were moored to the shore, without firing a shot or receiving any; such was the consternation at her appearance alone at a place only navigable for junks. We understand that the Commodore expressed himself much pleased with what the Nemesis had accomplished; and a remark made by Captain Elliott, the chief superintendent, that the Nemesis had done the work of two line-of-battle ships, proves her services were somewhat important.

On the 8th of January, agreeably to the instructions from the Commodore, the Nemesis, in company with two rocket-boats from her Majesty's ship Blenheim, took up a raking position about 1,100 yards distant from the Anunghoy fort, mounting 100 guns, and commenced throwing shot, shell, and rockets, with the greatest effect, which was not returned, from the peculiarity of the position she was enabled to take up from her light draught of water; indeed, the enemy could only bring four guns to bear on her, and these were of small calibre. Ten minutes, or thereabouts, after commencing firing she was recalled by the Com modore, he having received a chop from the Chinese, which ended in his hoisting a flag of truce, and ceasing operations for the day. Of course the particulars given above refer more immediately to the Nemesis, but every praise is due both to the men-of-war engaged, and to the European and native troops which formed the storming party. We learn that the Chinese admiral who commanded the largest junk, escaped severely wounded; after the action he sent requesting that the red ball of his cap (which he lost in his retreat) might be returned to him, as it is the emblem of his rank, and its loss would greatly degrade him. It has since been found and returned to him through the kind and honourable exertions of one of our countrymen.

IRONSIDES.

It is known that the British plenipotentiary, through some one of the prisoners, sent a message to the commandant of the Anunghoy fort, saying, that if

he would haul down his flags, hostilities should cease. The commandant replied, "That though he desired peace, he was also prepared for war." The flags, however, were hauled down, and have never, we are told, been hoisted since.

We have not a sufficiently correct knowledge of the proceedings of her Majesty's plenipotentiary on this occasion to offer any comments upon them; but we have heard that the whole fleet is disgusted at the total want of any dignified bearing on the part of the British plenipotentiary, when treating through the medium of old tanka men and women and officers of the lowest grade, with the higher military officers of the most punctilious nation in the world; and when we say the whole fleet, we mean emphatically the whole, including officers of all grades, with the exception of his Excellency the commander-in-chief.

On the 13th her Majesty's ships Calliope, Sulphur, Modeste, Columbine, and Starling, moved up the river to the westward of the north and south Wantung islands. Captain Maitland, Major Pratt, and Captain Knowles, landed, and crawled up to the top of the south Wantung hill, to reconnoitre the fort; they were observed by the Chinese, who trained their guns to bear upon the ships, but did not fire.

We regret to state that in blowing up Tykoktow fort, Lieut.

the first of

the Modeste, was struck by a stone on the right thigh, which broke the limb, and rolled down on his left leg and broke that also; but it is hoped the fractures will be safely reduced.

On Tuesday, the 26th ult., as we have been informed, the British flag was to be hoisted at Hong-Kong, and a portion of the force to be disembarked, to take formal possession of the island in the name of her Majesty. The troops were then to re-embark and to remain on shipboard until proper quarters were provided for them on shore. Captain Elliot was to proceed in a few days in a steamer up the river to Second Bar, where he was to have an interview with the Imperial Commissioner Ke-shen.

The following particulars regarding the loss of the Kite have at last transpired, from communications obtained from the captives at Whampoa. This vessel struck on a quick-sand off the coast during a squall, and capsized immediately. Captain Noble and child were thrown into the sea and drowned, and Mrs. Noble was also washed overboard, but saved with great difficulty by Lieut. Douglas, of the Royal Navy. How many survived does not appear, but Douglas and Mrs. Noble, with several others, Lascars and soldiers, got into one of the ship's boats, in which they were for the space of four days, and they had nearly succeeded in effecting a bargain with a junk to convey them to Chusan, when they were pounced upon by the mandarins and conveyed prisoners to Ningpo, where they were at first most inhumanly treated. Poor Mrs. Noble, like the rest, was thrust manacled into a cage, the only difference in her treatment being that her irons were lighter than those put on the men. This by degrees gave way to milder treatment, until they were all at last allowed apartments, bedding, &c., in their prison, and finally some further indulgencies were granted, much contributing to their comfort.

We have also received an authentic account of the circumstance attending the capture of Captain Anstruther, which differ in every particular from what has yet been published on the subject. It appears that this officer, while out on a survey, accompanied only by an old and favourite native servant, was surrounded and attacked by a crowd of Chinese, whom, armed only with the spade his servant had brought with him, he manfully kept at bay, until the numbers augmenting, and seeing his poor follower, whom he vainly endeavoured to rescue, inhumanly murdered, and all retreat precluded, he endeavoured to fight his way through the mass that encompassed him on every side, but was of course overpowered by numbers, and struck down, with some severe cuts on

his head, from the effect of which he, however, very shortly recovered. Further particulars of this transaction we shall be able to give in to-morrow's number. An order had gone up to Ningpo from the Imperial Commissioner, directing the immediate release of all the prisoners detained there.

Some disappointment has been experienced at the Enterprise bringing no letters or papers for this; but we understand information was duly and timely given of her intended departure on the evening of the 23d, and the omission, from what we learn, appears to have originated in a belief that she would not sail until the following morning.-Singapore Free Press, Feb. 3rd.

THE MAPLIN LIGHT-HOUSE.

*

In the second volume of the Journal, page 38, we gave a description of the foundations of a light-house to be constructed on a novel principle, by direction of the Trinity-board, under the superintendance of Messrs. Walker and Burgess, the eminent engineers; the spot selected was the southerly point of the Maplin Sands, which form the northern extremity of the Swin Channel, at the entrance of the river Thames. The foundations, as we before described, consisted of nine of Mitchell's patent mooring screws, with shafts of wrought iron five inches in diameter and twenty-six feet long, one was fixed in the sands in the centre, and the remaining eight at the angles of an octagon forty feet diameter the screws were turned into the sands to the depth of twenty-one feet six inches, the top being then within four feet of the low water mark of a spring tide.

After the screws were fixed in August 1838, it was determined to leave them for a few months; from that period to June 1839, every change in the surface of the sand was observed, and notwithstanding that in the early part of 1839, there were several storms of more than ordinary violence, yet the screw piles stood firmly, and the sand at no time was lowered more than three feet. As a precautionary measure, the engineers had constructed an open platform or raft of timber in two thicknesses, crossing each other at right angles, and bolted together at their intersections, which covered the whole site within the piles, and also extended some distance beyond them; round the exterior was raised a curb eighteen inches high; over the platform was laid brushwood, and then about 200 tons of rough stone which sunk the raft on to the sand and prevented it being displaced; between the spaces of the platform and the brushwood the sand was allowed to work its way up, which soon filled the interstices of the stone. Very shortly after the whole of the platform and stone was embedded below the surface of the sand, which gave considerable support sideways to the screw piles, and formed a solid body for the water to wash upon. Nothing farther was done on the spot till the framing for the construction of the lighthouse was ready to be fixed in August 1810, when upon a careful examination it was found that the raft had completely settled down, and the piles as firm as the first day they were screwed in,-it was then determined to proceed with the erection of the superstructure, which we shall now proceed to describe. The lower part consists of eight cast iron pillars eighteen feet long, eleven inches diameter externally, and nine internally, they are fixed at the angles of the octagon, and in the centre there is a similar pillar twenty-two feet long; the lower part of the pillars forms a socket, and is fitted over the top of the shafts of the screw piles to the extent of four feet, to which they are attached by adjusting screws of wrought iron; the upper part of the pillars also forms a socket twelve inches clear diameter, and four feet deep, into which are fixed the principal posts of the timber framing-these pillars are fixed inclining towards the centre. The pillars are tied together at top and bottom with wrought iron horizontal bars two inches and a half diameter, fitted with collars and screw bolts; similar bars are fixed on the same level in a raking position to the

• We quote from that useful work, the "Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal.” Published monthly, at 57, King Street, Westminster.

centre pillar, by the aid of which the whole are firmly tied and braced together -the top of the pillars stand about four feet above high water mark of a spring tide. The timber framing was commenced by first fixing the centre post twentyone feet long and fourteen inches square, and subsequently those of the angles, thirty feet long, twelve inches square at the base, and ten inches square at the top; they are tied together at the bottom by double horizontal tie beams, twelve by five, and twenty-seven feet long, and at the top ten by four, and twenty-ove feet long; the ends are secured to the angle posts by wrought iron nuts and screw bolts and iron knees. There are also raking braces from the angle posts to the centre ten and a half by nine, and fifteen feet long; upon the tie beams are laid the flooring joists nine by three, the principal posts of the carcase framing are six by four.

The interior accommodation consists of a living room twenty-two feet long, and a store-room in the upper part, and store-rooms for coals and water in the lower part. Thus far the erection was completed in October 1840, within a period of three months.

Above the living room is fixed the lantern with a gallery all round-it is a polygon of sixteen sides, twelve feet diameter internally, and sixteen feet high from the floor to the roof; the principal part of the framing is of cast iron-the roof, the interior lining and floor are covered with copper. In the centre, upon a pedestal, is the beautiful apparatus of a second order of Dioptric light, made and fitted up, together with the iron work of the lantern, by Messrs. Wilkins and Son, of Long Acre. The height of the light above the mean level of the sea is forty-five feet, and may be clearly seen from the deck of a vessel, in fine weather, upwards of ten miles off in all directions. The light was first exhibited on the evening of the 10th of February last.

[As the utility and security of this description of light-house has now been tolerably proved, not only in this, but in another instance on a sandbank, in a still more exposed situation off the coast of Lancashire, (we allude to the Wyre,) the piles being covered during spring tides to a depth of thirty feet and upwards, we hope soon to see such structures take the place of those uncertain aids to navigation lightvessels on such sandbanks, as the Goodwin, Hasborough, and many others that surround our coasts, on which there such an annual sacrifice of life and property. ED.]

PLYMOUTH BREAKWATER LIGHT-HOUSE.

A light-house is in course of erection upon the western extremity of the Breakwater, the first stone of which was laid by Admiral Warren, on the 22nd of February last, it was designed by Messrs. Walker and Burges, the engineers of the Trinity Board, in July last, and submitted to the Admiralty. Shortly after, their lordships gave directions for its immediate construction. It is to be erected upon an inverted arch, the foundation of which is laid about one foot six inches below the level of low water spring tides; its centre at top is at the distance of thirty-seven feet six inches from the western end or head of the Breakwater, and at the level of low water 195 feet. The diameter of the head of the Breakwater at the level of low water is 390 feet, and at the level of the top of the Breakwater seventy-five feet. The light-house is to be of granite fourteen feet clear diameter, the centre of the light will be fifty-five feet from the top of the Break water. The interior will be divided into floors, forming a store-room, a dwelling-room, a bed-room, and a watch-room. The lantern twelve feet wide and seven feet six inches high, is to show a Dioptric fixed light of the second order, with mirrors; the south half to show a red light, to distinguish it from the coast lights, and the north side towards the Sound, is to be white. The stones of the lower courses are to be secured with dowels of slate, independent of a vertical and horizontal dovetail; the dowels are eighteen inches long and six inches square at the centre, and sunk eight inches into the lower course of stone; both ends are dovetailed and secured in their places by plugs in the upper, and by wedges in the lower stone. It is expected that the light-house will be completed by the end of 1842.

ENLARGED SERIES.—NO. 5.-VOL. FOR 1841.

2 x