Doings in China. Being the personal narrative of an Officer engaged in the late Chinese Expedition, from the recapture of Chusan in 1841, to the peace of Nankin in 1842

Front matter

DOINGS IN CHINA. LONDON : PRINTED BY SCHULZE AND CO., 13, POLAND STREET. Dr$wir.<y by & Native Artist. folks, iilh f, Cr#i*rn , Court. in the, possession of Zddy, Strange , COMMISSIONER LIN, R^ Jemlley, JVetv , Hurlin/ftoK, Si DOINGS IN CHINA. BEING THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF AN OFFICER ENGAGED IN THE LATE CHINESE EXPEDITION, FROM THE RECAPTURE OF CHUSAN IN 1841, TO THE PEACE OF NANKIN IN 1842. BY LIEUT. ALEXANDER MURRAY, 18th ROYAL IRISH. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. in ©rBlttarp to ler JCTa)<stn. 1843.

Preface

. In the following Narrative, I have no ticed only what was done by the Com pany to which I belonged, (the Grena dier Company of the 18th Royal Irish,) or what came under my own personal observation, and have not ventured to record the deeds of other regiments, from fear of inaccuracy. I was present at all the operations in China, from the first expedition to Chu san ; but the first year's proceedings have been now so often before the public, that it would be unnecessary to tell VI

PREFACE.

. the story over again. I have, therefore, begun my account from the time that hostile preparations may be said really to have commenced, and when Elliot's po licy was abandoned. We have seen the good effects of our Plenipotentiary's firm conduct. ALEXANDER MURRAY, LIEUT. 18TH ROYAL IRISH. FOKDELL HOUSE, FIFE, Jan. 1843. Page 9 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Arrival of Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., and Admiral Sir W. Parker, at Hong Kong — The 18th Royal Irish in the Harhour of Amoy — Preparation for landing — The warsteamer, Sesostris, in action — Landing of the Troops under cover of the Nemesis — Wall of Chinese battery, taken by the English under command of Major Tomlinson — Bivouac in the vicinity of Amoy — The city taken without resistance — Chinese plunderers — Troops disembark for Buffaloe's Nose ....

Chapter II

Arrival at Chusan — Chinese gun — Defence of Chusan — Gallant behaviour of a Chinese sol- CONTENTS. Page dier — Conduct of a mandarin — Seizure of batteries — Chinese engineers — Reverence for the dead — Fortifications round Pagoda Hill — Garrison left at Chusan — Rest of the forces sail for Ting- Hae — Taking of Ting- Hae 23

Chapter III

Occupation of Ting Hae — Chinese cannon foundry — Imperial edict — Entry into Ning-Po — Public buildings — Captain Anstruther's cages ....... 46

Chapter IV

Description of Ning-Po — Monuments — Ancient pagoda — Uncomfortable quarters — Chinese bread making — Chinese furniture — Tools — The circular saw — Chinese tailors— Gloves — Public granary — Servants — Ponies —Expedition to Yew- Yow. . . . . .63

Chapter V

Arrival at Yew- Yow — A pursuit — Seizure of the town of Tze-Ke — Shooting parties — CONTENTS. IX Page Fishing birds — Rumours of an attack on Ning-Po 87

Chapter VI

Attempt on Ning-Po — Sortie, and slaughter of the Chinese — Retreat and pursuit — Apathy of the country people — The Tipperary touch — Chinese military accoutrements — Night attack on Ting- Hae 101

Chapter VII

Expedition against Tze-Ke — Chinese improvements in the art of war — Silk Guns — Rockets — Camp utensils — Stoves — Return to Ning- Po — Proclamation on kidnapping the British — Police — Chinese barbarity — Evacuation of Ning-Po — Health of the regiment 18th Royal Irish 114

Chapter VIII

Sail for Chappoo — Defence — Retreat of the Chinese — Death of Colonel Tomlinson — Obstinate attack — Ferocious conduct of CONTENTS. X Page the Chinese — Loss of the 18th Royal Irish — Capture of Chappoo — Tartar soldiers — Tartar houses — Loss of life — Determined suicides — Burial of Colonel Tomlinson — Chinese fortitude — Valour of a mandarin — Entrance of Yang-Tze-Keang — Anchorage before Woosung — Preparations — Woosung batteries — Chinese guns — Arrival at Shang- Hae 138

Chapter IX

Arrival of Transports — Reinforcements from England and India — Sail from Chin-Keang- Hoo — Gates of the city assaulted — Death of Captain Collinson and Lieutenant Gibbons — Death of the Tartar General, Kailing — Obstinate Defence — Loss of Forces — Description of Chin-Keang-Hoo — Chinese Cradles — Heat of the weather — Suicides — Burial of Captain Collinson — Mandarin's armour — Chinese hams — The cholera — New percussion firelocks CONTENTS. XI

Chapter X

Page Public buildings in Golden Island — Chinese library — Fever on board the Urgent, store ship — Porcelain pagoda — Anchor off the walls of Nankin — Preparations for attack on Nankin — Chinese Commissioners on board the flag ship — Conference held at Nankin — Chinese music — Gallant conduct of High Commissioner Eleppo — Treaty of peace with the Commissioners. . . . . .190

Chapter XI

Religion — Temples and priests — Reverence for the dead — The Chinese a hardy and thrifty race — Boys employed in trade — Propensity for gambling — Respect shown to English soldiers — The Chinese troops — Gallantry of the Tartars. ....... 215 Illustrations. ...... DOINGS IN CHINA.

Chapter I

Arrival of Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., and Admiral SirW. Parker, at Hong Kong. The 18th Royal Irish in the Harbour of Amoy. — Preparation for landing. — The war steamer, Sesostris, in action. — Landing of the Troops under cover of the Nemesis. — Wall of Chinese battery, taken by the English under command of Major Tomlinson. Bivouac in the vicinity of Amoy. — The city taken without resistance — Chinese plunderers. — Troops disembark for Buffaloe's Nose. On the 10th August, 1841, the Sesos tris war steamer came into Hong Kong, B PREPARATIONS having H. M. Plenipotentiary, Sir H. Pottinger, Bart., and Admiral Sir W. Parker on board. From that time every possible exertion was made in the fleet to prepare for sailing northward. The ship, the head quarters on which the 18th Royal Irish were on board, not being able to start on account of her being short handed, and the crew she had being in a state of mutiny, we drop ped along side of the Sophia to tranship into her as the head quarters.

Twenty six Cameronians who were in her did not proceed with us to the north. We com menced mooring about eight o'clock at night and worked by lantern light. A rare scene of confusion it was : one regiment getting their things out and the other putting them in. We worked hard, as we did not feel quite secure about going, and feared that some other regi ment might be sent instead of us. On the FOR SAILING. following day, the 21st, the fleet got under weigh and sailed out of the harbour. We were not in a condition to start with them ; but, after knocking about in the harbour, without being able to get out, we were made happy by seeing the Queen steamer, consisting of ten men of war, four steamers, and twenty-three transports which was leaving with Sir H. Pottinger on board, hoist the signal, prepare to be taken in tow.

A wel come signal this was to us, for we should otherwise have been a long time in get ting to our station in the fleet ; whereas in a few hours she towed us up, and then left us to get in our place. Signal made Rendezvous Chappel Island. We had a fine breeze in our favour, and ran into the harbour of Amoy on the evening of the 25th, at 7 p. m ; several shots being fired at us from the batteries, but at a great distance. b2 ATTACK ON THE Next morning signals were made to prepare troops for landing. We got into boats about 12 o'clock, and were taken in tow by the steamer Nemesis, and as we had to go to the different ships to collect the men, we were towed about the harbour for a long time, at the imminent risk of being capsized, as the string of boats increased every minute, and conse quently threading our way through the fleet became more dangerous.

I cut one boat adrift, to prevent her sinking us, for she was twice our size, and was pounding us to pieces ; the colours of the regiment being in the boat with me. It was a very pretty sight to see the ships standing in and engaging the batteries. The Sesostris was the first in action, and when the Blenheim and Wellesley opened, the roar of cannon was incessant. I could not see very well what was going on, having nearly enough BATTERIES AT AMOY. 13 to do in boats. The steamer stood pretty closely into the shore, and the boats cast off the Nemesis, covering our landing with her guns and rockets. Our Grena dier Light Company and marksmen, under the command of Major Tomlinson, were ordered to move on to the front to take the flanking wallof the battery, which was done very easily, and they only fired a few shots, and a volley of rockets.

We got over the wall by step ping on each other's backs as the wall was rather high. On seeing us come over the wall, the Chinese, who, till then, had stood to their guns (for, from the great strength and construction of the battery which was immensely thick, eighteen feet, and the embrasures made like the ports of a ship, they were nearly safe from shot and shell), now ran in all ATTACK ON THE directions, throwing their large* shields over their backs. I went down by the sea face of the battery with some of the marksmen of whom I had got the com mand before leaving Hong Kong. I pulled down a flag which was planted on a hill above the battery facing the sea-gate. It was a plain black silk flag, with a white edging. Several men were shot and bayonetted at the gate leading out to the sea-shore, out of which they were trying to escape.

I then rejoined the companies on the other side of the batteries, they having gone * These shields are very large, and are either made of rattan, or bull's hide wadded inside with cotton. They are very light but strong : no sword could cut through them, and I should think that, at a certain distance, they would resist even a musket ball. I have tried them with a small pistol, and at fifteen yards the ball did not penetrate. BATTERIES AT AMOY. round by the rear, where a body of Chinese soldiers were collected, who had advanced boldly on us, but were soon dispersed. While we were re forming, the Chinese began firing on us again, from some aloe bushes in our front and wounded one of the Light Company in the groin ; but they ran as soon as we advanced. I picked up a pistol on the plain, of French manufac ture, but whether dropped by the sailors or the Chinese, I know not.

We halted in a large building till the whole of the regiment came up and then moved on, up a very steep range of hills which overlooked the city of Amoy. If they had defended this pass they might have caused great loss to us by firing from behind the rocks, and with perfect safety to themselves, as our ascent was slow, in consequence of the path being very steep and slippery. We passed ATTACK ON THE through a curious cavern in the rocks, where a great number of old men, women, and children had collected to get under cover from the shot. As we passed through, they set up a most piteous yelling ; expecting, 1 suppose, to have their throats cut by the barba rians, as it is the policy of the Mandarins to represent us in the most abominable light, spreading the most absurd stories of our cruelty.

It was almost night when we reached the summit of the heights, and there were ordered to halt for the night. This was rather a pleasant look out for tired and hungry men, without any thing to eat or a house to go into, with a bitter cold wind blowing ; however, there was nothing for it but to choose the softest possible rock, light a cheroot and fancy yourself perfectly com fortable for the night. I luckily had brought a mackintosh air pillow in my BATTERIES AT AMOY. havresack, which I had bought some time before at Macao, thinking it might be serviceable ; and I never made a better purchase, for it proved the greatest use to me during the whole campaign. I recommend them strongly to any one likely to be on active service, as they are so very easily carried. There was great picking and choosing among us for soft rocks ; but I believe we all came to the conclusion, that one rock is as hard a pillow as another.

We found no difficulty in turning out at daylight, and shortly afterwards got under arms. A part of the regiment moved on to a hill within gun-shot of the city, and remained there till Sir Hugh Gough came up to reconnoitre. There was a great commotion in the town, and we saw people bringing what we took to be gingalls down to one of the gates. Captain Cotton, Madras Engineers, and b CAPTURE OF AMOY. Captain Wigston 18th, were sent forward with a few men to reconnoitre the gate. On their return they reported that they had found the way down to it ; but we did not know whether the place would be defended or not. We moved on to the gate, however, and some officers and men having scaled the walls and planted the British colours, they got down and opened the gate, which had been blocked up with stones and sand bags, having some guns and gingalls planted to defend the entrance.

We met with no resistance, and marched straight into a large building, the Ad miral's official residence, where we were quartered. On going into the house we found some of the rooms strewed with empty boxes, of a peculiar shape, resembling logs of wood, split in two, and bound with iron bands. These we sup posed to be arrow cases, but since found BARRACKS ON FIRE. out they were treasure-boxes ; all the sycee had, however, been carried off. If we had had light enough the day before to enter the city we might have come in for our share of it. Several of the rooms in the rear of the building were piled to the roof with tubs filled with saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal, for the manufacture of gunpowder. The saltpetre was very ac ceptable to us for cooling our liquor. The ships were allowed to take whatever quantity they required.

That night our barracks took fire accidentally in the hurry of turning out, for some alarm had been raised that the Chinese we reattacking the walls, and though it proved to be a false alarm, it gave us the pleasure of resting another night on the hard stones and dust in the street in the front of our quarters. The fire was got out without doing much damage. Immense stores of AMOY lead bullets and gunpowder, also supplies of soldiers' clothing and arms were found and destroyed. The Chinese evidently had made great preparations to receive us. We ourselves expected a stout resistance, and were astonished to find them make so bad a stand, for the Fokeinmen are a stout, hardy race, good sailors, and feared by the rest of China. Amoy is a place of great consequence for trade. I saw nothing very remarkable in the city.

The Admiral's house was the finest I was in, with a remarkably pretty garden in front, with grottoes and pas sages made of artificial rock, but so like what they were intended to represent that it was only by chipping a bitoff them, you could know they were artificial. Some large men of war junks were found in the inner harbour, nearly completed ; these had two decks, mounting upwards CHINESE PLUNDERERS. 21 Of twenty guns on carriages, made like those of our own ship guns. The Admiral was reported to have made all sail, being very anxious to meet and attack us, having heard of our leaving Hong Kong. He was still cruising about in the hopes of falling in with us, and I dare say reported to his Imperial master that we had ran away from him, and that he had driven us out of the seas. However, the poor man will find he has lost many of his goods and chattels when he returns to Amoy after his successful cruise, and will have reason to remember the Barbarians.

The Chinese plunderers made a good harvest of this place, as the city was a very rich one ; and most expert hands they are at such work, for they will gut a house, pull it down, and carry away every piece of wood and stone worth taking, in an inconceivably short time. TROOPS RE-EMBARKED. They gave us great trouble, for they will run any risk for the sake of booty, and our sentries were compelled to shoot several, so daring were they in forcing their way in. It having been decided that the Island of Koo-long-soo was to be retained in our possession, five com panies of the 18th, under the command of Major Cowper, and about three hun dred of the 26th under Major Johnstone were sent to the island a few days before we evacuated the town. We re-embarked without a casualty of any sort on the 5th of September, and the fleet got under weigh on the 6th with orders to rendez-vous at Buffaloe's Nose. Many doubted whether the transports would be able to reach it, for the N. E. monsoon was supposed to have set in against us.

Chapter II

Arrival at Chusan — Chinese gun— Defence of Chusan — Gallant behaviour of a Chinese soldier — Conduct of a mandarin — Seizure of batteries — Chinese engineers — Reverence for the dead — Fortifications round Pagoda Hill — Garrison left at Chusan — Rest of the forces sail for Ting-Hae — Taking of Ting-Hae. On the 14th September, a heavy gale of wind dispersed the fleet, and each ship tried to make the best of its way to the rendez-vous. Some had great difficulty in making their way up, and we feared that some would have to put back to Amoy, which would have been a serious ARRIVAL AT CHUSAN. loss to us, as our force was but small. From Buffalo's Nose, we were ordered to proceed to Just, in the Way An chorage, an island nearly midway be tween Chusan and Ting Hae. The fleet, even there, had not all collected.

The intention was to attack Ting Hae first, but the weather still continuing boisterous, the Admiral and General were induced to alter their plan, and pro ceeded to Chusan first, which we reached on the 29th. The men-of-war anchoring at Spit Head, and the transports at St. Helens on the 30th. The Sesostris took the Wellesley se venty-four in tow, to put her in position for shelling a fortified joss house, on the 49th hill, but was obliged to cast her off again, owing to the strength of the tide, which drifted the seventy-four foul of the Orient transport. The Wel~ DEFENCE OF CHUSAN. 25 lesley and Sesostris threw a few shells with good effect into the fortification on the hill. Just about sunset that evening, a large body of the Chinese came to the brow of the hill, and fired a volley of matchlocks and gingalls as a sort of defiance.

The Columbine and Cruizer brigs anchored close under Sappers' Point, to cover the landing of the troops. While lying at anchor outside, we were amused by the batteries opening on every ship or steamer which went into the inner har bour, either to reconnoitre or take up its position. The Chinese had withdrawn one gun out of the embrasure, and pointed it so as to fire over Sappers' Point at the ships lying outside, whose masts they could just see over the hill. Some shots were very well directed, considering the CHINESE GUN. distance and height they had to fire over. Our ship, the Sophia, was lying a long way outside of the ships fired at, but in the line of fire, though out of reach. We used to watch the fire of this gun with great delight. From the position we lay in we could see the flash of it in time to look out for the ball.

We laughingly called it our gun, little thinking at the time that one of the com panies on board would have the good fortune to take it. On the morning of the 1st of October, the Phlegethon came alongside for the purpose of landing us for the attack. The day was fine ; it was, in fact, the first clear day we had had since the 27th of September. The 55th and 18th were to have cleared the 49th hill and taken the joss house at the top ; the 49th and ATTACK ON CHUSAN. Naval Brigade the sea face battery. On getting close in-shore, the tide took the Phlegethon and carried her down across the passage into the inner harbour. As soon as the Chinese perceived us they opened on us from our old friend, (our gun), and kept up an excellent fire, loading and firing with great rapidity ; and though they never hit us, yet their practice was good, for the shot fell close about us, and some of the boats had cast off to make for shore, but were carried away by the tide and were in some danger of being sunk by the shot ; none, however, were hit.

The boat I landed in was splash ed with water by a shot dropping close beside us, and two men in the steamer were struck with spent balls. The Chinese here behaved very well, coming to the brow of the hill, waving their arms and beckoning to us to come on. One man, in particular, attracted GALLANTRY OF A SOLDIER. great attention by his daring and coolness. He came to the front of the hill, and stood waving a red banner over his head, and though the fire of the cruizers, Co lumbine and Phlegethon, was excellent, several shot knocking the dust up at his feet, he never flinched from his place, but kept on defying us until he was ac tually cut in half by a thirty-two pound shot from the Phlegethon. Though we all cheered when he fell, we felt sorry that he had not escaped, for he was a brave fellow.

Another man took up his flag, and, I believe, shared his fate ; but our attention was called off at the time to the 55th, who had begun to ascend the hill. This was a grand sight ; they went up steadily and quickly under a heavy fire, and soon drove the Chinese from the hill. They had one officer killed, (he was carrying one of the colours), and, I CONDUCT OF A MANDARIN. 29 think, about nineteen men were wounded. Sir Hugh Gough went up the hill with them : he was hit in the shoulder with a spent ball. While this was going on, we were landing, and were to have supported the 55th, but the 49th not being landed in time, we were ordered to move round the foot of the hill and take the long line of battery. We marched off to our right, and first got among the enemy in a small encampment under some trees leading into the long battery.

Here a great many were shot, for they stood pretty well. One man, a white button man darin, stood behind a tree. I had passed without seeing him, when hearing a scuffle, I turned round, and saw that he had wounded one of my party in the chest with his spear. He then closed with him and got his forage cap off ; another man came up and thrust at him with his GALLANTRY OF bayonet, which he wTrenched off with the firelock, but was shot by a third. I did not see who got his button.* While I was clearing the houses and tents round about, the Grenadier and No. 5 Companies had moved on into the battery and were hotly engaged, the Chinese standing well, and even after they had been driven back, rallying and coming up to the charge again. A mandarin charged at Captain Wigston, who was leading the Grenadiers, with his spear : they were close to the gun I spoke of before as " our gun."

Captain Wigston pulled out his pistol and shot him. He was of very high rank, having a red button. General Kicks and eight or nine men were shot at this place, who fought well : they were evidently the personal followers * These were always considered fair trophies, if there was time to pick them up. THE CHINESE. 31 of the mandarin. The gun was split slight ly, and Captain Wigston told me, that when he reached it, it was so hot that he could not bear to put his hand on it. It was one of sixteen long guns, cast of brass and copper. From the breast of one of the killed was taken a bundle of papers carefully wrapped up. On being opened, the parcel was found to contain all the guard reports of the year before, addressed to General Burrell. They must have been left in his house, and kept by the Chinese, either as curiosities, or perhaps they thought they might contain valuable information.

All opposition having ceased in that part, the regiment colour was planted on the battery to show the ships our position, and I was sent on to the entrance of the suburbs to prevent any movement on our flank. I thought I knew every inch of the ground, but it was some time before I ATTACK ON THE BATTERIES. recognised the spot I halted at, to be the place where I had spent many miserable cold days and nights, viz. : the Beach Guard. The year before it was an old ricketty building patched up for a guard house, but now it was a regular good strong sally-port gate leading out to a stone wharf for boats. We then moved on cautiously to reconnoitre Pagoda Hill joss house, and finding it deserted, we ran on quickly, and took possession of it. I was then sent by Colonel Adams with the marksmen to clear the lower battery on the other side of the hill, where there were still a good many soldiers.

I was accompanied by Mr. Gully, as a volunteer, a pleasant compa nion to have by your side in a skrimage — six feet three, and stout in proportion ; and a Mr. Denham, Captain of one of the ships. We drove them out without CHINESE DEFENCE. having a man touched. They retired slowly, for, owing to the excessively heavy rains and the multitude of people con stantly moving about the batteries they were nearly knee deep in mud. One man ran at me with his sword, but having no particular confidence in my regulation spit, or perhaps in my own skill as a swordsman, I stuck my sword in the mud beside me, took a steady aim with my pistol, and shot him. Mr. Gully, 1 believe, disposed of some few also. Besides iron guns, the battery mounted four beautiful brass carronades on tra versing carriages, six long brass guns and a great many gingalls on tiger stands.

We poured water on the touch holes of the guns, and upset all the gingalls, least they should return into the battery. On rejoining the regiment at Pagoda, (or 18th Hill), I was surprised at the change c CHINESE DEFENCE. which had been effected in our old quarters. The Chinese had improved greatly, I think, on our engineer's plan run up for the time we were there. Near the sea, where they had levelled the ground to form a half moon battery, the Chinese had finished one strongly built of stone, mounting ten brass guns, the embrasures being like the ports of a ship, but too small to allow the guns to be trained any other way than straight a-head. Round the upper building, in the place of a slight mud and brick wall for mus quetry, which we had run up, they had made an excellent wall of granite, nearly strong enough to resist cannon, and had continued it so as to enclose another hill in rear where we had also made a tempo rary fort, mounting two guns pointing to the city.

REVERENCE FOR THE DEAD. I think their plan of enclosing the two hills was a good idea. They had made a strong place of it, and might have made an excellent stand, if they had not been shelled out of it by the Blonde, Modeste, Queen, and a battery erected on Trum ball Island* by the royal and Madras Artillery. They had cut away the rock almost perpendicularly on the side of our approach. I do not think they had dis turbed the graves of the poor fellows we buried there last year, more than was ne cessary for the completion of the work, for the Chinese are remarkable for their reverence to the dead, and a tablet had been erected between two granite pillars at the bottom of the hill, with an inscrip tion on it to the effect that the graves of the Barbarians were not to be disturbed. * Better known by the name of Melville Island. c DEFEAT OF THE CHINESE.