Abandoned as this garrison has been in the very centre of the enemy's country, cut off from all communication with any quarter, and without a sufficiency of water even at this season, with 200 men detached to hold an outpost which is destitute of water, and must have fallen in forty-eight hours, nothing but capitulation remained. From the outpost falling into the hands of the enemy, they would command our only well and commanding fort; the whole garrison would have been destroyed in a few days. The bearer has recived only subsistence on the road, and is to receive a handsome reward on delivering this letter. We have upwards of 100 sick and wounded, and 137 casualties. The officers, including Captain Burnett, 54th, and Lieutenant Crawford, S. S. Force, are all well. “I have, &c. Lt.-Col. Pol. Agent, commg. "P. S. There is great reason to fear for our safety, as there are some thousands of Ghazees in the city, whom the chiefs cannot disperse. The snow is still deep. No tidings from the southward; but report says, the troops hold the city of Candahar and are daily fighting." On the 6th of March, they marched out from the citadel, and were quartered in a portion of the town immediately below. But a new proof was immediately given of Affghan treachery; for the troops had hardly taken possession of the lodgings assigned to them, when they were suddenly attacked by the infuriated Ghazees; and it was with the utmost difficulty that they saved themselves from a total massacre. Day after day the murderous attacks continued, and the unfortunate troops were reduced to the last extremity of hunger and thirst, under a galling fire from the surrounding multitudes, when the Sepoys, who were the peculiar objects of the hatred of the Ghazees, on the 10th of March, announced their determination to force their way out of the town, and endeavour to get to Peshawur, which they fancied was distant not more than fifty or sixty miles. Accordingly, the officers seeing that they had lost all control over their men, surrendered that night to Shumsoodeen and the other Ghazee chiefs, who swore that they should be honourably treated, and sent to Cabul as soon as possible. A large party of Sepoys attempted to put their plan into execution, but soon becoming bewildered in the snow, were in the morning all cut to pieces, or made prisoners. The unfortunate officers were kept in rigorous confinement in a small room, swarming with vermin, and Colonel Palmer was tortured, in order to make him give up some treasure, which the Ghazees said the British troops had buried. was not until the 19th of August, that the prisoners were taken from their dungeon, and sent in camelchairs to Čabul, where they joined their fellow prisoners under the custody of Akbar Khan. It When the time had arrived for the advance of the British troops, under the command of General Pollock, from Jellalabad to Cabul, General Nott determined to march upon the latter capital from Candahar, in order to co-operate with General Pollock, in case the resistance offered by Akbar Khan should be of such a nature as to render a reinforcement of the Bri tish troops, which were approaching Cabul in a north-westerly direction, necessary. Candahar, therefore, was evacuated by General Nott and the forces under his command, on the 7th and 8th of August. The nature of the country which he had to traverse before he could reach Cabul, will be understood from the following sketch, taken from a contemporary publication: His route lay along the valley of the Turnuk River up to its source, in the hills near Muhoor, about sixty miles from Ghuznee. The road is over occasional flats, skirted by the mountains, and rugged, broken, and narrow ground. The defile of Pootee, about forty miles from Candahar, extending 200 yards, is only ten or fifteen feet broad. Beyond the road is over a low and open country, which may be flooded. The valley then narrows and approaches the river; ravines of considerable depth occur, which incommode the motions of an army carrying (like that of General Nott,) a battering train. Khelat-i-Ghilzie is on a hill, where a fort once stood which almost baffled the Emperor Baber. Thence the road is very passable, though intersected by nullahs and water-courses, narrowing near Abee Tazee, and becoming very precipitous at Shuftul. Afterwards, it becomes more open and level, the elevation, however, still increasing, till at Ghuznee it attains 7,726 feet, or 3,242 feet above Candahar. From Punjuk, 130 miles from this last-named city, the land is well cultivated, with numerous mud-walled villages, clumps of trees, and orchards : small forts occur frequently, sometimes covering the plain. The ground from Nannee to Ghuznee is open and undulating, with no impediment to military movements. The main road from Ghuznee towards Cabul, lies over a succession of hills and ravines, very trying for draught cattle. At about eight miles distant is a defile of about 200 yards, which Major Hough says, a few guns and a small body of infantry could defend against very superior numbers.' The road is then excellent. Then come defiles and a narrow valley easily defended. These difficult places increase, narrow defiles, loose ground, and broad canals, affording many opportunities for annoying an advancing army. At Mydan, seventy miles from Ghuznee, the road crosses the Cabul River, and turns up to the right, into a narrow valley, well calculated for defence. The ground at Mydan is the strongest between Ghusnee and Cabul, affording a most commanding position. The road continues broken, intersected by deep ravines and defiles, till in the vicinity of Cabul, about 100 miles from Ghuznee." At the same time that General Nott commenced his march, MajorGeneral England left the neighbourhood of Candahar, where he had been encamped with a body of troops, and advanced towards Quetta. This latter officer now, in pursuance of the orders of the Indian government, assumed the political responsibility as well as the chief military command in Scinde and the south-western part of Affghanistan, in consequence of the absence of General Nott, who pushed forward as rapidly as possible, and soon came into collision with the forces of the enemy. When the British troops on the 29th of August reached Gonine, thirty-eight miles S. W. of Ghuz nee, they found that Shumsoodeen, the Affghan Governor of that fortress, was in the vicinity of their camp, with about 12,000 men under him. General Nott advanced to meet them with onehalf of his force. The enemy approached in the most gallant manner; each division cheering as they came into position-their left being on a hill of some elevation, their centre and right along a low ridge; while their flank rested on a fort filled with men. They opened a fire of small arms, supported by two 6-pounder horseartillery guns, which were admimirably served. The British columns advanced upon the different points with great regulairty and steadiness; and, after a short and spirited contest, completely defeated the enemy, capturing their guns, tents, and ammunition, and dispersing them in every direction. Shumsoodeen fled in the direction of Ghuznee, accompanied by about thirty horse men. On the 5th of September, Gene ral Nott moved on Gluznee. He found the city full of men, and a range of mountains running N. E. of the fortress, covered by heavy bodies of cavalry and infantry; while the gardens and ravines near the town were also occupied by the enemy. A considerable reinforcement from Cabul had arrived at Ghuznee, under the command of Sultan Jan. General Nott having made a reconnoisance, determined to carry the mountain positions, before encamping his force. The troops accordingly were ordered to ascend the heights, which they did in gallant style, driving the enemy before them until every point was gained. The general then ordered two regiments of infantry and some light guns, to occupy the village of Bullal, which is situated about 600 yards from the walls of Ghuznee, intending to place them in heavy battery. This service was soon accomplished ; but when the guns were moved from the camp on the morning of the 6th, and before they reached the destined position, it was ascertained that the enemy had evacuated the fortress. General Nott then gave directions that the City of Ghuznee and the whole of its works should be destroyed. By this successful exploit, the triumph of our arms in this quarter of Affghanistan was complete, and the supremacy of British skill and valour was again asserted, as it had been when the Fortress of Ghuznee first fell into our hands, during the march of the British army to Cabul, under the command of Sir John Keane. General Nott now advanced upon Cabul, and had one more encounter with the Affghans, whom he found to the number of 12,000, prepared to intercept his march upon Mydan. They were under the command of Shumsoodeen and other chiefs, and occupied a succession of strong mountains. The account given by the General of his success over the enemy on this occasion has the merit of brevity: Our troops dislodged them in gallant style; and their conduct afforded me the greatest satisfaction." General Nott then resumed his march, and effected a junction with General Pollock at Cabul without further molestation. CHAPTER XI. CHINA. Departure of the British squadron from Hong-Kong to Amoy-Account of the fortifications of Amoy-Attack upon the City and successful result-Proclamation by Sir Henry PottingerArrival of the Armament at Chusan-Ting-hae taken by the British -Expedition proceeds to Ningpo-Description of the city of Chinghae-Taking of Chinghae by assault-Taking of Ningpo-Chinese fortify the banks of the Canton river-Sir H. Pottinger returns to Canton-Attempt of the Chinese to retake Ningpo-Rout of the Chinese at Tse-kee-Ningpo evacuated by the British-Capture of Chapoo-Description of the city of Chapoo-Subsequent operations of the British squadron-It enters the Yang-tze river-Elepoo appointed High Commissioner-Arrival of the Armament at Chinkeang-foo-Description of the city-Attack upon Chin-keang-fooTaking of it by assault-The Squadron sails to Nankin-Description of Nankin-Suspension of hostilities-Negotiations for peace between the Chinese Commissioners and Sir Henry Pottinger-Terms of the Treaty-Report from the Chinese Commissioner to the Emperor. W E resume our narrative of the inglorious war in China-in which success could be attended with little honour, and failure would have been disgrace. British skill and valour have perhaps never been engaged in an enterprise where fewer laurels were to be gained than in our quarrel with the Celestial Empire; for whether we regard the origin of the dispute, or the nature of the opposition which our troops had to encounter, we are compelled to admit that little reputation was to be gained by a series of bloodless triumphs over a weak and vain glorious enemy. We are there fore happy to have it in our power to bring to a close in the present volume our history of the war in China-and the important consequences which may be expected to flow from a peaceful and more unrestricted intercourse with the vast population of that kingdom will be some compensation for having engaged in so questionable a quarrel. We stated in our preceding volume, that in the month of August last year, Sir H. Pottinger and Sir W. Parker had sailed for Hong-kong, which was the place of rendezvous for the ships destined for the expedition to the northward. On the 21st, the ships sailed from the island and anchored on the evening of the 25th in the harbour of Amoy. The population * Vol. lxxxiii. p. 285, of this city is said to have amounted to 70,000, and the Chinese army garrisoning it was about 10,000 strong. On the next morning a flag of truce came on board the admiral's ship (the Wellesley) to inquire the object of the visit. The following account of the fortifications and defences of Amoy proves how serious would have been the attempt to take it by storm if it had been occupied by a brave and skilful garrison. "From the islands at the entrance of the harbour to Cohunsoo, the island is about four miles, good anchorage all the way up for line-of-battle ships to about 400 or 500 yards from the shore. On all the islands at the entrance are placed batteries. The long bat tery' in the straight line contains seventy-six guns, forty feet between each, making it more than half a mile long; this battery is built of solid granite work, being about fifteen feet thick at the bottom, and nine at the top, and about fifteen feet high; excepting at the embrasures for the guns, it is entirely faced with a coating of mud quite two feet thick; above the embrasures is also a coating of the same; the masonry is beautiful, and quite solid; and all who have seen it declare they have never seen anything so strong or so well built; indeed, the proof is, that after four hours' hard fighting, not one single breach was made in it by our guns, though placed at point-blank range. On each side of their guns several sand bags were placed, so as to protect them when loading and firing. At the end furthest from the town is built a strong granite wall, about half a mile long, with loop-holes at the top for their matchlocks, but no guns; it is about ten or fifteen feet high, and was of course intended to protect their flank from our troops. Two semi-circular batteries are in the middle of the wall, and at the end nearest the town one larger one, which is built of granite, covered with chunam ; it is supposed that several of the mandarins occupied it: they continued firing to the very last, when some of their guns were dismounted, the walls nearly knocked down, and long after our troops had landed and hoisted the ensign at the other end of the wall. A high hill runs along the coast and comes abruptly down behind the long battery, and divides the town, or rather its suburbs, into two parts; the walled city, which is not more than a sixth of the whole, is on the other side of the hill.” The whole number of guns amounted to about 500-and the Chinese fancied the place to be impregnable. The attack commenced at noon the following day by the steamer Sesostris passing along the battery of seventy-six guns, and opening her fire of shot and shell upon the battery and town which was situated behind a semi-circular battery at the end of that which we have designated as the long one. ceeded by the other vessels taking up their positions, and anchoring along the line of batteries on the right at point-blank distances, so that they were enabled to pour in a tremendous fire in a continuous stream. The Chinese guns were soon partially silent; but whenever the firing of the ships at all relaxed, they recommenced. This lasted for about two hours, when the landing of a body of our troops (the Royal Irish, with Sir H. Gough at their head) was effected at that end of the battery furthest She was soon suc |