Chinese made a sudden attack upon Ningpo, escalading the walls, and forcing some of the gates, with great spirit, when the few British in garrison, triumphed over their numerous opponents. A guard of the 18th. Royal Irish Regiment, consisting of Lieutenant Anthony Armstrong, one sergeant, and twenty-three rank and file, stationed at the West-gate, being attacked by large numbers, behaved steadily, and gallantly drove them back, capturing two banners, the bearers of which had been shot at the gate: the spirited behaviour of this officer was commended in the public despatches.

Five days afterwards the troops embarked from Ningpo, and sailed up the river to attack the enemy's posts. On the 15th. of March they were engaged at Tsekee, and the heights of Segaon, which were captured; the Chankee-pass was also forced, and the expedition, of which the 18th., 26th., and 49th. formed a portion, returned to Ningpo on the 17th. of March. This place was evacuated by the British in May, and an expedition proceeded against the fortified city of Chapoo, where a landing was effected on the 18th. of May. The 18th. and 49th. regiments composed the right column, under Lieutenant-Colonel Morris; and the 26th. and 55th. regiments were in the left, under Colonel Schoedde; the centre column under LieutenantColonel Montgomerie, comprised detachments of the Royal and Madras Artillery, and the 36th. Madras Native Infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson met a soldier's death at the head of his regiment, the 18th. Royal Irish.

In June an expedition sailed up the Yangtse-Keang river, and the fortified posts of Woosung and Poonshau were captured. The city of Shanghae was afterwards taken possession of without opposition. Reinforcements arrived, including the 98th. regiment from England, and the expedition proceeded against Chin-Keang-foo, one of the strongest and most important cities of China. The fleet left Woosung on the 6th. of July, the Chinese troops were driven from Suyshan, and on the 20th. of July the armament approached Chin-Keang-foo. On the following day, after the reconnaissance had been completed, and the ships were in position, the landing commenced. The first brigade, consisting of the 26th., the Bengal Volunteers, flank companies of the 41st. Madras Native Infantry,

and the 98th., was under the command of Major-General Lord Saltoun; the second (centre) brigade consisting of a detachment of the Royal Artillery, 55th., 6th. Madras Native Infantry, 36th. Madras Rifles, 2nd. Madras Native Infantry, and a detachment of Sappers, was commanded by Colonel, afterwards Lieutenant-General Sir James Holmes Schoedde, K.C.B., (55th. Foot;) the third brigade comprised the 18th. and 49th., and the 14th. Madras Native Infantry, and was commanded by Colonel, afterwards Sir Robert Bartley, K.C.B., (49th. regiment,) both these officers having the local rank of Major-General.

Major-Generals Lord Saltoun and Schoedde commenced landing the troops before daylight, but considerable delay occurred from the rapidity of the current and the scattered state of the ships. The guns were next landed, followed by Major-General Bartley's brigade. Lord Saltoun moved forward with the troops of his brigade first landed, the 98th. under Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, (afterwards Lord Clyde), and some companies of the native regiments, to destroy the encampments, and cut off the enemy's communication with the city, between twelve and fifteen hundred of whom had shewn themselves. The soldiers drove them over the hills and destroyed the encampments. Major-General Schoedde escaladed the city walls at the north angle and carried the inner gateway, which was obstinately defended.

The 55th. highly distinguished itself on this occasion.* Lieutenant Cuddy, of that regiment, was the first to mount the walls, and was shortly afterwards severely wounded. Major (afterwards Major-General Charles Warren, C.B.,) commanding the 55th., after he was himself wounded, cut down two of the enemy, and was personally engaged with a third. Every angle and embrasure had to be carried at the point of

"The grenadier company of H. M. 55th. Foot, and two companies of the 6th. regiment of M. N. I., with the Sappers carrying the ladders, under the command of Brevet-Major Maclean, 55th. Foot, advanced against the north-east angle. The Sappers, commanded by Lieutenant Johnstone, with the greatest steadiness and gallantry reared their ladders against the wall, and in a few minutes the grenadiers of the 55th. had mounted, and dividing into two parties, proceeded to clear the ramparts, one party turning to the right, under Brevet-Major Maclean, and another to the left, under Lieutenant Cuddy, 55th."Major-General Schoedde's despatch.

the bayonet. Brevet-Major Maclean commanded the storming party, and Captain Greenward the Royal Artillery.

Meanwhile the west gate had been blown in by Captain Pears, the commanding engineer. A body of Tartars having been driven into one division of the western outwork, refused to surrender, when most of them were either shot or destroyed in the burning houses, several of which had been set on fire by the enemy, or by the British guns. Major-General Bartley subsequently proceeded with a body of troops, consisting of the 18th. and part of the 49th. regiment, when a hot engagement ensued with about one thousand Tartars, who, under cover of some enclosures, opened a destructive fire on the soldiers as they were filing round the walls. The leading division of the 49th. dashing down the ramparts on their left, while the 18th. pushed on to turn their right, they were soon dispersed, although some fought with great desperation.

From the sun becoming so overpowering, it was found impossible to move with men already fatigued by their exertions, many of whom died from the intense heat. The troops

therefore remained in occupation of the gates until six o'clock, when several parties were pushed into the Tartar city and to the public offices. On passing through the city and suburbs. the painful spectacle presented itself of hundreds of the dead bodies of men, women, and children, lying in the houses, numerous families having destroyed themselves sooner than outlive the disgrace of their city being captured by foreigners.

The Royal Artillery, 18th., 26th., 49th., 55th., and 98th. regiments shared in this service.

Sir Hugh Gough proceeded to carry his victorious troops. into the heart of the empire, and attack Nankin, the ancient capital of China, wherein the fugitives from Chin-Keang-foo had sought refuge. By the 9th. of August the British naval and land forces environed Nankin, and a great portion of the troops landed. This decisive step produced the desired results, and conditions of peace were acceded to; the Chinese paying an indemnity, and ceding a portion of territory to the British

crown.

In consideration of the gallantry displayed by the troops employed on the coasts and rivers of China, Her Majesty was

graciously pleased to permit the 18th., 26th., 49th., 55th., and 98th. regiments, and their linked battalions, to bear on their colours and appointments the word "China," and the device of the Dragon.

The Navy took an important part in the first Chinese war, under Commodore Sir Gordon 'Brewer, at the capture of Chusan, and the Bogue Forts, and in the operations against Canton, in 1840-41. Under Admiral Sir William Parker, the fleet took the principal share in the capture of Amoy and Chinhae, in 1841, and in the attack on Woosung in 1842. The principal ships engaged were the two-deckers, "Wellesley," " Blenheim,” and "Melville"; the "Calliope," "Samarang," "Alligator," "Druid," and "Blonde," frigates; and the steamers, "Queen," "Sesostris," "Phlegethon," and above all the "Nemesis," commanded by Master W. H. Hall. Several other sloops and small craft also were engaged in the operations.

SECOND CHINESE WAR.

1856-1860.

THE second war against the Chinese arose from various acts of aggression; amongst which the seizure of the crew of the memorable lorcha named the "Arrow," sailing under British colours, was the most prominent. The operations were at first confined to the navy and Marines. Admiral Sir Michael Seymour pursued vigorous measures; he opened fire upon Canton in October, destroyed several Chinese junks on the 5th. of November, 1856, and the Bogue Forts, mounting upwards of four hundred guns, were captured on the 12th. and 13th. of that month. The Chinese made repeated but abortive attempts to destroy the fleet with fire - rafts and infernal machines, some of which were charged with three thousand pounds of gunpowder. On December 3rd., a strong fort called the French Folly, was bombarded by the "Encounter" and Barracouta," and Captains Wilson and Cochrane, at the head of eight hundred and fifty sailors and marines, attacked and stormed it on the land side. Thirty guns, some of them sixty

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eight pounders, were captured and destroyed, and the fort blown up. This gave the Admiral command over the whole river, and his blockade annihilated the trade of Canton.

An attack was made on the suburbs of the city of Canton on the 12th. of January, 1857, when a detachment of the 59th., employed in conjunction with the naval forces, sustained a few casualties.

FATSHAN CREEK.

JUNE 1ST., 1857.

ADMIRAL SIR MICHAEL SEYMOUR having determined on attacking the Chinese main fleet in Fatshan Creek, consisting of upwards of eighty junks, manned by six thousand picked warriors, and armed with above eight hundred guns, many of them being forty-two pounders of European manufacture; on June 1st., led in person in the little "Coromandel " tender, a force of eleven gunboats, and between fifty and sixty boats of the fleet, carrying nearly two thousand men, against the enemy, at half past three in the morning. The Chinese had constructed heavy batteries on both sides of the creek, and believed their position to be impregnable. The first point of attack was the battery on the right, which was stormed and taken by a body of seamen and marines, under Commodore Elliot, with trifling loss. Owing to the receding tide, most of the gunboats grounded, and the ships' boats pushed on by themselves, in face of a well-directed and heavy cannonade, boarded the junks, and in a short time they were in flames. In the meantime, Commodore Hon. H. Keppel (now Admiral of the Fleet, Sir H. Keppel), in the "Hong Kong," at the head of another division, had attacked the battery on the left side of the creek. His gunboats taking the ground, he quitted them, and in his galley led the boats against the junks and boarded the largest himself. The whole fleet was soon captured, the crews escaping to the land. Leaving some of his boats in the rear to burn the junks, he pushed on with the remainder towards another squadron visible in the distance. After a long pull he came directly upon twenty junks of the largest