sion which had ever taken place between our navy and the Chinese force, if we except perhaps the passage of the Boca Tigris in 1834. Finding that the Chinese were preparing for aggressive measures against the fleet, and that Admiral Kwan was in considerable force near Chuenpee, the chief superintendent recommended to Captain Smith the immediate removal of the Volage and Hyacinth to that neighbourhood, and a moderate but firm address to the commissioner. This measure was calculated to ascertain the actual extent of preparation, and her majesty's ships could be in no more suitable or imposing situation than in sight of the batteries, and under the immediate observation of the commissioner. Captain Elliot accordingly repaired on board the Volage frigate on the 28th October; but strong adverse winds retarded their arrival until the morning of the 2nd November, when her majesty's ships were anchored about a mile below the first battery, where an imposing force of war-junks and fire-vessels was collected. A lieutenant, accompanied by Mr. Morrison, the interpreter, was despatched to the admiral's junk with the address to the commissioner. They were civilly received, and the admiral replied that he would forward the paper to their excellencies then in the neighbourhood, and send the answer next day. He also expressed a wish that the ships should move down a little farther, which Captain Smith immediately did, with the intention to prove his peaceful disposition. In the course of the same evening a linguist was despatched to the ships with a verbal message, requesting that Mr. Morrison might be sent on board the admiral's junk. It was answered, that the written address contained all that was to be said, and for the present such a visit was inexpedient.

In the forenoon of the 3rd an officer of some rank anchored at a short distance from the ships, and again sent the linguist to desire Mr. Morrison might come to them in reply to which the previous message was repeated. About this time the Chinese squadron,

under the command of the admiral, broke ground, and stood out towards her majesty's ships, which were immediately got under weigh, and directed towards the approaching force. As soon as this proceeding was observed, the squadron anchored in good order to the number of twenty-nine sail, and her majesty's ships were hove to; while a short correspondence ensued, in which the Chinese were peremptory in demanding the delivery of an Englishman, and refused to retire.

Captain Smith now very properly declared that he did not feel himself warranted in leaving this formidable flotilla at liberty to pass inside of him at night, and carry into effect the menaces against the merchant vessels; and thinking that the retirement of her majesty's ships before a force, moved out with the palpable intention to intimidate, was not compatible with the honour of the flag, he resolved to constrain their return to their former anchorage. At noon, therefore, the signal was made to engage, and the ships, then lying hove to at the extreme end of the Chinese line, bore away ahead in close order, having the wind on the starboard beam. In this way, and under easy sail, they ran down the Chinese line, pouring in a destructive fire. The lateral direction of the wind enabled the ships to perform the same evolution from the other extreme of the line, running up again with their larboard broadsides bearing. The Chinese answered with much spirit, but the terrible effect of the English fire was soon manifest. One war-junk blew up at pistol-shot distance from the Voiage, three were sunk, and several others waterlogged. The admiral's conduct is said to have been worthy of his station. His junk was evidently better manned and armed than the others; and after having weighed, or perhaps cut or slipped his cable, he bore up and engaged her majesty's ships in handsome style. In less than three-quarters of an hour, however, he and the remainder of his squadron were retiring in great distress to their former anchorage, and,

as Captain Smith was not disposed to protract destructive hostilities, he offered no obstruction to their retreat. It is to be feared, however, that this clemency was thrown away upon the Chinese, who have no conception of the true principles of such forbearance, and subsequent facts show that they actually claimed the victory. This they perhaps founded on the circumstance of her majesty's ships making sail for Macao, for the purpose of covering the embarkation of the English who might see fit to retire from that place, and of providing for the safety of the merchant ships. On the 4th November the Volage joined the fleet at Hong-kong, and the Hyacinth was left at Macao, to watch events in that quarter.

It was time that the Chinese should receive such a lesson as the foregoing, for not long prior to it they had robbed and burned a Spanish brig, the Bilbaino, utterly unconnected with opium, under the plea that she was an English vessel, though her proper flag was flying. As that brig lay at anchor in the Taypa, a harbour pertaining to Macao, she was surprised at day-break by four war-junks and several fire-rafts, accompanied by a number of mandarin boats, whose crews entered the brig, robbed her of everything on board, and then set fire to her. The Spanish mate was carried off in chains, with one of the sailors; while the rest of the crew saved their lives by jumping overboard. The Chinese carried away the flag with them; and the Spanish consular agent at Macao was denied all redress for this gratuitous and unjustifiable outrage.

The discomfiture of Admiral Kwan's squadron was soon followed by the refusal of all trade to the English with China; but, for some months, the Americans continued to tranship goods and carry them up to Canton, bringing back cargoes of tea on British account, which were shipped for England on the outside of the Boca Tigris. This at length attracted attention, and the emperor's edict, cutting off the commerce of the English, was enforced to the utmost, by deny

ing intercourse to such American ships as transhipped cargoes. The local government went so far as to purchase several ships-rather to act as floating batteries, than to be added to the emperor's squadron of warjunks. Their sense of their own weakness, on the other hand, was proved by Admiral Kwan not risking such another victory as that for which he had been lately rewarded, but keeping very close to the forts at the Boca Tigris, notwithstanding several attempts to coax him out. The Governor-general of India was invested with full powers to declare war, and direct its operations; and it remains only to await the result of the most important and momentous enterprise, next to the conquest of India itself, in which the British arms have ever been engaged to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope.*

* Mr. Davis's Narrative of the English intercourse with China is thus brought down to the end of the year 1839. The war which ensued in 1840, 1841, and 1842 terminated in a satisfactory Treaty of Peace. We shall give as an Appendix a Chronology of Affairs in China, from 1831 to the Signature of the Treaty of Nanking.

CHAPTER V.

GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CHINA.

THIS chapter will be principally devoted to a succinct view of the chief geographical features of China Proper, under which may be included, on account of their unparalleled magnitude, and the important stations which they hold in the maps of the country, a particular description of the Imperial Canal, and of the Great Wall. The scientific skill of the Jesuit missionaries accomplished a survey of the whole of this fine country on trigonometrical principles, so admirably correct as to admit of little improvement; and, with the exception of the British possessions in India, there is no part of Asia so well laid down as China.

Since the time of the Jesuits' survey, however, an alteration has taken place in the divisions of the country. The provinces of China, which then consisted of fifteen in all, have been increased, by the subdivision of three of the largest, to eighteen. Keang-nân has been split into Keang-soo and Gân-hoey, Hoo-kuâng into Hoo-nân and Hoo-pe, and the western part of Shen-sy has been extended, and called Kân-so. These eighteen provinces constitute a compact area, extending (if we leave out the island of Haenân) from about 21° to 41° of north latitude, and measuring in extreme length from north to south about 1200 geographical miles, with an average breadth from east to west of nearly 20° of longitude, or something less than the extent north and south. Perhaps no country in the world, of the same magnitude, can be considered upon the whole as more favoured in point of climate. Being situated, however, on the eastern side of a great continent, China follows the general rule which observa