his duty to seek for him any further, and was soon hack to the Compton.
This vessel was anchored in the middle of the Chinese fleet, mounted some
ten or twelve guns, and had about forty men on her deck, renegades and scoundrels
of all nations. On getting alongside, the lieutenant immediately
ascended the vessel’s side, accompanied by the owners of the boat, ordering
his eleven men to remain in the cutter, and to come when he called them,
but not before. On reaching the deck he asked for the officer in command,
when a, Portuguese stepped forward and claimed that rank. Lieutenant
Guest then asked .him how he dared to fire upon and make prisoners of
men under the protection of the American flag, and demanded that they
should be immediately released and their boat given up. He replied that
he did not do it, and that in the captain’s absence he had no authority to
release either men or boat. He then conferred with another official (a
Chinaman), and he confirmed his decision. Lieutenant Guest then called out
to his men, “ come on board,” and with wonderful alacrity and speed they
were on the deck,: each with cutlass in hand, and in a moment had released
the prisoners from their confinement to the mainmast. About this time the
crew of the Compton had assumed a menacing attitude, and Mr. Donaldson
called out to the lieutenant that some of the men on the poop-deek were
levelling their muskets at the Americans. Fortunately the Portuguese
commanding officer was at that moment very near Lieutenant Guest. Instantly
drawing and cocking his pistol, the American officer levelled it at
the Portuguese, and told him that on the first shot fired he would blow out
his brains. On hearing this threat, he called loudly to his men on the
poop to desist, and no further obstacle was interposed to the taking away
of either boat or men. One of the owners examined the pilot boat before
her removal, and reported to the lieutenant that his property was all safe,
and she was then taken with her crew to a place of safety, within gun-shot
of the Plymouth.
The next morning (the 17th) Commander Kelly informed the Taout&e,
or commander of the imperial fleet, through our'consul* that as the Compton
had insulted the American flag, she had an act of public atonement to render,
which consisted in her hoisting our national colors at her fore-royal masthead
in open day, and saluting them with twenty-one guns; and he made a
demand accordingly. The - Taoutae seeming not disposed to make this act
of reparation for unprovoked insult, Commander Kelly, after the allowance
to him of a reasonable time, got under way, and proceeded to the anchorage
of the imperial fleet for the purpose of enforcing his demand by arguments,
less gentle indeed, but probably more effective than any he had yet used.
The Plymouth, however, had scarcely gained her position, before the captain
of the Compton came on board, and informed Commander Kelly that he
was ordered by the Taoutae to make any concession he, the American captain,
might demand, and that on the following day he would hoist the American
flag at the fore, and at noon salute it with twenty-one guns. Commander
Kelly thought he might as well stay where he was and see it done, as he was
determined it should be, and on the next day, at noon, it was done according
to promise, when the Plymouth returned to her old anchorage off the
American consulate.
One would have supposed that the Chinese might have learned from this
transaction that there was a limit to the patience and forbearance of the
foreigners at Shanghai; but, though we hear no more of their insolence
on the water, the aggressions of the land troops still continued in the outskirts
of the settlement; and although they were frequently warned by the
consul of every nation of the probable consequences of such conduct, it
availed nothing, and at last the old reply came, that the foreigners must
take care of themselves. The foreigners then resolved to take the Chinese
at their word and protect themselves.
The marauding celestials were not long in forcing them to execute their
resolution. On the third of April some of the imperial troops commenced
destroying a building, which one of the foreigners was erecting, and carrying
off the timbers. The owner, on hearing of it, repaired with a friend to the
spot, where his remonstrances were answered by an attack on both the gentlemen
with swords. Providentially one of them had a revolver, with
which he defended himself and wounded two of his assailants, who then retreated.
Yery soon after, however, they began to assemble from the different
camps, and attacking a lady and gentleman, compelled the former to flee
for her life, pursued by these miscreants, and inflicted several wounds on the
latter. I t was now obvious that the time had come to deal with these vermin,
and the alarm was given. Her Britannic Majesty’s ships Encounter
and Grecian were in the harbor, as well as the Plymouth, and from the former
a small body of marines had been previously put on shore for the purpose
of giving protection. As soon as the alarm was given, these repaired
to the race-course, where the Chinese were assembled in large numbers, and
were immediately fired upon. The ground in the vicinity is literally covered
with tombs, and behind these the little handful of marines were obliged to
seek temporary shelter until reinforcements could arrive. The blue jackets
and marines were soon landed from the English ships and from ours, and the
Chinese were driven back to their encampments, one of which was captured
and destroyed. The English and Americans then retired for the night,
keeping up strong patroles. The next morning early a conference was held
by the English and American consuls, Captain O’Callaghan, of the English
service, and Commander Kelly, who came to the conclusion that it was
necessary for the safety of the foreign settlement and population, that the
entrenched encampments of Chinese, in the vicinity of the race-course, should
be abandoned by them; and the gentlemen resolved to inform the Chinese
general and the commander of their fleet that they must be so abandoned by