the seamen were singed, if not
more seriously hurt. The other twelve junks were immediately set on
fire, while the gallant marines charged down the street, and put all the
jingall firers to flight. No work could have been accomplished more
effectually, though at severe loss, for one man in ten at least had been
hit. The surgeons having attended to the hurts of the men, the boats'
heads were once more turned down the creek. The crews had fitted them,
from the captured junks, with an extraordinary variety of sails,--some
of matting, others of coloured cloths, or any material which could be
stretched on spars to hold wind. In this guise they returned to the
steamers. The town thus unexpectedly entered was found to be Tunkoon.

BATTLE OF FATSHAN.

To the south of Canton, one of the numerous creeks of that river runs up
to the city of Fatshan. Some considerable distance up this creek, and
nearly south of Canton, is the long, low island called Hyacinth Island,
making the channels very narrow. On the south shore of the creek is a
high hill. On the summit of this hill the Chinese had formed a strong
fort of nineteen guns. A six-gun battery was erected opposite it, and
seventy junks were moored so as to command the passage. The Chinese
fully believed that this position was impregnable. The British squadron
had rendezvoused a short distance below this formidable obstruction of
the navigation. The admiral was on board the little _Coromandel_
steamer, and before dawn on the 1st of June he led the way up the
channel, towing a whole flotilla of boats, with 300 soldiers on board
them. The other steamers followed, all towing boats with red- and
bluejackets on board. The _Coromandel_ was steaming up the left-hand
channel, when she ran on to a line of junks which had been sunk across
the passage. The admiral had wisely chosen the time of dead low water
to commence the ascent. Lieutenant Douglas leaped into a dinghy, and
sounded on all sides. A passage was found close in shore; but the
little steamer could not get off, and a heavy fire was opened on her
from the nineteen-gun battery. In vain her crew ran from side to side
to start her. Several were struck. The boats had been cast off, and
landed the troops. Now Commodore Keppel came up in the _Hong-Kong_, and
obtained leave to proceed through the channel Mr Douglas had
discovered. The _Haughty_, with boats in tow, _Bustard_ and _Forester_,
followed. _Plover_ stuck