| 94 ships, but were instantly silenced, and the guns, batteries, and military buildings connected with them destroyed as soon as men could be put ashore. At this point the main body of the fleet was retarded by adverse winds for nearly a week, during which period some of the ships of war, assisted by the steamers, got up to "Kishan" or "Golden Island," where the noble armament, amounting to seventy sail of vessels, assembled on the 20th inst., and anchored abreast of the city of Chin-kiang-foo, the key on this side of the grand canal, and on the following morning the troops disembarked, and proceeded to attack the city and a neighboring camp of the enemy. The latter was carried at once, the Chinese flying in all directions; but the city, which was strongly fortified, was defended with devoted gallantry; one third of the garrison of 3000 Tartar soldiers laying down their lives in the hopeless struggle. Among the killed were forty Mandarins; and the General, when all was lost, repaired to his house, seated himself in a chair in calm and brave despair, and making the servants set the building on fire, was consumed to ashes. On the part of the British, there were killed four officers and eleven wounded and 134 men were killed and wounded. The fleet then proceeded towards Nankin, took up its position there on the 6th of August, and immediately prepared for an assault on the city. A strong force was landed, and the 13th was appointed for the commencement of operations, when suddenly the Chinese solicited a truce, intimating the approach of a delegation from the Emperor. Three Commissioners, one of whom was of the royal house, arrived on the 15th, and on the 29th of August a treaty was signed on board Her Majesty's ship Cornwallis, by them and Sir Henry Pottinger, the principal provisions of which are embodied in the annexed circular.
To Her Brittanic [Britannic] Majesty's Subjects in China:
Her Brittannic [Britannic] Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c. in China has extreme gratification in announcing to Her Majesty's subjects in China that he has this day concluded and signed with the Chinese High Commissoners [Commissioners], deputed to negotiate with him, a treaty, of which the following are the most important provisions:
1. Lasting peace and friendship between the two empires.
2. China to pay $21,000,000 in the course of the present and three succeeding years.
3. The ports of Canton, Amoy, Foo-choo-foo, Ningpoo, and Changha, to be thrown open to British merchants; consular officers to be appointed to reside in them; and regular and just tariffs of import and export (as well as inland transit) duties to be established and published.
4. The island of Hong Kong to be ceded in perpetuity to Her Britannic Majesty, her heirs and successors.
5. All subjects of Her Britannic Majesty (whether natives of Europe or India) who may be confined in any Platt of the Chinese empire, to be unconditionally released.
6. An act of full and entire amnesty to be published by the Emperor, under the Imperial sign manual and seal, to all Chinese subjects, on account of their having held service or intercourse with, or resided under the British Government or its officers.
7. Correspondence to be conducted on terms of perfect equality among the officers of both Governments.
8. On the Emperor's assent being received to this treaty, and the payment of the first instalment [installment], $6,000,000, Her Britannic Majesty's forces to retire from Nankin and the Grand Canal, and the military posts at Chinghai to be also withdrawn but the islands of Chusan and Koiangsoo are to be held until the money payments and the arrangements for opening the ports be completed.
Dated on board the steam frigate Queen, in Yang-tse-kiang river, off Nankin, this 26th day of August, 1842.
HENRY POTTINGER,
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.
G. A. MALCOLM, Secretary of Legation.
This treaty of peace has given great satisfaction to the British in China and India. It was said that the Emperor had at first some doubts as to the propriety of opening a foreign trade at Foo-choo-foo, which is the capital of Fokien, and the nearest port to the country where the bohea tea grows, but that he afterward yielded that point. The Commissioners are described as anxious to get rid of the British from the Yang-tse-kiang, and the embouchure of the great canal; they offered to pay down four millions instantly, but the British Plenipotentiary insisted on the full instalment [installment] being paid, and the ratification of the treaty, before he would withdraw.
The payment of the opium claims will, it is stated, be adjusted according to the amount fixed some months ago by the British Government. It was said that the Imperial Commissioners had pressed the consideration of the opium trade on the British Plenipotentiary, but he declined to discuss it, stating, if the Chinese Government was desirous of producing a stop-page to it, that it ought to be effected by their own internal regulations, and by imposing restrictiens [restrictions] on their own subjects.
We extract the following from the 'London
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