'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎141] (160/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
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connoitring, towed the 6 Wellesley' into position, and, after a
few broadsides from the fleet, the troops landed and took pos
session of the works, upon which were mounted ninety-one
guns. In his despatch to Admiral Elliot, who arrived on the
following day, Sir Gordon Bremer does justice to the "zeal and
alacrity " displayed by the officers and men of the 4 Atalanta 5
and 4 Queen/ no less than by those of H.M.'s ships. The
Admiral says in his despatch of the 17th of July, that he pro
ceeded to Ningpo, on the 13th, in the 6 Atalanta,' the squadron,
with the exception of the 4 Wellesley,' having preceded him,
and, after establishing a blockade of the river, returned to
Chusan.
On the 7th of January, 1841, a portion of the array and
fleet, the latter under Sir Gordon Bremer, now acting Com-
mander-in-chief, Admiral Elliot having proceeded to England
sick on the 4tli of December, captured the forts of Chuenpee
and Tykoktow,* and, on the 20th, preliminaries of peace were
signed between the British and Chinese commissioners, but it
was soon found that the latter were acting with the duplicity of
which we have since had so many instances in our dealings
with the Celestials. On their faithlessness becoming manifest,
the fleet captured, during the months of February and March,
the Bogue forts, as the extensive batteries on the Bocca Tigris,
to bar the passage of the river, were called. At the capture of
the strong chain of forts defending Canton, by the military and
naval forces under Sir Hugh Gough, between the 23rd and 27th
of May, the 4 Atalanta' was of great service towing the boats
and other craft carrying the right column of attack, the left
division being towed by the 4 Nemesis.' "The 4 Atalanta,'"
says Sir H. Senhouse,t senior naval officer, 46 was then placed
so as to enfilade the line of the batteries in front of the city."
Captain (the late Admiral Sir) Thomas Herbert, of the ' Cal-
* In this action the following Company's steamers were engaged : The £ Queen,'
Mr. Warden; 4 Madagascar,' Mr. Dicey; and 'Nemesis,' (which arrived from
England in November, 1840), Mr. W. H. Hall, then a master in the Navy, who
gained the soubriquet of ' Nemesis Hall,' and is now an Admiral.
Mr. Bernard wrote a work in two volumes, entitled " Narrative of the Yoyages
and Services of the 4 Nemesis,' from 1840 to 1843, compiled from the notes of her
Commander." " The ' Nemesis,' which was built in England for the service of
the East India Company, went to sea," says Mr. Bernard, " a merchantman,
although heavily armed ; she was never commissioned under the Articles of War,
although commanded principally by officers of the Royal Navy ; neither was she
classed among the ships of the regular navy of the East India Company." The
( Nemesis ' was built in three months by Mr. Laird, of Liverpool; her burthen
was 700 tons, her engines of 120 horse-power; her length 184 feet, breadth 29 feet,
depth 11 feet; and with twelve days' supply of coal, water and provisions for
four months, and stores, she only drew six feet.
f This officer died on the succeeding June 14, of exhaustion and fatigue, con
sequent on his exertions at the attack on Canton. Between March 31, when Sir
Gordon Bremer proceeded to Calcutta, to confer with the Governor-General, and
up to the time of his death, Sir H. Senhouse was in command of the fleet. Sir G.
Bremer returned to Macao on the 22nd of June.