336 DAVIS ON OANTON AND HONGKONG, [April 27, 1857. 



Shangliae, something more than 100 miles to the north of Ningpo, 

 and as much as 800 from Hongkong. Here it was that the Tartar go- 

 vernment took serious alarm at the progress of our armament in 1842, 

 after it had issued from its winter-quai-ters at Ningpo. An immense 

 line of stone batteries had been constructed at Woosung, the mouth 

 of the Shanghae river, but these were can-ied in about two hours, 

 and the force found Shanghae itself not only deserted but a prey to 

 hosts of Chinese plunderers. The natives showed so little patriotism 

 here that they very merrily lent their aid to drag our guns against 

 the town, the mandarins being all dispersed. In fact, the conduct 

 of our force in winter-quarters at Kingpo had diffused such an 

 opinion of our invincibility in the field, as well as of our clemency 

 and good faith, that the people showed not the slightest objection to 

 our approach, and this (as already observed) was one of those omens 

 which opened the eyes of the Tartar government, and induced them 

 to hurry the conclusion of a peace. The Treaty for this was shortly 

 afterwards signed on board the Cornwallis flag-ship, opposite that 

 very gate of Nanking where I myself in 1806 saw an act of 

 incivility attempted to our Ambassador, the late Lord Amherst, in 

 shutting the doors against him ; though on a strong remonstrance 

 being made the rudeness was atoned for, and the gates re-opened. 

 Shanghae, as a place of trade, has more than answered expectation, 

 having far outstripped Canton during even the few years that have 

 intervened since 1842, and notwithstanding the troubles that ensued 

 there from its capture by the rebels about four years ago. Circum- 

 stances here have contributed to make our condition very different 

 from what it has been at Canton, and, instead of obtaining less than 

 our Treaty rights, we have almost obtained more. In lieu of a mere 

 Consulate^ we obtained almost a Settlement of above a hundred acres 

 on the river, which the neighbourhood of the rebels afterwards 

 obliged us to fortify. Whenever the necessity for this ceases, the 

 fortification should cease, if it were only to convince the Chinese 

 that we do not want their territory, but only their commerce and 

 friendly intercourse. It would not be right to conclude these 

 observations without adverting to that splendid river^ the Yang-tse- 

 keang, on which Nanking stands, and which seems to have been 

 specially adapted by nature to steam navigation. Lord Colchester, 

 an ex-president of this Society, can bear me witness to its mag- 

 nificent character, for we were travellers in the same boat along a 

 great portion of its course, as far inland as the Poyang Lake. Pope 

 says of the Thames, 



* Search not its bottom, but survey its shore.' 

 Lord Colchester did both ; for he took soundings from Nanking to 



