214 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



any rocks or shoals, we reached Ngan-king early on 

 the 26th. Here the Taepings on a smaller scale 

 repeated exactly the same line of conduct as their 

 confreres at Nankin, and fired on the advancing 

 squadron without the slightest provocation or reason. 

 Of course they were regaled with exactly the same 

 treatment as their Heavenly King farther eastward, 

 and with an equally favourable result ; for they were 

 so rapidly brought to their senses in Ngan-king as 

 subsequently to allow us to pass, at half musket-shot, 

 close under their works, without the slightest attempt 

 to provoke a further controversy ; and the impression 

 was sufficiently lasting, as Lord Elgin discovered on 

 his way down a month afterwards. Nothing could 

 be finer than the sight of this city of Ngan-king : 

 the river flows close under its walls, and they again 

 rise up a gentle slope, enclosing an area quite as large 

 as the city of Canton, and apparently as well filled 

 with dwellings. The suburbs and country-houses 

 which had once existed were now levelled, or roofless 

 ruins, and the beautiful pagoda was the only building 

 perfect outside the walls of the city. A fine range of 

 hills sweeps gracefully round the back of Ngan-king, 

 and there was every promise that, with peace and 

 order restored, this important capital of a province 

 containing more souls than Great Britain and Ireland 

 together, would be a charming place of residence for 

 our commercial community in China, 



Ngan-king appeared to be the western limit of the 



