Chap. I. 



ALAKM AT SHANGHAE. 



9 



the stream, they captured every city of note on or 

 near its banks, both in Kiang-si and Ngan-hwui, 

 until they arrived at Nanking, the ancient southern 

 capital, in Kiang-su, which they stormed in March, 

 1853.* 



When the news of the success of the rebels at 

 Nanking and Chinkiang reached Shanghae, the 

 alarm amongst all classes of the community was 

 very great. Some persons were of opinion that 

 the insurgents would march straight upon Shang- 

 hae, attracted thither by the reported wealth of 

 the foreign merchants ; and while the better in- 

 formed did not apprehend much danger from this 

 source, nearly all agreed in the propriety of taking 

 some precautionary measures for the protection 

 of the settlement. Meetings were held at the 

 British Consulate, parties of sailors and marines 

 were landed from our men-of-war, some rude 

 fortifications were hastily thrown up, and every 

 precaution was taken to prevent a surprise. It 

 turned out afterwards that, however prudent these 

 measures were at the time, they were quite un- 

 called for, as it does not seem to have been the 

 intention of the insurgents to molest foreigners in 

 any way whatever. 



The Taoutai of Shanghae — a native of the 

 Canton province, and a man of reputed wealth — 

 had been making great exertions in order to put 

 down the rebellion. He had chartered a number 

 of Portuguese lorchas and other vessels, and sent 



* T. F. Wade, in ' China Mail,' Sept. 12, 1855. 



