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ENGLISH " DON'T FIGHT FATK." Chap. XX. 



call fair fighting, that is, for the attacking party 

 to come manfally up in front and receive a broad- 

 side from guns which are all ready loaded to 

 receive them. Before Chusan was taken the 

 second time, during the last year, the Chinese had 

 a strong battery thrown up, which commanded the 

 whole of the harbour. They naturally thought 

 that our ships would come quietly into this place, 

 one by one, and be sunk without much resistance. 

 But the commanders of the expedition did not 

 view things in this light, and, although brave 

 enough, did not see the necessity of exposing the 

 lives of their men unnecessarily. Orders were, 

 therefore, given to land the troops in a bay to the 

 westward and march them over a hill there, which 

 thus brought them in the rear of the enemy in- 

 stead of in his front. The immense battery of the 

 Chinese was thus rendered useless, and the troops 

 behind it were thrown into confusion at once, 

 and fled from the field. In aftertimes, when we 

 were at peace with China, the natives used often 

 to tell me about this manoeuvre ; and although 

 they laughed heartily at it, yet they shook their 

 heads, and said it was not fair to fight in that 

 way. 



The Shiepoo pirates, as ignorant of the art of 

 war as the Chusan mandarins, appear to have ex- 

 pected that the crew of the " Bittern " would be 

 foolish enough to attack them in front, and placed 

 all their guns accordingly. As soon as this ar- 

 rangement was observed orders were given to 



