'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎147] (166/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
147
been conspicuously evinced by Commander H. A. Ormsby,
and Lieutenant McCleverty, Mr. Hall and Mr. Warden, and
indeed by every officer and man in the steam vessels attached
to the expedition."
A garrison of about five hundred men, and the 6 Blonde/
were left at Chinhae, and the military and naval chiefs having
decided to attack Ningpo, only fifteen miles up the river, the
remainder of the troops were embarked in the 6 Sesostris,'
4 Queen,' ' Phlegethon,' and 'Nemesis/ the supernumerary sea
men being distributed in the 6 Modeste/ 6 Cruiser/ 4 Columbine/
and 6 Bentinck/ On the morning of the 13th of October, the
Expedition proceeded up the river, and the vast city, with a
population of 300,000 souls, was captured in the afternoon
without any resistance, the troops and mandarins having fled a
few hours before, leaving considerable booty and a large
amount of cash. A lull now took place in the prosecution of
active operations, and the British commanders awaited the
arrival of reinforcements, while Sir Henry Pottinger proceeded
to Hong Kong, where he arrived on the 1st of February.
The Chinese having occupied some places in the neighbourhood
of Ningpo, on the 27th of December, Sir Hugh Gough and Sir
William Parker proceeded up the river to Yuyao, with seven
hundred troops, embarked in the small steamers, and the enemy
were dislodged from their positions ; a second Expedition to
Fungwa, on the 10th of January, 1842, was equally successful.
During the absence of the Commander-in-chief the garrisons at
Ningpo and Chinhae repulsed, with heavy loss, two columns of
Chinese troops, which made a determined attack on the morn
ing of the 10th of March. At Ningpo, where the fighting was
severe, a number of fire-rafts, lashed together with chains, were
floated down the river, across which they extended; and had it
not been for the promptitude of the officers of the fi Sesostris/
assisted by the boats of the ' Modeste/ which towed the fire-
rafts into the mud, where they burnt harmlessly, the former
ship would have been destroyed.
Captain H. B. Watson, commanding H.M.S. 6 Modeste/ says :
—At half-past twelve a.m., a shot was fired from two guns,
planted on the bank of the river, at H.M.S. 6 Columbine/ and, at
three a.m., four fire-rafts were discovered drifting down the south
west branch of the river, with the ebb tide, ahead of the Hon.
Company's steamer 4 Sesostris/ extending the whole w T ay across
it. I immediately sent Lieutenant Pearse, with Messrs. Halkett
and Crofton, mates, with two boats to assist in towing the fire-
rafts clear of her, and, by the indefatigable exertions of Mr.
Roberts, her master, with the boats of the 4 Sesostris/ and the
quickness with which Commander Ormsby slipped one of his
cables, they were happily grounded clear of her, and ahead of
the 4 Modeste/ where they exploded. During this time a smart
L 2