'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎158] (177/622)

158
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
gaged in the ChiDa War. The Duke of Wellington, in moving
the vote in the Lords, spoke of the operations in detail, and
expressed his admiration u of the skill and energy of the officers
and men engaged;" as regarded the attack on Canton, he
described it " as unprecedented in the military and naval
history of the country." The late Lord Derby (then Lord
Stanley), in moving the vote of thanks in the House of
Commons, also spoke in eulogistic terms. Sir William Parker
wrote a despatch to the Governor-General, published in General
Orders, the 7th of February, 1843, relative to the efficient aid
rendered by the vessels of the Indian Navy; and Lord Auckland,
successively First Lord of the Admiralty, and Governor-General,
on the occasion of the banquet given by the Directors, on the
20th of February, 1847, to Sir Willoughby Cotton, the newly-
appointed Commander-in-chief at Bombay, made allusion to the
services of the Indian Navy in China, in the following compli
mentary terms" While thanking them on the part of the
British Navy, he bespoke their good feelings in favour of a
branch of the public service, though less considerable in number,
not inferior in gallantry and devotion—he meant the Indian
Navy. He had had occasion to remark the services and gallant
actions performed by the officers of the Indian Navy in the
Chinese War."
And yet we will venture to assert that most general readers,
and many officers of the army and navy, who are familiar with
the events of the China War of 1840-42, possess but a very hazy
notion of the eminent services rendered by the officers and men
of the Indian Navy. May these pages place them on record
before a public which has relegated to obscurity a Service which
did good and honourable work in its day.
On the conclusion of the w 7 ar, the only ship of the Service
that remained in China, was the 4 Medusa,' of whose pro
ceedings we will give a brief notice. The 6 Medusa'—which, like
the ill-fated 6 Ariadne,' was sent out from England in pieces,
and put .together in Bombay Dockyard, under the superin
tendence of Captain Turner, of the Engineers—was a flat-
bottomed iron steamer of 432 tons, 70 horse-power, and carried
three swivel guns. She left Bombay for China on the 21st of
September, 1841, under the command of Lieutenant R H.
Hewett, her officers beingMidshipmen Adams, Way and Martin,*
with the rank of acting mate, conferred under warrant of the com
mander, the day after leaving Bombay. On her arrival at
* Messrs. Way and Martin left tlie Medusa' before the commencement of the
operations up the Yang-tze-Kiang, ending with the treaty at Nankin. Midship
men Twynam and Williams were sent from Bombay to replace them, and m
February, 1844, Mr. Adams proceeded to Bombay to pass his examination for
Lieutenant, though he had already done so with credit on board H.M.b.
6 Cambrian.'