There were ten brass guns taken, together with eighty-two iron ones, and a number of ginjals, &c.
[CHAPTER XXXIV.]
The results of the capture of Chapoo, and of the total defeat of the best troops the Chinese had yet brought against us, were very remarkable. On the one hand, the people more than ever dreaded our power, while they also wondered at our forbearance; and, on the other hand, the tone of the government began evidently to change, and overtures were now made (probably with a view to gain time) to induce our military and naval commanders-in-chief to suspend hostilities. Advances of a similar kind had been made at Chinhae, but did not appear to be founded upon sufficient authority to permit them to be entertained. They were renewed at Chapoo, but in an equally unsatisfactory manner, and the agent of the Chinese on both occasions, and also on subsequent ones, was a mandarin of low degree, the very sending of whom was sufficient to point out that their object was merely to sound our disposition, and blind our credulity.
At Hang-chow-foo the people were so much alarmed that they openly expressed their dissatisfaction to the High Imperial Commissioner Yih-king, who was also generalissimo of the forces, a member of the imperial cabinet, and a relation of the Emperor. But above all, the generous treatment of the Chinese prisoners by the orders of Sir Hugh Gough, the attention shewn to their wounded, and their being at last all given up before our forces left Chapoo, each of them receiving a present of money, (about three dollars for each man,) all these humane proceedings together produced a most powerful impression upon all classes of the Chinese.
When the Chinese prisoners were sent back from Chapoo, a letter was at the same time addressed to Elepoo,[63] in reply to the overtures which had been made. It was to the effect, "that hostilities could not be suspended until the Chinese government were disposed to negotiate on the terms offered by the British government, through the medium of her majesty's plenipotentiary, who was then daily expected at Chusan."
Elepoo was determined not to be outdone in courtesy, and before our fleet entered the Yangtze river, he sent a very important and remarkable letter, addressed to our commanders-in-chief, styling them the "Honourable General and Admiral." He talked a great deal about good faith and sincerity, and thanked them for sending back the prisoners, and for the attention and kindness shewn to the wounded. He proceeded to inform them, that he had in return sent back all our prisoners to Chapoo, who had been previously kept at Hang-chow-foo; but that on their arrival there, it was found that the fleet had already sailed, in consequence of which they were obliged to be taken back. He further added, "that he was desirous to negotiate and make arrangements, in order to protect the lives of the people of both countries."
Neither the prisoners nor the letter were, however, received for some time afterwards. By Elepoo's orders, thirty dollars were afterwards paid to every white man, and fifteen dollars to every native of India, or, as they call them, to every "black man;" thereby marking their sense of the distinction between them. Altogether, there were sixteen prisoners restored by the Chinese, two of whom belonged to the Nemesis, one being an English seaman, the other a negro lad, who had been a slave at Macao, but had escaped and came on board the Nemesis, where he turned out a very smart, useful lad. They had been kidnapped at Chusan, and thence carried over to the mainland.