Our Sailors | Page 8

rushing down the bank, the four officers plunged into
the canal and swam across, thus proving the impracticability of fording
it.
The city was now completely in the power of the British; but, in
consequence of the bad drainage and the number of dead bodies left in
the houses, the cholera broke out, and raged with fearful violence
among the troops, even though they were removed to an encampment
outside the walls. The number of Tartars who destroyed themselves and
families was very great; while much damage was committed by the
Chinese plunderers, who flocked in from the country, and pillaged in
every direction; yet, although the place had been taken by assault, none
of the British troops were allowed to plunder or to commit violence of
any description.
These triumphant successes of the British had at length brought the
Emperor to reason.
The true state of affairs was represented to him; and, on the 20th of
August, his commissioner came on board the Cornwallis, with
authority to treat for peace. On the 24th, the visit was returned by Sir
Henry Pottinger, Sir Hugh Gough, Sir William Parker, and upwards of
a hundred officers.
On the 29th, a treaty of peace, for which the British had been so long
contending, was happily signed on board the Cornwallis by Sir Henry
Pottinger on the part of Great Britain, and by Ke-Ying, Elepoo, and
New-Kien, on the part of the Emperor of China.

While the British fleet remained in the China seas, several gallant acts,
well worthy of record also, were performed by some of the officers of
the ships.
Although a very imperfect account has been given of the operations in
the China seas, enough has been said to show that the Tartar troops
were no despicable enemies, while the bluejackets of Old England had
ample opportunities of exhibiting their daring courage, as well as that
perseverance, discipline, endurance, and humanity, for which they have
ever been conspicuous.
A TIMELY RESCUE.
CALLAO, 20TH AUGUST 1844.
Her Majesty's ship Collingwood, Captain R. Smart, was lying off the
port of Callao, in China, on the 20th of August 1844. There were at the
time two mates on board, Mr Roderick Dew and the Hon. Frederick
William Walpole. The latter officer had, it appears, in the afternoon
gone on board a cutter-yacht, belonging to a gentleman at Callao. As
night came on there was a fresh breeze blowing, which knocked up a
short chopping sea. It was also very dark, so that objects at any distance
from the ship could scarcely be discerned. The officer of the first watch
on that night was Lieutenant Richard R. Quin, and the mate of the
watch was Mr R. Dew. In those seas the currents run with great rapidity,
and where the ship lay there was a very strong tide. Just as the
quartermasters had gone below to call the officers of the middle watch,
it being then close upon twelve o'clock, the look-out man forward
reported a boat ahead under sail. The lieutenant of the watch, on going
to the gangway, observed a small cutter on the starboard bow, which, as
well as he could make out through the obscurity, appeared to be hove to.
He judged from the position of the cutter that she wished to
communicate with the ship, but it was impossible to see what was
taking place on board of her. Shortly afterwards a dark object was
observed on the water on the starboard bow approaching the ship, but it
did not look like a boat. When it was at the distance of seventy or
eighty yards, it was hailed by the sentry. An answer was returned, but
too indistinctly for the officers aft to understand what was said. The

sentry, however, on the forecastle seems to have made out the answer,
for he instantly sung out the startling cry of "A man overboard!" No
boats were down at the time; and in that hot tideway in another minute
the drowning man would have been swept past the ship, and carried in
all probability out to sea, where he must have perished. Mr Dew was
forward. Whether or not he knew the person who was in peril of his life,
I cannot say; probably any human being would equally have claimed
his aid; but without a moment's hesitation he jumped fearlessly
overboard, and swam to the assistance of the man he supposed was
drowning. He struck out bravely, but could not at first succeed in the
object for which he was aiming. Meantime the order for lowering a
boat was given; but long before she was got into the water the figure of
a human being was discerned close to the ship. The sentry again hailed,
when a voice, which was recognised as that