Description:

HISTORIC SEAMAN'S DIARY FROM THE H.M.S. WELLESLEY INCLUDING THE FIRST OPIUM WAR AND THE SEIZURE OF HONG KONG
The historic diary of a sailor serving aboard 74-gun third-rate British warship H.M.S. WELLESLEY including the capture of Karachi for the British, intense participation in the First Opium War, and Britain seizure of Hong Kong. The diary, approx. 170pp. 8vo., was compiled by "J[ohn?] Robinson in a hard-backed journal in carefully-penned, clear entries which generally are entered every few days. On June 19, 1837 Capt. Thomas Maitland took command of Wellesley, which became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Frederick Lewis Maitland. She sails from Plymouth on Oct. 11, 1837, where Johnson's diary commences. In part: "...a Boy fell over and Drowned in hanging his hammock on the Gant line...[Apr. 21, 1838] Arrived at Madras...ready to received Lord Palmerston...Governor of Madras...[Aug. 7] Came to An anchor for Tonkoo Bay. Saluted the Chinese with 3 guns...[Oct. 13] Arrived at Singapore and saluted the Governor...[Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 1839 at Karachi] Came to an anchor at the mouth of the Indus where we found H.M.S. Algerine...weighed and went further up the river...made the fort and came to an anchor...On Monchavo point Cruchee [sic]...sent the pinnace in shore and she was fired at from the fort...brought the ship broadside...Beat to quarters. Sent a boat with a flag of truce to the fort and got the troops into the boats fro landing...answer from the Governor of the Fort that he could not give the fort up...shoved the boats off with the troops...another boat was sent with a flag of truce it was refused...Commenced cannonading the fort which was in possession of our troops before 12 AM...expended powder 527 pounds shot 22400 lbs...[Mar. 20] At Bushere in the Persian Gulf...there being some misunderstanding between the Natives and the [Admiral] the Natives fired on our boats...several of the natives were killed...[Nov. 30] The Admiral departed this Life...Our band played the Dead March [with description of services]...[July 4, 1840] Anchored in the harbor of Chee San...Conway and Alligator...took up their stations for General Action...Chief Mandarin came onboard...[July 5] keep our broadside on the fort...got all the troops in the boats...gave the town a couple of broadsides of shot...kept a smart firing on the junk of grape and canister...Junks kept up a continual fire...not a Chinese to be seen except the killed and wounded...the island of Chu San became H. B. Majesty's...numbers of poor wretches with their heads off...Chinese fired a volley of arrows at the boats...opened fire at the town and leveled it to the ground...a fire broke out...[January, 1841 2nd Battle of Chuenpee] 1400 men disembarked...and landed in a small bay...ships of war got under way...took up their stations opposite the Chuen pee fort...commenced firing shell...at 11 AM the troops took possession of the forty...continued firing and chasing their war junks...soon set them on fire and blew up...[campaign to capture Hong Kong] Got under weigh towards the Bocca Tigris forts...a few shell and rockets, one...set the fort on fire...Chinese directly hauled down their colors...[Jan. 26, 1841 Hong Kong] at noon came to anchor in Hong Kong Bay. At 3:30 PM the Union Jack was hoisted on a hill and the Marines being on shore they were form'd and fired a feu de joie which was returned by a royal salute from the squadron...their rigging was manned and gave three cheers this island is for a British Colony and it is a beautiful place...in a short time it will ruin Macau as ships of great tonnage can lie close in shore...[Feb. 26-27] the Chinese perceived us from the An Ahoy forts, they immediately opened fiore...gave them a few shell and rockets...on the south Wang tong forts...firing on both sides was very smart...Marines and small arm men landed an

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July 8, 2015 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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