Page:Chinese account of the Opium war (IA chineseaccountof00parkrich).pdf/49

 ; and the Square Fort under, which last commanded a view of the whole city, and had resisted the Manchus for six whole months when they invested Canton 200 years ago, and the capture of which enabled them at last to take the city. It ought to have been razed long ago, and all approaches to the hill should have been obstructed. But, again, as it is three miles away from the river, and full of crags, one single man might have done something to defend it; yet, after the mud rampart had fallen, the enemy worked round northeast without meeting with any opposition whatever. Only 100 or so of them had appeared at the foot, when the garrison of the fort made off helter-skelter, several being killed by falls in their hurry; so that this important position fell into the foreigners' hands without a struggle, and was speedily fortified by them so as to dominate the helpless city; which they proceeded to bombard. On the seventh day the Tartar-General and his advisers took refuge in the Governor's palace from the missiles which came raining down on the south-cast quarter of the inner or Tartar city, and, after a consultation, sent the prefect of Canton outside to propose terms. promptly demanded, in addition to the opium-money, a war indemnity of $6,000,000,—the question of Hongkong to remain for discussion. The money was to be paid within five