Page:Chinese account of the Opium war (IA chineseaccountof00parkrich).pdf/60

 they razed, conveying the masonry to Hongkong for use there. They also wanted us to remove the piles and other obstructions in the river. Whilst haggling was going on as to these points, trade existed only in name. The prefect had agreed with to pay a military indemnity of six million dollars in addition to the value of the opium; but the Tartar-General called the former sum a "balance owing by the co-hong merchants," and never reported the latter at all. As soon as the foreign ships had withdrawn, we re-blocked the more important river-approaches, and rebuilt the forts; and, in short, put our defences in such a state that the enemy could not force his way in as before. The hostile community now blamed for not having exacted another port, and spread a report that the King of England had blamed him for incapacity, and had appointed as military general in his stead, who was going up the coast, and would repeat the demands made last year at Tientsin. [He arrived on the 10th of August.]

There was a typhoon at Hongkong in July [21st], and joined  in despatching a hasty memorial, which reported that innumerable foreign ships had been dashed to pieces, innumerable foreign soldiers and Chinese traitors swept into the sea; that all their tents and mat-sheds, the