Page:Chinese account of the Opium war (IA chineseaccountof00parkrich).pdf/79

 was ordered to replace YEN PEH-T‘AO, also degraded for failing to destroy the fleet at Amoy. On the 18th of the 4th moon the foreign ships left Cha-p‘u, and a number of them arrived off Wusung on the 3rd of the 5th moon; and on the 5th NIU KIEN received instructions from YIKKING to temporize: but, as he delayed sending his orders to the foreign fleet for two days, it was already too late. The Magistrate of Pao-shan city, near Wusung, had proposed to lay an ambush and entice the foreigners ashore, leaving the forts to themselves; but the infatuated NIU KIEN did nothing but allow the remnants of the troops, who had fled so ignomi- niously at Ningpo, to plunder the natives, who thus felt their hearts fill with rancour.

On the 16th of June, the General commanding at the forts opened fire upon the foreign ships, sinking two, cutting in two the masts of two others, and causing the death by drowning of over 200 foreign soldiers. The foreigners attacked Siao Sha-pei in boats, routed with a ridiculously small force the cowardly contingent from Ningpo, landed a few men, killed the general with a cannon shot, and put to flight the several thousand soldiers who lined the bank.