get through. Tom Turner is woefully exercised, and wrote to me to stop it right off, instead of voyaging this way and stopping it himself. Very easy to encourage others, as was done before at long range. Let each man take his trick, and Jupiter may help the concern.

"January 13.-Well, the bill was taken up yesterday, and so far from a hard fight, as I expected, it passed off-hand by a vote of three to one. Its details I am not acquainted with, but I believe it offers a court of inquiry to any of the retired who may apply. Whatever may be thought of the Efficiency Bill itself, or of its amendment, there can be little doubt that Congress is entirely unfit to deal with the question. First they insisted on a most extreme clause (that of dropping) as a sine qua non, and now they wheel right about and eat dirt, as the Turk says. The final effect, as matters now stand, will be the gain for the nonce of those who have actually fingered the parchment; those who have not, may hug the hope of some future reform.

"The disposition of ships in our own waters, or soon to return, are: Merrimack, on the way home from Cadiz through the West Indies; Wabash, just in New York from the Isthmus-flag-ship of home squadron; Roanoke, nearly ready for sea; Colorado, about the summer; Niagara, in the spring; Minnesota, went to Philadelphia by her own steam, to be coppered not to go to sea till after the others; Franklin, not yet launched; Powhatan, refitted with new ordnance (9-inch and 11-inch), at Norfolk, nearly ready; Cumberland, razeed to carry 9-inch and 10-inch, progressing at Boston. It is supposed that the Ten Sloop Bill will pass the house, in which case we ought to look for something fine. The new French frigates are not so large as ours, with batteries as usual, and a great increase of steam-power; they talk of twelve knots. The English, too, are on the lookout; but as there is no war, will probably feel the way well before going in too largely.

January 21.-After an unusual scarcity of snow, it has come down with a vengeance, as the paper says-twelve inches on the level, and three feet in drifts. Pleasant news from Wabash: yards square, ship rolling, the muzzles on gun-deck under-cast loose, and practiced. Captain and first lieutenant report that the 9-inch guns were perfectly under control, though the sea washed in on the deck and wet the cartridges while loading. So another bugbear is disposed of, and it is ascertained that guns of this weight on broadside carriages are not unmanageable, as the growlers would have it. Per contra, a fall parted while setting up lower rigging in heavy weather; killed one man, and hurt several others

Letter from 7. A. Dahlgren.

III

-captain among them. I wonder that the growlers are not opposed to lower rigging. When new, it is apt to stretch, and if a ship is caught in a gale, and setting up has to be done, why some accident is possible. Many applications from the retired list have been made, and there is much speculation as to results. Some supposed that but few would apply, and that fewer will return; others are of the opposite notion. The Secretary is said to be busy in arranging the programme.

"The steamer just in at Halifax telegraphs news of the British attack on Canton, and says also that the Portsmouth has been filibustering, which I deny, of course, as you were even opposed to the annexation of Texas. However, they will let you off, if you have made good gunnery. And, my good friend, you have the best evidence in my power that I often think of you. Such a document as a letter of seven pages from me is certainly not extant. Write when you can, and believe me that my best wishes for health and prosperity ever attend you.

"P. S.-I forgot to say that your kind arrangement for some of the books will be borne in mind-in case I should be driven to the necessity of looking to dollars and cents; but I hope that they will reach the officers without cost to them. Much to my annoyance, constant attention to other affairs than my own has embarrassed me. Each book has taxed my pocket more or less, while the number taken and price paid by Uncle Sam is but a partial relief. However, the book is complete, and will soon be in the binder's hands; the size of page is equal to that of Douglas's 'Gunnery,' and the number about 450.

"I am much pleased to hear that Mr. Simpson has a turn for gunnery, and I should like much if he were disengaged and near the Plymouth. My best regards to all the officers of the P."

To return now to the narrative of the actual cruise of the Portsmouth. That vessel sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, May 4, 1856; and after a passage of ninety-five days, in which she encountered heavy gales, reached Batavia, where the officers were most hospitably entertained by the Dutch authorities and people. From Batavia the Portsmouth proceeded directly to Hong-Kong, and remained there for a month or so; then, from

the fact of not finding Commodore Armstrong at that port, and also from the fact of a difficulty having arisen between the English and Chinese (on account of the contemptuous treatment of the British flag), which threatened to result in war, Commander Foote took his ship up the Canton River to Whampoa. While at Hong-Kong, Captain Foote had a correspondence with Sir John Bowring in regard to the summary trial of an American seaman by British authorities, which, however, needs no further notice.

These were troublous times in the Chinese waters; but, as a proof of the disposition of our officers to avoid difficulty with the Chinese in the war which had already sprung up between them and the English, the following circular, issued by Commander Foote, may be adduced:

"The undersigned has been informed that the American flag was this day borne on the walls of Canton through the breach effected by the British naval forces. This unauthorized act is wholly disavowed by the undersigned, in order that it may not be regarded as compromising in the least degree the neutrality of the United States.

"The United States naval forces are here for the special protection of American interests; and the display of the American flag in any other connection is hereby forbidden.

"ANDREW H. FOOTE,

"Senior Officer, commanding U. S. Naval Forces at Canton.

66 CANTON, October 29, 1856."

On arriving at Whampoa, Commander Foote, in view of the unsettled state of affairs, at once organized a force of eighty men into companies, and established and fortified posts in Canton in a manner best fitted to protect the lives and property of American residents of that city. He was also enabled incidentally to afford aid and protection to French residents, for which he was formally thanked by the French Chargé d'Affaires at Macao. He issued an order to American sentinels to avoid firing upon the Chinese except when directly as

Foote's Boat fired upon.

113

sailed; and he enjoined upon all under his command scrupulously to keep the peace. He seems, indeed, to have done what he could to prevent Americans from being drawn into the English and Chinese imbroglio, although fighting was going on all around him, and his own ship was endangered from flying shots and combustibles; and thus for three weeks he preserved an armed neutrality, and protected American interests. In the mean time Commodore Armstrong had arrived at Hong-Kong from Shang-Haï. In order to avoid the danger of compromising our neutrality, the commodore ordered the removal of the American force from the city of Canton. To expedite these arrangements, Commander Foote was actively engaged; and on one occasion, while returning from Canton to the San Jacinto, then lying at Whampoa, his boat was fired upon by the Chinese, which uncalled for and outrageous act resulted in the capture and destruction of the Chinese "Barrier Forts" in the Canton River. A detailed though modest. account of this affair, in which the fiery bravery and military skill of Commander Foote were so conspicuous, is given in his own words in an official report to his commanding officer. It contains some unimportant particulars, but we have preferred to give the whole letter on account of its intrinsic interest to American readers:

"UNITED STATES SHIP PORTSMOUTH,'

Off the 'Barrier Forts,' near Canton, Nov. 26, 1856. "SIR,-Agreeably to your orders of the 15th instant to return to Canton and resume my duties in command of the force placed there for the protection of American residents in their persons and property, I proceeded the same day, with one of our boats, in company with Lieutenant Macomb of this ship, Assistant-Surgeon Gibson of the Levant, and Messrs. Sturgis and Macy of Canton, for the purpose of directing Commander Smith to return and take his ship (the Levant) to that city, preparatory to the withdrawal of our force from the foreign factories.

"When within point-blank range of the fort commanding the passage, a shot was fired, which fell a short distance from the boat; this was soon

followed by another, which struck still nearer the boat, and ricochetted far beyond it-Mr. Sturgis in the mean time waving the flag that it might be fully displayed, and I firing my revolver toward the fort, and giving the order to pull away. We soon passed beyond range of the fort; and

when within two hundred yards of the next, it opened upon us with two successive discharges of round shot and grape, which fell thick and fast around us, one of them striking the water within two blades of the oars; the last discharge was made after the boat's head was turned toward the ship. I then returned and reported the occurrence verbally

to you.

"As the removal of this ship and the Levant to this place was under your own orders and personal supervision, and as you yourself were an eye-witness of the cannonading between the Portsmouth and the forts on Sunday, the 16th instant, it is unnecessary in this report to make further allusion to those events.

"During the day succeeding your departure to Whampoa, the two ships were in position to open upon the forts on the recommencement of active hostilities on the part of the enemy-although the narrow channel and strong tide rendered it necessary to move them abreast of, instead of in a line with each other.

"Your last communication of the 19th instant contained the following clause:

"I am glad to hear that you are at this instant strong enough to accomplish any thing I may direct; and although, pending negotiation, I