Our Sailors | Page 3

along from cover
to cover, and at last reached the flag, which they hauled down, and
hastened back again with their prize. Loud cheers greeted them as they
returned to the ships uninjured and successful.
Although the attempt to take the castle by storm had not been
successful, it was not found necessary to renew it on the following day,
for when morning came it was found that the steady fire from the ships
had proved too much for the nerves of the garrison, and that rather than
face it another day they had vacated the position and stolen away under
cover of the night.
BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE--3RD NOVEMBER
1840.
Ibrahim Pasha, who had taken Acre in 1837, had commenced to
strengthen it greatly; but the fortifications he had designed were not
completed when the allied squadron of twenty ships, mostly
line-of-battle ships, appeared off it, 2nd November 1840. Towed by the

steamers, the ships the next morning speedily took up their positions,
and opened their fire in the most spirited manner.
After the ships had hotly engaged the batteries for nearly two hours, the
grand magazine blew up with a most tremendous explosion, whether
caused by a shell or by accident it is difficult to say. A large number of
the garrison were blown up, and many probably were buried alive in
the ruins or in the casements. The guns, however, notwithstanding this
catastrophe, kept up their fire with great spirit to the last. About sunset
the signal was made to discontinue the engagement; but the
commodore kept the fire up some time after dusk, lest the enemy
should be tempted to re-man their guns. The flag-lieutenant then
brought the orders to withdraw.
In the middle of the night a small boat brought off the information that
the Egyptian troops were leaving the town, and in consequence, at
daylight, 300 Turks and a party of Austrian marines landed, and took
unopposed possession of the place. The havoc caused by the guns of
the squadron on the walls and houses was very great, though,
notwithstanding the hot and long-continued fire they had been exposed
to, the ships escaped with little damage, and the amount of casualties
was very small, being fourteen English and four Turks killed, and
forty-two wounded.
An entire battalion, which had been formed near the magazine, ready to
resist any attempts to storm, was destroyed. The appearance of the dead
and wounded, as they lay scattered about the town, was very dreadful,
but they seemed to excite but little sympathy in the breasts of the Turks.
Every living creature within the area of 60,000 square yards round the
magazine had ceased to exist, the loss of life being computed from
1200 to 2000 persons. Certainly two entire regiments were annihilated,
with fifty donkeys, thirty camels, twelve cows, and some horses.
This was the first occasion on which the advantages of steam had been
fully proved in battle, by the rapidity with which the steamers took up
their positions, and the assistance they rendered to the other ships; as
also by the destruction caused through the shells thrown from them.

On the 4th another explosion took place, by which a marine was killed
and Captain Collier had his leg fractured.
The garrison being placed in a state of order, was left under the
command of Sir Charles Smith, with 3000 Turkish troops and 250
marines, under Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, with the protection of the
Pique and Stromboli.
The results of the capture of Acre were very important. Ibrahim Pasha
evacuated Syria, and Mehemet Ali gave up the whole Turkish fleet,
which sailed for Marmorice under Admiral Walker. Soon after, the
Sultan sent a firman, according to the Pasha the hereditary possession
of Egypt, without any interference on the part of the Porte, while a
yearly tribute of 2,000,000 pounds was to be paid to the Sultan, besides
about 2,000,000 pounds more of arrears.
Thus terminated the part taken by the British at that time in the affairs
of Turkey and Egypt.
CHAPTER THREE.
WARFARE IN CHINESE WATERS--1840-1842.
The war in China was undertaken to punish the Government for the
numerous injuries and insults they had offered to the English, and, by
teaching them to respect our power, to induce them to trade with us on
fair and equal terms, and to treat us in future as one civilised people
should treat another; also to demand reparation of grievances, and
payment for the property of British subjects destroyed at Canton; to
obtain a guarantee against similar occurrences in future; and, what was
of the greatest importance, to open up the trade at the different ports
along the coast.
With these objects to be accomplished, a large squadron and a number
of transports, containing a considerable body of troops, were
despatched