Last Wednesday, at 4 a.m., we left the city for the White Cloud Mountains, taking 100 men with us, the French 20. Our object was half business, half pleasure; we wanted to see what was going on in our neighbourhood, if any Braves were assembling, and made that an excuse for a picnic. After a march of an hour and a half up the mountain-side we reached a Buddhist temple at the top, where we took up our quarters and had breakfast. We then sauntered out to the highest neighbouring peak, where we had a most magnificent view for many miles around, the 96 villages lying dotted about amidst the paddy fields at our feet. Presently we spied at the foot of a mountain an entrenched camp, containing about 50 or 60 tents, and probably 1000 men, at a distance of about 3 miles as the crow flies. It was at once resolved to attack this camp, and for this reason we had to send back for some more troops. These, to the amount of about 500, arrived late at night, and at half-past three the next morning we set out for the camp, our chief object being to get all over before the great heat of the day came on. This was on the 2nd of June. We got down into the plain a little before sunrise, and then the Braves made their appearance, covering some hills about a mile off, waving their flags in defiance, and firing their jingalls. They retired as we advanced, and we soon came again upon their main body, occupying a range of hills in front of their camp, which, however, was hid from our view. After we had driven them back a small party advanced to reconnoitre the Chinese position; we were received very well, and a well-sustained fire kept up upon us. Reinforcements were now sent for to enable us to go in at the camp at once, but when they arrived, the General, to the disgust of everybody, and in spite of all the remonstrances that were made, would not advance, but ordered the troops to retire upon their own position, intending to attack the camp at
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5 p.m., when the heat of the day was over. But when five o'clock arrived the camp had disappeared, and not a Chinaman was to be seen anywhere; so, after burning the village, which formed part of the camp, we again retired upon our former position, bivouacked there during the night, and returned the next morning to Canton without seeing a single Chinaman. They had all disappeared, and I must candidly confess that they had the best of it, for they baffled us by retiring in the way they did, and it was a fatal mistake not to destroy their camp in the early part of the day. But the fact is that it is madness attempting anything of this kind during this season — the heat of the sun most effectually prevents it. We lost one sergeant and four men, who dropped down dead from sunstroke, and at one time had thirty-six men hors de combat from the same cause. The thermometer in the Canton River on that day ranged in the shade from 93° to 95°. Luckily some of us had umbrellas (which we carried with us under fire), and so saved us from a great deal of heat. One poor gunner was struck down in a frightfully sudden manner. He was dragging at one of the guns when a comrade asked him if he was all right; he replied — never better in his life — gave one more haul at the rope, and dropped down dead. A quarter of an hour after uttering this last sentence he was actually buried, for the column could not bring his body on with them, and were obliged to bury him on the spot. We also lost a surgeon in precisely the same way as poor Lieutenant Hackett. He was straggling a little by himself, and his pony, stumbling in a paddy field, threw him; instantly half a dozen men, concealed, rushed upon him and cut his head off. In other respects we suffered nothing, having only six men slightly wounded, and none killed. The heat in Canton is becoming great, and it has cost us, for the last ten days, as many men; in other respects the men are excessively healthy.... Could you not manage to send my orders to me, Medjidieh, and all together, with some spare riband
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
to put on all my coats? I should think they could come in the War Office bag. I dare say the girls would buy for me a set of miniature medals, and send them out also. William will give them the money; they are about the size of a threepenny piece, and can be got at Hunt & Roskells. — Ever, my dear mother, your affectionate son, Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother