(Brom The Times of 23rd November, 1842.)
From. Commander R. B, Watson, Her Majesty's ship Modeste, to Vice-Admiral it W. Parker, K.C.B,, Commander-in-
Mudleste, Woosung River, June 18th, half past 1.
Sut,—In pursuance of your Excellency's order of yesterday's date, I have placed the shipy under my command (except, the Che, which unfortunately got aground on her way up, and has not as yet been got afloat) out of gun-shot of the batteries.
Finding this morning that the batteries on the starboard and larboard sides above us had been deserted by the enemy, I dropped the Modeste nearer, and landed and took possession of them with the marines and small arm mon of the Modeste and Columbine, I found the guns—viz, on the larboard side, 8 copper guns, 13 iron ditto; on the starboard side, 8 copper guns 6 iron ditto—had been dismounted; tents destroyed, and carriages most of them taken away. Above the batteries I found 8 war junks, all fof which were burnt, except a small one, in which I hope this evening to have all the copper guns embarked, ave also the honour to enclose to your Excellency a copy of Mr. Forster's remarks, who has been sounding about a mile above the batteries in our poate.
have also to inform your Lxcollency, that the chop intrusted to ie was forwarded to the city of Shanghai by a Chinaman, who undertook to deliver it there on the payment of a few dollars.
Thave, Commander Her Majes rue copy).
POV, Parken, Vice-Admival.
No loss than 135 guns of different calibre were destroyed in the batteries between Woosung and Shanghai, at Shanghai itself, and above the town.
From His Excellency Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, Naval Commander-in-Chief, China, to the Secretary to the Admiralty, oto.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.