2-982-420 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in Canton - Return of the Avengers, 1858. British forces in China '...have been destroying, looting, and burning, and are loaded with all manner of property, and all are delighted with their morning's fun, as everything in the fighting or destroying line is humorously called...On Sunday morning...a party of blue jackets came down from head-quarters, looking remarkably facetious; they were joined by the Bamboo Rifles (military train coolies), a detachment of sepoys, some marines, and, of course, Messieurs les Français. This interesting and cosmopolitan body then tied a boat across the creek and landed on the opposite shore; the blue jackets...went ahead to keep the coast clear. Then came such a scene of destruction and looting as would astonish you. These monkeys of coolies were quickly on the house-tops, smashing, crashing, breaking, tearing, and looting; below, the lascars were cutting, chopping, and knocking down all wood in the shape of posts and pillars, and risking the cracking of their skulls from the hail of tiles that came tumbling down...Every man loaded with something that he had not purchased. From the belt of a jolly tar dangled two live chickens-a great haul for the starving garrison. A more lucky dog had a delicious fat porker'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.