should decline the British offer of occupying the forts temporarily, force would be employed to take possession of them. To this letter no reply was received, and accordingly the ships made ready to act.
At ten o'clock in the forenoon of May 20th, the signal was displayed for the ships to move into position. The Cormorant, Mitraille and Fusee had been assigned to assail the two forts on the northern bank, while the Nimrod, Avalanche, and Dragonne were to attack the three forts on the southern bank and their connecting line of mud batteries. The scene just before the signal of attack was hoisted, was an animated one. The Cormorant was the ship farthest in advance up the river, where she lay impatiently letting off little puffs of steam as she stood in readiness to dash through the bamboo barrier, which the Chinese had stretched across the river, and face the line of fire of the forts to which she would be exposed before reaching her position. The Nimrod was close behind the Cormorant, with her decks clear for action, all the men at their posts and every thing ready for active work. The English and French gunboats were at some distance behind the Nimrod, and their decks were crowded with men.
Hardly had the signal flag touched the truck of the Slaney before the engines of the Cormorant were in motion and she started off to her destination, her men lying flat on the deck and only her commander and two or three officers visible. Scarcely was she under way before there was a puff of smoke at one of the ports and a round shot came whistling close to the steamer. This shot was followed by another and another, and in a few moments all three of the southern forts were firing at her with all their guns. The Cormorant did not reply. Suddenly there was a shock; the course of the vessel was partially stopped, then she went on ahead again and, with a little struggle, broke the barrier, which consisted of five seven-
