Image: Forcing the passage of the Bocca Tigris

Description: Forcing the passage of the Bocca Tigris, China, on the 7th and 9th September 1834, showing HMS Imogen (left), the cutter Louisa (centre), and HMS Andromache (right). Far left is the Wangtong Fort and the others are the Anunghoy Forts. Description from National Maritime Museum: The scene is located on the Bocca Tigris, a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta near Humen in Guangdong Province, China. Because of its strategic location as the naval gateway to the city of Guangzhou, the strait was fortified. On the left of the composition is Whangtong Fort, firing heavily on 'Imogene', which can be seen from her port-stern quarter returning fire. In stern view on the right, 'Andromache' is bombarding Old Fort with fire, while the cutter, 'Louisa', pictured in the centre, shelters between the two British ships. Anunghong Fort, or New Fort, is depicted in the far distance, beyond 'Louisa'. As the inscription indicates, the action took place on 7 and 9 September, 1834. Although five ports, including Canton, had been opened to foreigners earlier the same year, local Chinese forces tried to prevent the passage of the Royal Navy ships. After a couple of days of intermittent action the Chinese forts were silenced.
Title: Forcing the passage of the Bocca Tigris
Credit: British Museum collection cites Naval Battles from the Collection of Prints Formed and Owned by Commander Sir Charles Leopold Cust, Bart, p.262 for provenance https://web.archive.org/web/20161113131639/http://www.themaritimegallery.co.uk/prints-naval-battle-scenes.php (archived description) https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/139049.html (description at National Maritime Museum, London) https://web.archive.org/web/20161124032353/http://themaritimegallery.co.uk/Assets/Battle%20Scenes%202016/27%20May%20002small.jpg (archived image) https://hkmasvr.lcsd.gov.hk/hkmacs_data/web/object.nsf/00000000000000000000000000000000/ebbbb775ed4c474048257068000c3744 (colored image)
Author: William Skinner, R.N.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No