Editing First Opium War (section)

=== Skirmish at Kowloon ===
{{see also|Battle of Kowloon}}
In early July 1839 a group of British merchant sailors in [[Kowloon]] became intoxicated after consuming rice liqueur. Two of the sailors became agitated with and beat to death Lin Weixi, a villager from nearby [[Tsim Sha Tsui]].<ref>Hanes & Sanello 2002, p. 61.</ref><ref>Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 91.</ref> Superintendent Elliot ordered the arrest of the two men, and paid compensation to Lin's family and village. However, he refused a request to turn the sailors over to Chinese authorities, fearing they would be killed in accordance with the Chinese legal code.<ref>''Correspondence Relating to China'' 1840, p. 432.</ref> Commissioner Lin saw this as an obstruction of justice and Chinese sovereignty, therefore he ordered the sailors to be handed over.<ref>Hanes & Sanello 2002, p. 62.</ref> Elliot instead held a trial for the accused men aboard a warship at sea, with himself serving as the judge and merchant captains serving as jurors. He invited the Qing authorities to observe and comment on the proceedings, but the offer was declined.<ref name="Hoe-1999">Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 92.</ref> The naval court convicted 5 sailors of assault and rioting, and sentenced them to fines along with hard labour in Britain (a verdict later overturned in British courts).<ref>''Correspondence Relating to China'' 1840, p. 433.</ref><ref name="Hoe-1999" />

[[File:Barren Kowloon.jpg|left|thumb|1841 painting of the Chinese fort at Kowloon.]]
Angered by the violation of China's sovereignty, Lin recalled Chinese labourers from Macau and issued an edict preventing the sale of food to the British.<ref name="Hoe-1999" /> War Junks were deployed to the mouth of the Pearl River, while signs were placed and rumours spread by the Qing that they had poisoned the freshwater springs traditionally used to restock foreign merchant ships.<ref name="Fay 2000 pp. 203">Fay (2000) p. 203.</ref> On 23 August a ship belonging to a prominent opium merchant was attacked by [[lascar]] pirates while travelling downriver from Guangzhou to Macau. Rumors spread among the British that it had been Chinese soldiers who had attacked the ship, and Elliot ordered all British ships to leave the coast of China by 24 August.<ref name="Fay 2000 pp. 203" /> That same day Macau barred British ships from its harbour at the request of Lin. The commissioner travelled in person to the city, where he was welcomed by some of the inhabitants as a hero who had restored law and order.<ref name="Fay-2000a">Fay (2000) p. 205.</ref> The flight from Macau ensured that by the end of August over 60 British ships and over 2000 people were idling off of the Chinese coast, fast running out of provisions. On 30 August [[HMS Volage (1825)|HMS ''Volage'']] arrived to defend the fleet from a potential Chinese attack, and Elliot warned Qing authorities in Kowloon that the embargo on food and water must be ended soon.<ref>Hoe & Roebuck 1999, p. 93.</ref><ref name="Lovell-2015" />{{page needed|date=November 2021}}

Early on 4 September Elliot dispatched an armed [[schooner]] and a [[Cutter (boat)|cutter]] to Kowloon to buy provisions from Chinese peasants. The two ships approached three Chinese war junks in the harbour and requested permission to land men in order to procure supplies. The British were allowed through and basic necessities were provided to the British by Chinese sailors, but the Chinese commander inside Kowloon fort refused to allow the locals to trade with the British and confined the townspeople inside the settlement. The situation grew more intense as the day went on, and in the afternoon Elliot issued an ultimatum that, if the Chinese refused to allow the British to purchase supplies, they would be fired upon. A 3:00 pm deadline set by Elliot passed and the British ships opened fire on the Chinese vessels. The junks returned fire, and Chinese gunners on land began to fire at the British ships. Nightfall ended the battle, and the Chinese junks withdrew, ending what would be known as the [[Battle of Kowloon]]. Many British officers wanted to launch a land attack on Kowloon fort the next day, but Elliot decided against it, stating that such an action would cause "great injury and irritation" to the town's inhabitants.<ref>''Correspondence Relating to China'' 1840, p. 447.</ref> After the skirmish, Elliot circulated a paper in Kowloon, reading;

{{blockquote|The men of the English nation desire nothing but peace; but they cannot submit to be poisoned and starved. The Imperial cruisers they have no wish to molest or impede; but they must not prevent the people from selling. To deprive men of food is the act only of the unfriendly and hostile.<ref name="p. 449">''Correspondence Relating to China'' 1840, p. 449.</ref>}}

Having driven off the Chinese ships, the British fleet began to purchase provisions from the local villagers, often with the aid of bribed Chinese officials in Kowloon.<ref name="Waley-1958">Waley 1958, p. 70.</ref> [[Lai Enjue]], the local commander at Kowloon, declared that a victory had been won against the British.<ref name="Waley-1958" /> He claimed that a two masted British warship had been sunk, and that 40–50 British had been killed.<ref name="Fay-2000a" /> He also reported that the British had been unable to acquire supplies, and his reports severely understated the strength of the Royal Navy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Battle of Kowloon – Fighting – Gallery {{!}} Empires |url=http://empires-tv-series.net/gallery/fighting/the_battle_of_kowloon.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901063029/http://empires-tv-series.net/gallery/fighting/the_battle_of_kowloon.html |archive-date=1 September 2017 |access-date=5 July 2017 |website=empires-tv-series.net}}</ref><ref>Elleman 2001, p. 15.</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2021}}