On 21 February 1841, former Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu wrote that 1,000 regular troops from Hunan and the same number from Yunnan arrived in batches at Canton (Guangzhou).

On 24 February, Lin, Imperial Commissioner Qishan, and other officials inspected the defences of the Pearl River, and spent the night at Lieh-te, 7 miles (11 km) east of Canton.

[1] On the morning of 27 February, Calliope, Herald, Alligator, Sulphur, Modeste, and the steamers Madagascar and Nemesis sailed past the Bocca Tigris along the Pearl River.

[2] Lieutenant John Elliot Bingham of the Modeste wrote, "As these ships sped along, the shore was lined with thousands of the inhabitants gazing on the bold barbarians, many of them, no doubt, secretly wishing them success.

"[7] Bingham wrote, "As the enemy fled before Lieutenant Stransham's party, they attempted to cross a deep branch of the river, in which numbers of them perished, and many were shot.

[7] During the land operations, Lieutenant Watson of Calliope and other officers boarded Cambridge, and soon captured it after a resistance from the few Chinese crew that remained.

"[11] Lin said that 100 trained militiamen came afterwards from Hsiang-fu's camp, but did not reach Wu-yung in time for the attack, and that in the afternoon, Qishan, Deng Tingzhen, and Yiliang began a meeting.