The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-06-22 00:00:00

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CHINA.

Acting upon the information the Times correspondent
obtained from Yeh, the Commissioners have succeeded in
discovering the place of burial of the European prison-
ers. Yell for once told the truth. The place is an un-
closed spot outside the city, where the bodies of executed
criminals were interred; ii is described to us as a
wretched Aceldaina„ a heap of little else than putrid
corpses, for only a few inches of soil were thrown over
the bodies, and the whitened skulls crop out like mush-
rooms. It is also true, as Yeh boasted, that rather more
care was taken in burying the Europeans ; they were
placed in graves, which are still distinguishable. It would
not probably be thought than an examination of the
remains, with a view to identify the victims or to learn
by what death they died, would be too much trouble;
and our own self-respect, and our own credit in the eyes
of the Chinese, require that the bones of these poor
fellows should be removed from this execution-pit, and
should receive Christian burial. General Straubenzee,
however, has not been able to find time to sanction this
proceeding, or to spare a few files of men to protect it.
From Shanghai we learn that the united squadron has
actually gone North. The Cormorant screw steam des-
patois boat moved first, followed by the Pique sailing
frigate. Next went the Russian " Anierioa," with Count
Putiatin. On the 10th of April Lord Elgin set forth in
the Furious, accompanied by the Slaney and the Nimrod.
The French Ambassador had with lam a strong squadron,
—the Nemesis, the Audacious°, the Durance, the Fusses,
and another gunboat not named, perhaps the Dragonne.
The American, having chartered a little steamer called
the Antelope, and having repaired the Minnesota at
Woonung, followed in the wake of the others. The
Miseissippi went on before, and the Antelope left Shang-
hai on the 18th. On the 14th Sir Michael Seymour hail
succeeded in gutting that great floating encumbrance the
Calontta up to an anchorage off " the Ruggeds." There
Its will probably leave her, and proceed northwards in
the Coromandel which with the Samson was awaiting Ids
arrival. According to the North China Herald, how-
ever, he was tarrying for the next mail from England.
It is now, therefore, about 6 weeks since a large naval
force mustered in the Gulf of Peohnine. For once the
diploinatiats have outstripped the men of the sword, and
are acting with a rapidity that seems to argue they fear
other dangers titan i those which beset them n China. It
Is useless at title distance to speculate upon what they
intend to do, but Lord Elgin has been long enough in
China to have learnt that in dealing with the Chinese
audacity Ic the only prudenoe. The authorities are not
agreed Its to the exact anmount of water upon the bar at
the mouilm of the Pekin River, Captain Elliot in the
Mailagnacar in 14440 found 12 feet at spring tide. If there
should be as much at present some half-dozen of our
ships can get aerosol, end luny take the bomboatn of the
larger vessels in tow. 'Feensing, which must be the first
point of serious attack to any expedition up the Peilio,
me in a straight line, about thirty miles from the coast.
The windburn of the river would snake it eighty. From
Teensing to Tungchau, a city ou the river twelve mile.
distant front Pekin, the distance is ninety molten. If
Lord Elgin's object has been by promptitude of action to
settle the affair before Zouaves are brought upon the
scene he is probably by this time at Teensing. We are
now well acquainted with the power of resistance
possessed by the Chinese. With the exception of those
few naval and military commanders who consume their
time in spelling the word " imponsible," no one feels any
nervousnens about an advance to Teeming, or even if
necessary, to Pekin. The great plain of Pekin is not,
likerthe Deltas of the Yang-tse-kiang and the Canton
River, intersected by a network of creeks 1111 d canals.
We know that the Chinese make straight journeys
across it and those northern highways described by
Staunton an paved with square masses of stone are just
the roads over which to run our light brass field-pieces.
From Tungchau to Pekin there is a broad paved road,
and five hundred sailors, with Osborne, or Key, or
Cochrane, or any one of half a dozen others we could
name, at their head, would advance along that road
with very little opposition, and make themselves coin-
fortable upon the walls of the capital. We must not go
on judging this Chinese enemy by our Western ideas.
After all our fright and all the Chinamen's boast of the
strength of Canton, one hundred men hunted Yeh all
through the city, and not a head was wagged against
them. So it might be at Pekin. In Chins everything
is stereotyped. 'What Canton was, Pekin will be found
to be. There will be no need, however, to go to Pekin.
Teensing will in all probability be entered without
opposition, and, long before the distance between Teen-
sing and Tungaliau is measured, properly authorized
Ministers will come out to give us what Lord Elgin has
pledged himself not to look Southwards until he has
obtained.

.....
ENPLOYSIENT OF CHINEN6 IN ENOLIFIFI Snips.—
From Shanghai we have lutothertnatanoe of the inipru-
ilence of employing Chinese as the crew of an English
vessel. The woll-known country brig Gallant was
lying below Woosung on the night of the 30th ult.,
waiting for daylight to proceed to sea on a voyage to
Siam. But one Lamar was on deck, when a boat came
alongside tilled with Chinese. These were warned by the
Lascar to keep off, and they would have been kept off,
no clotibt, but for the treachery of the carpenter, who
coining aft as he heard his coincides in the boat arrive,
with a blow of his axe felled the poor man to the deck.
I Hearing the noise, the captain and mate both rushed
from the eabin, and would appear to have been struck
hewn instantly by the same murderous hand ; for when
discovered they were both dead in front of the door.
This effected, the wretehes proceeded deliberately to
batten the Europeans and Ducar portions of the crew
under hatches, and then to plunder. The work finished,
they pushed off in one of the ship's boats, taking with
them some $lB,OOO in specie, and all the valuables they
could lay their hands on. Having liberated themselves
from durance the crew lost no time in getting the brig
under way, and dropping down to the United States'
'team-frights Minneauts, at no great distance off. Next
day Her Majesty's gunboat Slaney, with two of the
crew of the Gallant, proceeded on a cruise after the
Chinese portion of the Gallant's crew—vis., the car-
penter and six Canton men, who, it appears, with a
blindness that can hardly be accounted for, did not get
far away with their booty. By next steamer they may
be seen In Hongkong, and soon after, we trust, hanging
at a gallows. Mr. More, the murdered master of the
Gallant, was well knswn in these waters. The Lamar,
It should be stated, only lived a few hours after furnish.
ing the principal particulars here reeounted.—Frictut
of China, April 10.