The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-02-02 00:00:00

CHINA.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE CAMPAIGN.

Canton River, Dec. 15.

•
The attacking force, exclusive of the ships, says the
Times special correspondent, a list whereof I gave you
by the last mail, will be as follows :
Troops from the garrison of Hongkong, including
the 59th Regiment, the Artillery, the Engi-
neers, and a portion of the Madras troops ... 800
Marines
Naval Brigade ... 1,51X1
French troops and sailors •.. ... 900
57,00
671

Coolies—
Attached to Medical StaffCommiscaciat
...
Malays 183
Total

6,687

The Canton River is • very enormona volume of
water, seeking the sea by various channels. In front of
Canton there are two of these channels of special im-
portance, and between these two and formed by them is
the large island of Ronan, more than a mile and a half
wide and four or five miles long. On the channel oppo-
site to the back of the island stands the Macao Fort,
now in our poasession and garrisoned. The island,
therefore, lies between Macao Fort and the city of
Canton.

This morning the occupation of Ronan took place.
The eight from Macao Fort was interesting only for a

few minutes. One battalion of our Marines and 150 I
French sailors disembarked, under the guns of the ship- I
ping, upon the back of the island, and out of sight of
Canton. As they advanced into the inland we watched 1
the lines of red and blue, not quite expecting, but feel-
ing the possibility that sonic puff of smoke might give I
signal for a fight. The Chinese, however, had wisely
seen that this plain and open island was not defensible.
If there ever had been any soldiers there, which is very
improbable, they bad been withdrawn when we issued
our proclamation to the inhabitants that we intended to
take peaceable possession. Some tents were now
pitched, the outposts formed, the French and English
positions demarcated, and our material guarantee was
seized.
On the afternoon of Monday Lieutenant Pym, of Arc-
tic celebrity, who now commands the Banterer, landed
for exercise in the neighbourhood of a Mandarin village
some way down the river. He was accompanied by Mr.
Wurgman, the artist who is here sketching for the Pius-
leafed News. Allured by the friendly appearance of the
inhabitants, they entered the village, and they appear
also to have entered the house of the Mandarin there.
Whether Lieutenant Ppm was acting prudently or pro-
perly in doing this I am not able to state; my inform-
ation is too indistinct to allow me to offer even a sugges-
tion upon this point. All that is certain is that as the
I party returned to the boat the population of the village
suddenly encompassed them, and poured in a volley
from gingals and other firearms. Five men were killed.
Lieutenant Pym was shot through both legs. The in-
terpreter then jumped overboard, and was followed by
several of the men, who retreated azross the paddy
fields. They were followed by the Chinese multitude
and six wounded. All this took place within sight of
the Nankin, whence assistance was, of course, des-
patched nt the first sound of firearms. The Nankin
men arrived just in time to rescue Lieutenant Pyni, who
was keeping the Chinese at bay with his sword and re-
volver. Of the whole party every one was either killed
or wounded, except Mr. 'Wurgman and two seamen.
This seems to have been • most treacherous and unpro-
voked assault, and an attack upon the village was sub-
sequently made by the Nankin. The first attempt was,
I believe, not very successful, but it will doubtless be
renewed.
. _ .

I am just informed that the Chinese merchants say
that Lord Elgin's demand was of the most temperate
character; that he asked for no more than that the
treaty should be carried out, that Canton should be put
upon the same footing as the other treaty ports, its gates
opened to commerce, compensation given for damage
done to British merchants, and our occupation of Honan
acquiesced in as a material guarantee until all matters
are settled. At least one of the Chinese merchants
thinks that these demands should have been jumped at.
Yeh, however, thinks otherwise. The answer just gone
up to Lord Elgin is couched, if my information is correct,
in a fine sarcastic vein, much like that returned to the
American. It tells his Lordship that the question of the
treatment of strangers at Canton has been settled by the
decree of the Emperor; that Sir George Bonham was
made a baronet for respecting that decree, and he recom-
mends Lord Elgin to follow his example that, as to
compensation, Yeh has a demand upon the English
Government for losses suffered by the Chinese. You
must make some allowance for a version of a Chinese
document read to me in Canton English; but I think I
can pledge myself that this will be found to be the
substance of this document. Lord Elgin is no true son
of Robert the Bruce if he stands this style of answer;
so we may soon now expect something decisive here.
Meanwhile we must have troops. It will not do to
"give up China altogether." The hot months will soon
be round again, and we must expect that of our handful
of land force many will be invalided. If disease should
unhappily so redaoe our scanty and insufficient garrison
as to compel us to retire from the city, after having once
taken possession, the consequence would be most disas-
trous. Already have placards been posted at Amoy
threatening a massacre of the English there. It is a vain
threat while the might of England is felt in the South,
but it would easily become a dire reality. The English
families are mixed up in the crowded Chinese town;
they are without any means of mutual protection, and
the presence of a single ship of war is rather a terror to
the Chinese than a protection to the British. At Swa-
tow, where many English now reside, there is, and can
be while the present treaty holds, no protection what-
ever. At Foe-chow there is a flourishing English settle-
ment, but ships-of-war cannot get within ten miles
of the place. What might be suffered at Ningpo the
Portuguese have already proved. Shanghai has the
guns of the Pique, and Sir Frederick Nicholson might
land his men and do something to protect the settle-
ment, for it has already shown itself defensible. But it
is our moral prestige which protects us in the North,
and this would be utterly ruined by any weakness or
short-coming at Canton. Better be wise in time, and
send on a reasonable number of troops at once than
have to exact more terrible vengeance for more mas-
sacres.