The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-14 00:00:00

CIIINA.

How KIINti, APRIL 2.1.—A terrific squall with
whet Hong Kona non risiteal, on March 30, is thus
described hy the Friend of ('hina:—
FrOgi .29 deg. 71 min. at ti p.m. of the day previous the
eareory in the barometer di wended as low as 29 deg.
;si lie , being ten lines lower than it has ever been regis
tend be, in vain r M acts or April—the thermometer from
gping u,i to 70 deg At daylight of Monday it blew
fn 4 ti•iiii the eastward. weather dull, thick, and drizzly—
is .h. r ore of the day the bre. or, first falling light, came
oat 1.111 the southward and westward, with continued
heasy rain, thunder .iml lightiiieg ; this continued, with
occasional Ishe, until a. out 31 mistimes past 3 a m. yester-
day, • hen the great tall of the mercury spoken of, and
ineeraant l-ghtning in the north-west quarter of the
heavens, gave signsl th,t something was coming. Iler
Majests's ,hip Sohynx, at single anchor off the naval stores,
was riding quietly to the Waal Oust high water), when the
squall took her to the eastward. Toe light • • was so vivid
that it was all as p 1 iin as noonilsy. Within live minutes
the wind shifted round to southwest, and for a short time
had all the force of a hurricane. Swinging he:al on to it,
the Sehynn must have dragged her anchor or r the ground
for limit a mile or more up Ise harbour, at a gnat rate;
• veral small craft could he seen ranging about in
shim.. A stable opposite our office (California shingle
mastrovion) visa lifted up, board walls and roof. and
can,d over a rock as high as itself, some seventy or
✓orhty (sit, and there, striking guiltiest the hill-side, went
into small fragments—a rarer or new buildings close by
being almost wholly vistaed. Retort going to press, we
fear Cs .t we shall hear of other casualtio e, and only trust
that they may sot be cf great, import. Within half an
hour aver the commencement the mercury went up to 29
deg 7O again : wind continuing at westward, moderate—
• f..fee 3to ; thunder, lightning, and rain, however,
was the order of the whole of yesterday f renown. Of the
latter no less than five inches fell within twenty-four
hours. The Peninoil ir and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company's steamer Sir l'harles Forbes, when in the Capsing-
mo in, experienced tie squall at shout half-past 3 a.m., and
was oblued to let go both anchors and keep the paddles
won king to sue her from going on the rucks. The vessels
in the Uurnsingmoon telt it also; and the Sominsinis, lying,
too, anne• hair a•dos -n miles south cast of the Asses kers,
had moot violent gusts, at about a few minutes after four.
With that vessel it comment, d at N E., lulled, then from
N.W.. and blew with most fury from W.N.W. lasting
altoginher about threequ ultra of an hour, lightning in-
cessant, nod rata in pitchers full. Our anticipations have
proved only reasonible, and nut loss then (i 9 lives are said
to have been lost. The Sir Charles Forbes passed Duple-
rims bodies; and sit on the roof of a mat house, blown away
hum tie shore, were towed up the harbour.
The number of rick in hospital is somewhat in-
creased: any of the Ordnance, 24; of Fifty-ninths
of Ceylon Rifle Corps, II : Total, 92. The
Ewen, with a company of Artillery, from Ceylon,
arrilcd on the 7th Mutant.
The Hon. East India Company's steam-frigate Se-
miramis brought on twelve men of the destroyed
ship Herald'', crew, and one of the Victory's passen-
gers, who hare all been tried and condemned at a
reient Criminal Session of our Supreme Court. Two
of the former, although with the others at first
pleading guilty to the charge of murder, hare been
discharged by proclamation—the remaining ten are
to be hung on Monday the 3rd proximo. The Vic-
tory's man stands sentenced to transportation fur
fifteen years. The Englishman, Fenton, has also
been tried for consorting with pirates, found guilty,
and awarded three years imprisonment, with hard
labour,
The Overland Friend of Chinn thus summering
the news that has reached it from the Celestial
Empire :
Tit, news from the disturbed provinces is still of unsatis-
factory tenor, imperialist and insurgent both appearing de-
termiaed to weary eat each other with tactic and stratagem.
Of the two, however, the latter appear to be continually
getting the beet of it. The defection of imperial troops,
alluded to in the supplement to this paper, has caused great
alarm at Canton ; and a rumour prevails that both English
ad American ministers have been applied to about ren-
dering assistance should octanes regain it A partywriting
from Kerma-el to one of was seresepoadents in Cantos, re.
krona to tins desertion from the impanel standard, sap:—
'. A Nana' inestage has lees domatehed to Canton with
the informatiem that es the 15th, Mk end 17th days 011ie
gist month of thoponost yearra masher of troops, tinder
the Ta4e-ys and Ta-tow•yang, statighed lathe
city of Seib-hese, went over to the rebel party, 1111mieg
with them their mesa, ammesaition, stem, £c. Trey set
be to rosy et the shop eel beano, barbs, bet plea-
dered them td the many ea& siethes. They laws lea-
tweeted themselves in the sity, sad the inhabitants d dr
Inheres bare lied to Weeshow•lho district for salligy.
After this iatelligeace same the following .—" Os* of Me
vanquished solders, who Ims returned to Canton, mere
that as the Ant day of the sesead rem, the rebels seeteebd
in Catering the city of Soils- hems, sad plaadstsd it lb/
thee embarked and demanded the river to Wemdlean,
where the) burnt sin reverie, haste, besides mgemeing two
others. They ate new staying at Woe-eterew, awl have seat
to Teenaih for reieforcements to enable them te attack the
city of Piag-loh."