The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

CHINA AND JAPAN.

The following is from the Overland China Mail
of the Ist of April :
011 the 13th ultimo, a rebel fleet with provisions and
munitions was dispersed and partly destroyed by our gun-
boats some distance up the river, where their was
deemed hostile to the safety of Shanghai. Oo the lith
ultimo, an Imperial force encountered the rebels at Soo.
king, an unsalted town between Shanghae and Teing.
poo ; the fight was at first likely to be in favour of the
nisarmts, but the snivel of Colonel Ward and his force of
disciplined Chinese gave the Imperial pert y a complete
victory ; the engagement is said to have been sharp as the
rebels, though finally routed, made a desperate nisiatance.
The defeated force fell back upon Taing-poo, which is 25 miles
from Shanghai, and forms their nearest head-quarters.
Admiral Hope is FootiouAilr out with parties, either
reconnoitering, or driving off the enemy. The fight near
Ifiog-Hong, in which our own forces took part, on the 27th
February, has been fully described by • correspondeot of the
North China Herald. We quote the concluding part of his
letter :

From inquiry and observation the number of Taiping
rebels holding the place could not have been less than
6,000; of these between 600 and 700 were killed, and up-
wards of 300 taken prisoners. The streets and houses pre-
sented an awful spectacle. The bodies in some places lying
in heaps, and the plain beyond the village was strewed with
those -iirlser wen elsoe down in the flight. The practice of
Bradshirw'm mountain howitzers eras good. as soon as the range
was obtained, but the rockets were a failure. The French gun.
also played with great effect. Every one engaged behaved
with coolness and courage, advancing gradually, and getting
through the before-mentioned formidable obstacles form-
ing the outer defences, through the trench, and right
up the breastwork long before the guns were silenced. As
for the Chinese organtsed under Colonel Ward, they
seemed to know no fear, and perhaps exposed themselves
too much. The loss of this force was one officer very badly
wounded, about ten rank and file killed, and forty wounded,
some severely. Two or three English marines were
wounded ; but from their being kept better under cover, the
foreign portion of the force suffered slightly in comparison.
The Bntish admiral himself, accompanied by Mr. Ala.
baster, the consulate interpreter, was right in front,
directing the attack in that part; while Ward and his men
vigorously assailed the enemy on the left. After all was
over, the village was set on fire, and the foreign troops em-
barked for Shanghae.
In the foreign settlement of Shangbae the foregoing fact.
form the leading subjects of public attention. The ad-
miral's conduct is censured by a few, but approved of by
many more. In addition to the corps of volunteers at pre-
sent organised, vbs., en infantry and a mounted corps, it is
proposed to have au artillery corps. Nearly 80,000 refugee'
are at present in Shanghae, and it is • bard matter to at-
tend to their wants. Foreign and native assistance has been
liberally given them, but their presence has caused • kind of
dearth, and made living more expensive. In this crisis the tea
packers combined to queue their foreign employers; but so
appeal to the Taou•tae resulted in a proclamation for-
bidding such combinations. It has been necessary to wars
the police in the foreign settlement against joining the
now popular corps commanded by Colonel Ward ; some of
them bad asked permission to do so, but were refused.
From Peking there is no intelligence of importance.
From Japan, we learn that there has been a destructive
fire in the foreign settlement of Yokohama, which has
caused to one or two merchants very 000sideroWs loss. The
Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also •
member of the Gorogio, was lately set upon and
assaulted by • band of aseassins ; he escaped with
his life. The matter is considered by some to have a
political significance.
The three Northern porta are stall, by the last &deices,
closed up with ioe.
The new steamer Undine having recently gone from
Canton to Tien-fain, having on board 190 of the successful
candidate* at the late literary examinations. These fortu-
nate scholars are bound for the capital, seeking the still
better fortune of official appointments.
From Hankow we hear that trade is promising well. Mr.
Thomas Dick, who has charge of the customs at that port,
has entered on his duties, and is likely to prove a competent
officer. The cold weather was abating. The imperialist
" brawn" quartered in the neighbourhood have been very
troublesome, so much so that a complaint has been for-
warded by the foreign residents to her Britannic Majesty's
consul at Sharighae. They have been equally so at Km-
iang.
k
From Nanking, • correspondent of the North China
Herald says that the Imperial forces are appearing on the
opposite bank of the river, and seem to meditate headlines
against the holders of the ancient Ming capital.
From Ningpo, we have news to the effect that • rebel
fleet is preparing to capture Chums ; this step will be •
dangerous one for the Trdpiege. Eight hundred of the
French troops from Saigon are about to leave Hong
Kong for Ningpo (it is supposed), and the probability
is that the city will be taken under allied protection in
the some manner as Shanghso, and thus the intima-
tion conveyed to the insurgents that we meant to protect
both places will be made good. We hear that a thousand of
our own troops are at present on their way from India, so
that decisive action appears to have been determined upon
—certainly this is betterthan half measures.
At Canton, some alterations have been made in the impor-
tation of opium, steamers only being now permitted to bring
opium into that port. Some races have been held here, of
which an account appears elsewhere.
It is stated that the Governor-General of the Two
Kwang will shortly pay a visit of friendship to Sir Hercules
Robinson.