The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-18 00:00:00

CHINA.

THE CHINESE INSURHECTION.-LOSS OF
HEYNAHD.

HONG KONG, JUNE 23.—The intelligence which
the present mail conveys is of a chequered and inte-
resting nature, rather a foreshadowing of what is
approaching than the record of what has already
come. My expressed apprehensions regarding the
nnderworking of that great agency which promises
at no distant day to dismember this mighty empire,
and the data on which they rested, were at the time
questioned by the local journals, who very unjustly
endeavoured to fix the authorship on Dr. Bowring, her
Majesty's consul at Canton. But time has proved the
correctness of what I have written you, and my next
letter will probohly announce the taking of the
city of Canton by the insurgent mass, which,
like a mighty ocean, is moving gradually but irre-
sistibly onward, involving ruin in its course, unless
the mandarins declare themselves and thus hasten'
the downfall of the present dynasty—fall it assuredly
will, and it will be well if the event finds our
countrymen with sufficient naval force for their pro-
tection. Already the military commanders and cavil
commissioners appointed to suppress the rebellion
have been carried off by death, lured by the charms
of future reward,or dismayed at the number, strength,
and success of the revolutionists. The man put forth
as the leader of the movement has assumed regal
honours, to the terror of the reigning and legitimate
sovereign, who, fearing the disinfection of his troops
quarteretior raised in the disturbed provinces, has
ordered choice soldiers from the capital; if these
soldiers, in example of the local force, fratentiso with
the rebels, and re-echo the rebel shout, " Down with
the Tartar dynast)," the consummation will be
reached sooner than the friends of the pretender
expect. 'I he local papers, after cavilling at my
sources of information, and in plain terms denying
the existence of any general organised plan for
bringing about a change of dynasty, a reform of the
constitution, or rather, the granting of one, arc now
unanimously of opinion that the peace of the country
is in imminent danger. Thu Friend if Chinn, June
23, IM, 1, writes:
A few more months will assundly decide the fate of thu
empire. At enmity with the very name "'tartar Dynasty”
—an enmity which every individual whose heart is in the
right place will feel, when he remembers the career of' bar-
barism the blond-thirsty de.prits have run during the last
quart, r of • century—we indulae the earnest hope that a
better fate is about to than on China's relations with foreign
countries—that the benighted millions al its population will
he permitted to hold with us a fret r and more social inter-
course—and that, so long cloned against any advance in ci-
vilisation, it is now about to be opened indeed.

the China Moil hesitates to designate the outlaws
now in arms by the name of rebels, lest it should be
construed that the editor believed the scheme was to
subvert the Manchu dynasty. But although the
Mail looks upon the rebels as desperadoes. tt cau-
tiously admits, " His Majesty seems at length to be
seriously alarmed," and publishes the subjoined me-
morial of Su-Ting. K wei,w hick atfords,intenial evidence
that the government has substantial cause to fear.

StpTing:lswei, correeponilitnt eecretary of the cabinet for
the board of war, addreesed the emperor on an mien. ut
test. importing that where the good man begins well he
will suceessl in the end. Ile would have rejoiced to see the
re-establisliment of the daily reading., before recommended
by a Vice-President of the Board cat Ceremonies, but nega-
tived by the baud in council. As these cannot be, he be-
eceehes his Majesty to keep two matters constantly in re-
nt mbrance—tirst, that the banditti in the Two Kwang are
not yet put down ; secondly, that the English barbarians
are constantly on the leek out for 4 cause of quarrel with
him. The memorial is a tolerably long homily on self-
government, both for the sake of the advantage to be con-
ferred on others by example, and of the attainment of the
konwhilge which secures a right judgment in the selection
of tit persons to serve the state.—Oevelanil CAitut Alail,
Jane 23.

'The Hong K f Register, on the other hand, affects
the utmost composure and umures its readers there
is no ground fur apprehension in a political point of
view, although commercially "no doubt the effect of
these disorders will be injurious to trade, but we
should hardly expect to any extent. One effect they
are likely to have, if not put down shortly, viz., the
destruction of Canton us a place of export."—Orer-
land Register, June 23.
On the return of the Reynard from Amoy, pre-
paratory to her departure fur England, she brought
news of the loss of au ilinglish ship on the island of
Formosa, to which place the Salamander wasordered
for the purpose of instituting inquiries. The arrival
here of the Antelope opium clipper, brought the
required information, together with three men, the
bole survivors of the British ship Larpent, which
was wrecked on the south-cast end of Formosa, on
the 12th of September last. The narrative given by
these three start irons is a very melancholy one, and
is thus detailed :
The .tmeriean barque Antelope, on her passage to Shang-
hai., 1,1% Wog, on the night of the Ist inst., nearly be-
calmed off the smith point of Formosa, when a boat was
observed corning frem the shore, and, as several others were
also near her, an attack from pirates being apprehended,
Captain liounily thought proper to have his carronades
loaded, and small anus prepared, and then fired a shot over
the heads of the people to toe boat that was approachiug.
But this had the tibet of stopping the rowers but fur a few
minutes only, and shortly afterwards those in the Antelope
heard the voices of Englishmen requesting that they might
he taken on board. Captain Roundy accordingly hove to,
and received three min—Alexander Bens, able seaman;
William Bloke, joiner; and James Hill, a lad of 19 years
of age, ordinary a:2MM ; the sole survivors of the crew of
the barque Larpent. of Liverpool, a vessel fur some time
east concluded to have become a total wreck.
For the following particulars we arc mainly indebted to
the kindness of Mr. Foote, chief officer of the Antelope,
who obtained them fauna the men shortly after they had
somewhat recovered front the severe sufferings undergone.
It; appears that the Moulmein built barque Larpent, of 614
tons register, only 7 years old, belonging to Mr. T. Ripley,
and commanded by Mr. Gilson, left Liverpool on the 18th
of May last, on a voyage to Shanghae ; the crew, all told,
including Mr. Maud (brother of 3dr. Bland, of the firm of
Shaw, Bland, and Co., of Shanghae) a passenger, acting as
third mate, numbering 31. 'file Lawn' passed Anjer on
the 19th of August. With our shipping intelligence of the
7th of September, 1840, we gave the following:
"The Albert Edward, ou the 28th of August, was in
company with the bark Larpent, bound to Shanghae, in
lat. i S., lon. 108 .50 E.; had light winds and fine weather
all up the China Sea, and no serious gales during the
voyage."
Fifteen days after being thus spoken by the Albert Ed-
ward, viz, ou the 12th September, in the forenoon, the
Larpent passed Betel Tobago Xima, a lofty island, three or
four mile, in extent, be tut half north from the south
etpe, Formosa, from which it is distant thirteen leagues.
The weather is said to have been thick and rainy at this
time, wind moderate at north east, blowing off the shore.
At 9. 30 p.m. all hands were alarmed at the ship suddenly
striking on a rock. Hy backing the head sails, however,
the ship came off almost immediately, but on sounding the
pumps no less than seven feet of water were found in the
hold ; all hands were forthwith busily kept at pumping until
2. 15 cm. of the following day, when, as there was no pros-
pect of gaining on the leak, Captain Gilson ordered the
quarter boats to be lowered, and the launch to be hoisted
out. In the hurry the jolly boat stove and became useless.
The captain, mate, and six into, then got into the starboard
quarter boat, the remaining members of the crew taking the
launch, in which some Provisions had been placed.
On the weather cleanug up a little at daylight they found
themselves close G. the shore, somewhere in the vicinity of
the place de.ignated on the map of Formosa, Nat-fact.
Here they all landed for the purpose of getting fresh water,
and with intention also of caulking the lung-hest, which
was found to leak like a sieve ;" but in them
they were prevent, the natives coming down rrrivrt
numbers and plundering them of every moveable. &situ-
ated, Captain Whoa determined en putting to sea spin,
as he %ill, to endeavour to reach Hongkong, a distance of
400 miles and upwards. Both boats started twether, bat
the launch, still leaking considerably, was unable to keep
up with the lighter boat, and, parting company, she was
never more seen, although it was afterwards heard that
Captain Gilson had landed near South Cape, and procured
water (there, indeed, be might have been murdered, or
taken captive, and may still be in slavery, for aught we are
required to believe to the contrary).
At day light ow the 11th the launch having rounded the
extreme point, the crew landed on a shelving beach, sur-
rounded by bushes, intending before proceeding any further to
do their best to repair the boat. About 8 a.m., almost with-
out any previous warning, they found themselves in the midst
of a deadly fire of matchlocks. Young Mr. Bland was ob-
served to spring a great height into the air and fall flat on
his face dead ; those who could swim immediately took to
the water, from whence the savages were seen, with long
knives, stabbing those who were wounded, and im-
mediately entting off their heads, which, to the num-
ber of nineteen, were then thrown into a terrible heap.
Blake, the )(liner, says that although wounded by a
shot when in the water, he swam for several miles
across • broad bielit, and had landed under a huge
sugar lent rock, thoroughly exhausted, thinking that he
was the only one saved, when, turning his eyes seaward, he
observed the be; Hill, pursued by an enormous shark.
The heipippeared nearly exhausted and was about to sink,
whemllheered by hiv voice, he gave a few more strokes and
landed in shad water, from whence he dragged himself

over the coral to the place where Blake WAS sitting.
Here they had not remained long when two natives
with matchlocks were seen traversing • beach at some
distance, apparently in pursuit of them. But they suc-
ceeded in hiding themselves for the time, and afterwarda
escaped to the mountains, where they remained until the
19th. Exhausted nature could hold out no longer, and
at a time when Blake says the feelings of a cannibal had
arisen in his breast, and he insanely thought of par-
taking of his comrade's Mood, rather than remain longer
without food, they wandered into a field where some vil-
lagers were at work. From them they obtained a meal of
rice and shelter, and were afterwards made to work with
the village labourers from daylight till dark ; sometime, in
boats diving for large shell fish, at others with hots about
the paddy ground.
The man Denis and another bad landed at a different
place, from whence they tried to reach a junk, in which
one of them, Harrison, succeeded, but was almost imme-
diately shot and decapitated in sight of his comrade.
Belie appears to have subsequently joined Blake and
Bill, the latter of whom, being unable to do so much
work as the others, was subjected to very severe treat-
ment, and has been left sick at Shanghae. At the ex-
piration of live months the kind hearted villagers sold
them to some neighbours for six dollars a piece : the pur-
chasers proving to be of a more friendly dispolition than the
origaral holders. On arrival at Shanghae, a voluminous
narrative of the seven months and sixteen days captivity
was taken by Mr. Consul Alcock, an abstract of which, we
are told, will appear in the next issue of the NortA China
Herald.

The shipwrecked men tell of having seen on the beach
near where they landed, an anchor of about 19 cwt., chain
cable, eat and top blocks, iron knee., a bronze figure head,
four feet long, and other ship gear, the possession of which
might be a clue to the fate of several vessels of which we are
still in ignorance (American barque Coquette, for instance,
the British barque Kelpie, and others.) They also heard,of
two white men beisg in captivity, but could not, for a cer-
tainty, ascertain where.
the fate of the commander, officers, passengers,
and crew of the Larpent has naturally occasioned
great excitement amongst our European community,
who call aloud for vengeance on the Formosans,
whose hands have also murdered the crews of the
Ann, the Nerbudda, and now the Larpent.
After the departure of the last mouth's steamer,
news was received of the loss of the brig Velocipede
(from Singapore to Shalighae) on the Pratas shoal,
and her Majesty's steamer lteynard and brig Pilot pro-
ceeded to the Pratas shoal to the wreck, and rescued
the crew. Unfortunately the Iteynard struck on the
Prams Shoal and became a total wreck. Crew
saved.

The Samarang, with a detachment of her Majesty's
59th regiment arrived. The health of the troops is
favourably reported.

[For markets see last page.]

COLONIAL.
CEYLON.

The Colombo Obscrrer of July 11, in its summary,
says:

The leading tonic of the present month is the agitation
amongst the coffee planters ir. aid of the movement by their
friends in London against the adulteration of coffee with
chicory, and with other abominable compounds. The first
meeting at Kandy has been followed by others in the
outlying district., of Matelle, the Knuckles, and Hums-
giria ; Dimhoola, Kotmalie, and Bulatgarnoa ; De Roue, I'u-
selava, Kadugunava, Doloshagie, and Badulla. A me-
morial has been adopted, and, with numerous signatures
attached, will be sent home by the present mail, en-
trusted most properly to the care of Mr. I'. Baring, M.P.
The planters, it will be seen, ask only for what is reason-
able and right. They demand no restriction of fair and
free trade; all they ask is that the law of the land should
be permitted to take its course so as to put an end to frauds
equally injurious to the growers and consumers of coffee,
and to the imperial revenue.
The market for imports continues dull. There has been
a tall in the price of native coffee, consequent on the advice*
from London; and a rise in freight, only two vessels load.
ing fur London. Exchange continues to show the reverse
of a plethora of capital in Ceylon or in the east generally.

WEST INDIES.—We have received ria New
York a copy of the Murning Journal (Kingston,
Jamaica) of July 2s, eleven days later titan the dates
of intelligence brought by the last packet. It con-
tains no Item of news worth transcribing, being filled
with the intelligence from England carried out by
the Great Wester, which arrived on the 26th.