The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-18 00:00:00

1851.

leaders. Some desperate measures must be adopted,
as the trade of Canton is now restricted to one-halt
what it was before rebellion raised its head,
and the produce which was exported from Canton
is finding an outlet at Shanghai. The rebels are re-
ported to have advanced as far as theToong-Koon dis-
trict, midway between Bong-Kong and Canton, and
to the right of the entrance of the Beeves Tigris. In-
telligence has reached this colony that the insurgents
have captured and sacked liwtli-tin, the capital of
Kwang-Si, and found in the Commissary military !
chest three-quarters of a million of tncls.
The health of the troops in garrison, although
somewhat improved, is not yet established, the
casualties of the present month numbering twelve;
namely, 11 privates of lI.M. 59th and the Ceylon
Rifles, and Dr. Flaherty, an assistant-surgeon.
11. M. steamer Salamander had visted Formosa for
the purpose of conveying presents to the persons
whose hospitable treatment of the Serpent's crew
was noticed in last month's communication.
There is little else of interest to communicate.
The commercial intelligence will be found in another
column.
The Orerland Friend of China, dated Victoria,
July 24, says:
In our last monthly summary, we stated that Lieutenant-
General Wu-lan-tai had left Canton in the early part of
June, with the intention of coalescing with the commis-
sioners sent by the Tartar Emperor to put down the rebel-
lion. But the insurgents had no intention of allowing hint
to f rm the coalition with the easo it would appear he had
anticipated ; and, giving him battle at a pass called Luk-
wo-ee, he was totally routed, with a i 064 of upwards of one
thousand men, the general himself being so seventy
wounded, that it is said ho will have to undergo the ampu-
tation of an arm.
Since the receipt of this intelligence nothing else has
come to hand that can be iu any way relied upon. The
boat people and others importing provisions fur the Canton
market have circulated a report that Kwci-lin-fu, the ca-
pital of Kwang-si, has hems taken, ransacked, and again
deserted ; but this is not the first time such a report has
found its way into our columns, and we receive it with the
more caution for that natives here, who have friends in
the di.turbed districts, have not received advice. corrobora-
tive of such report. In Canton we were told that the
mandarins were determined on keeping the real state of af-
fairs from becoming known to the inhabitants of the city,
and find they were using every measure, even to the in-
terception of correspondence, to prevent the same from being
effected. Commissioner-General Scu leaves Canton us to-
day, taking with him a body of three thousand men, and
a largo amount of treasure. Ibis return, as great a man as
ho leaves it, will be duly chronicled. We do nut anticipate
the pleasure. A report is current that he will take another
course to reach his colleague commissioners, viz. by the
way of Cochin-China; but such a report will have grown
, ' out of the mishap+ of his friend the general; Tartar
courage can hardly have descended so low in degree, that
it would take a circuitous course like that to evade an en-

gagement.
The following letter from Dr. Boring to the Chinese
Superintendent of Customs indicates a step in the right
direction; but we are eliqsoecel to question the propriety of
a feeling that would hamper the local government at a mo-
ment of evident difficulty. We voluntarily consented to
act the part of Custom-house officers for the Chinese, and
in all reason and honour they are entitled to a brief notice
of the intention to refrain from performance of such duties
any longer .
" British Consulate, Canton 21st July, ISil.
" Sir,—l have the honour to infirm your excellency that
in consequence of instructions received from Iler Britannic
Majesty's covet-Imola, and which have been communicated
to me by his excellency the plenipotentary, all interference
of this consulate in the collection of duties in this port e
articles imported or exported will cease from this time
forward.
" I shall regularly announce to your excellency the arrival
of every British ship in this port, and shall require the cons
sismees and captains to deposit in this consulate the
ship's papers with the manifest of the cargo, and I shall re-
tain the papers until the grand clasp is produced to autho-
rise the ship's departure.
"The situation of the British merchant will,therefore,from
this day, he that of every other for, ign merchant established
here, and, like them, he will he expected to arrange his
busiuew with your excellency's officers through his own
linguist. 'f o any complaint officially made, I shall give a
prompt and caretul attention, asking tOr my countrymen no
exemption.. which are not enjoyed by others, but requiring
that they shall be subjected to no disadvantages or restric-
tions which do not equally press upon all.—l have, 6:e."
SINGAPORE.

COLLISION BETWEEN THE ERIN AND
THE PASHA.

SINGAPORE, Aro. 2.

If the past month may be considered wanting in
matters of local interest a fearful catastrophe in its
immediate neighbourhood has engrossed and con-
tinues to engage public attention. Eighty iniles dis-
tant from hence, in the Straits of Malacca, a collision
took place between the Peninsular and Oriental
Compaq's steamers Erin, front Calcutta to China,
and the Pasha, hence to Calcutta, involving the loss
of sixteen lives and nearly one million of dollars.
The particulars of this melancholy event are as fol-
lows : The Erin, Captain Tronson, left Calcutta July
13th, and Penang the 20th, with 1,1'50 chests
of opium for Singapore and China, valued
at more than 115,0001., and the l'acha,
Captain Miller, quitted Hong-Kong July 10th,
and Singapore the 21st, at 1 p.m. The Pachu
had on board 47 boxes of dollars, 42 boxes of gold
bars, 9 boxes of gold dust, 6 boxes of syeee, and
other Rroperty aggregating in value 600,000 dol-
lars, chtetly front -China, and for Calcutta. The fol-
lowing passengers were on board the Pacha:.—Dr.
Briscoe, of 11.M.'s 59th ltegt.; M. Hardouin
French gentleman, from the Mauritius), and two
Chinese from Singapore for I'enang. Shortly after
sunset the Pasha MIS abreast of the Brothers, the
Carinons bearing south, and distant about four miles,
and the Eacha was kept her course, N.W. and byi
W.; but, owing to a variation in the ship's compass
of 5 or 6 degreestoeastward,the ship was found to in-
cline close to the Malacca shore, and they steered a litt lc
to the northward of her course until past 11 p.m.,
when an imperfect observation was obtained of
Mount Formosa, and Captain Miller was of opinion
he was drawing towards a shoal, to keep well away
from which is particularly advised by Horsburgh, in
his Book of Directions." At this juncture,
llh. 35m., the third officer, Mr. Grysdale, who had
the watch, reported a light on the starboard bow,
which Captain Miller considered was a ship's light,
and considering, from the situation of the light, and
his proximity to the Formosa shoal, that he could
not pass to port, he ordered the helm to be put a
starboard. About the same time, or a few minutes
after, the officer of the watch in the Erin ob-

served a light, but assigns it a different po-
sition to. that stated by those on board
the Pacha, and Captain Tronson, being in-
formed of the circumstance, !directed the Erin's
helm to be put a-port, as directed by tiro Trinity
Masters, whenever practicable and vessels happen to
be near each other. At this time the vessels were
' estimated to be seven or eight miles distant from
each other. Captain Miller, in putting the helm as
mentioned, thought that by running the ship off W.
by N. and W., he would run clear away from the
shoal and altogether out of the way of the Erin, as
from the latter vessel the course of the Pacha could I
be observed. Had the Erin, instead of porting the,
helm, held her course, she would have
three or four miles astern of the faa:sheni.
Both vessels, however, steered as above men-
tioned, and at full power. For some minutes the
Erin's light was not visible, the lamp having, it
would appear, been lowered at " seven bells" (11,1
hours r.u.), for the purpose of trimming it. Up to
this period it was unknown ou board of either vessel
that the other was a steamer. After five or six
minutes the Erin's light was again visible. A blue
light was burnt on board the Pacha, which was
answered by the other, and it was then known that
both vessels were steamers. The helm of the Paella
was still kept to starboard; all this time, or nearly
so, the Erin was so kept to port, and at ono time the
latter's mast-head light was observed abaft the
Pacha's starboard paddle-box, the Erin steering as if
it was wished to communicate with the Pacha, and
the latter striving to avoid her. At about twelve
cmidnight), both vessels were observed close
in contact, and orders given to stop the engines, bat'
unhappily too late, and a collision took place ; the
Pasha was run into a little before the starboard
paddle-box, the Erin's stem passing a little beyond
the Pasha's foremast, almost going over her. The
scene that ensued was frightful beyond description.
The masts of the Fuchs fell almost on the instant,
rendering escape next to impossible, as she went
down in six or seven minutes in twenty-live fathoms
water. Excepting the captain, third officer, Drs.
Fox and Briscoe, the head engineer, and the watch
on deck, nearly all hands were asleep below in their
berths. Some got into the quarter-boats, which were
carried before being released from the davits ; others
climbed up the Erin's stem, or throw themselves into
the water and gained the Erin, or were picked up by
her boats. Dr. Briscoe and the third officer were
observed aft, and are believed to have either got into
ono of the quarter-boats or jumped into the sea, and
were carried down when the vessel foundered. Those
missing on board the l'acha are, Dr. Briscoe, M.

Hardouin, and two Chinese passengers, T. Greysdale,
third officer ; it. Orton, clerk in charge; M. Johnson-,
and T. Williamson, able seamen ; C. Rose, J. Lawlor,
Dnme, and Robinson, stokers ; T. Cooper and ft,
Wilkins, stewards ; Leech, officers' scrrant ; and Z
Bilverlock, butcher.
The Erin remained near the spot until 1 o'clock in
the morning, with the view of picking up any,of the
unfortunate survivors, but could not remain until
daylight, as she was in a sinking state, being kept
afloat by her two air-tight compartments, and in
danger of sinking. After applying temporary means
to prevent the water rushing in at the bows, the port
one being greatly injured, a consultation was held ns
to the propriety of proceeding to Maly ca, but ulti-
mately they decided on coining on to Singapore,
which place she readied on the afternoon of the 22nil,
in a very critical state. The opium was removed,
and the steamer is in course of being repaired, to
enable her to proceed on to China. Of the Erin,
about 6(10 chests are damaged by sea-water, and a
portion of it sold by auction on account of the under-
writers.
As the

attending this melancholy
are in course of investigation by the
police authorities here, it would be unfair to the
parties to offer any opinion on the facts, as wales the
amount of culpability attached to the commanders
of the steamers, or either of them. The public is
entitled to the fullest inquiry, since, in the history of
steam navigation, no other instance can be found or
two vessels sighting each other at the distance of
seven or eight miles, in the open sea, getting in con-
tact, and accompanied by such a sad loss of lilt and
property. Should the evidence suffice, it is highly
probable that the commanders of both steamers will
sent up to the Criminal Sessions, and be tried in
the Admiralty Court hero for criminal or culpable
negligence. Blame, a fearful amount, too, must
attach somewhere, and it behoves the executive and
the managers of the Peninsular and Oriental
Company to make a searching inquiry into
the cause of the collision, which ordinary care
in decreasing the speed or stopping the engines
timously would have avoided ; moreover, the prac-
tice of steamers making it a point to communicate
with each other during a dark night, ought to ho
discountenanced and put a stop to. The inquiry at
the police office will be resumed on Monday, the 4th
instant. .

By the above related catastrophe the direct Cal-
cutta and China steam line will be stopped until
other vessels reach India, unless the Company charter
some of the vessels belonging to a private company
at Bombay.
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