The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-20 00:00:00

LONDON. THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20, 1880.

GREAT FANCY FAIR. Crosby Hall, Bishops-
ink, In AID st TWIN MITROPOLITAN TM
HOSPITAL to carequinan of motioned supply of contri-
bution and lb* lummox Madams yeanarday, tie Conunitles
have decided to HITEND the Hamar over to-morrow. Yriday.

BIJCIELICYB' SKR/INADIR& —St James *-
WI. Piteadilly.—ZYKßY NIGHT at II sad • Day Per-
OININSIKII ea Weedy afeerame. at B.—Stalls. k. ; area. la:
Whey, la. Ticket' may be obtained at the libraries arid some
Idlers% aad at the IMP* alike, ft Piccadilly.
arm et Programme.

NATIONAL MiIIZMBLY BOOMS, High
flothera—Ths wastilihment. so highly patronised bT
W public, Mande uastralled for the beautp, castanets'. and W-
pm* of Ns EssaratioNa The dancing area la most extensile and
is.
=by sap balker' la the ropol The reading, 1.114 tobieshmeat mbar attachemetd are cow open for the
whiter seems sad the bililliset nerd Myatt' to the comfort of
the Matters The much admired beak ender the direction of
their highly talented chid, Mr. Pectic, performs all the choicest
music of the day. latsostias solos ca the cornet. violin, oboe,
clarinet. euphonium, Le. laalon to all parts of the establish-
meet, Is

ARGYLL ROOMS, Windmill-street, Picca-
dilly. the handsomest sad Met proportioned room la
Reeve, are OPEN for CONCERTI and DANCINO. Conducted
by the well beery artist, Mons. Anthony Lunette, of Parisian
celebrity. M. boalcourt, the greatest cornet plwr In this
wientry. plays solos nbOtly. Doers opsa at half-peat 7.
Dessolug at sock. Aiseless. la.
ILI. —A ficent smoking and reading-room is added to
aft esiablistiment.

BRIDE CABER, Ow to Twenty (inns.enolt--
• Madams Caw trrM OWN• Dmask MIMI% ma
bird Cam Or la le Ma orb: slow allmilmeled almend
Cakas r demon. .2=
6.7 Tarlslails. IA
w 7:-.
iiipm.sterovkliA
Cat siM OsamMiser, I

CHRISTMAS BOXES or HAMPERS.
VINDLATIR, MACKIE sad Co., Mae and Vitt Mot-
elude (Arieta for thahaimorslitra Stoat and a.sad Co.'. Pas
Ale), NI, WILLINOTOMWTRIZT, rrziwn, W.C.,
mats op Halklosia Boas or Dampers fat tla.„ cosidalog
ONE BOTTLE MIXT FRENCH BRANDY.
ONZ „ MST SCOTCH or Hun MURKY.
ONE „ OLD JAMAICA 101.
ONE „ EMT sad ITRONOMIT DIE.
ONE „ FINE OLD PORT.
ONE BILEERT.
Delivered aye IMAM No =Boo ol their ==it.
Country orders to ••••sp•Mot by •

PICIWITINII at the Reduced
Doti —lldl paid te anylitalce a od.—TBOIL IfIINN
sad BOMB elmagly rescamend VW tR of Me shore mined
dopers:—Bed Owe Wine. BM and Pea pm demo;
evertor, Mlik, &a, Bed Yti ; AmontlUado, 411 a, Ms., Mil
eM ladlam : tad MIN Madeira, IM : &mama's
Pieta Ma end ; old Whi mvery old
end blab dna dna, He., er,
,to 110 s. Claret—food Bardeen&
Na Bt. Julies, Ids. ;Bt Lkpbe, 30e. and &a . Weber deal
rangtei tress Ma. to las. Clumpagno,very .
ills. ; Marfa& Ma, OM, eft, and 70. Bapplied by TIM!.
MIMI and BONB, wine, spirit, and Unarm membeats (upwards
of ft years purveyors to the Bon. Beek* at INsobeelae), SI,
lamb's Ooadulastreet, N.C. Paced NM ea mpliestion.

TEMPTS and SON, Wine and Spirit Merchant'.
POILIKIN MILT= at liola guar at advantageous prices.
rrlntaillas. rary maim Oa, Ur. p "Ahem. choice
al• Nome, TM, Kiii.scr
par plias ; eased Fiehledaut LW.
I re. per cam (caw dome) loeielge
=wat ell labladt°Vpric• Wu tram applleation. Terms,
--tL Ilidaapapiestaret Within.

POULTRY, Game, Cheese, Butter, Hants, so.,
IM quality.—lngsuriant to rand Um, Hotel.ksepers, Rc.
Yams. W. and J. s TAYLOR, 35, Little Pultsueyntreet,
Chsessincagers, Poulterers. and Porkman, hare always on Mud
• antral* Mock of Chasse, Butter, Hams, and mild cured
Dacca, Poultry, and delryfed Pork, fresh from the uountry
e
rail
byvery
Lir or Pill7M.—Anest York Hams, from 10th. upwards, 104.
per lb : finest W Madre Bacon, by the side or half, so. pre lb.;
Imo American Cheese, by the half or quarter, 7W. to opl. pee
/b. ; doe Madder. from Sid. to 10d. per lb.: fine Meahln, Iton
Mkt"per Ih. ; floe Gloster, from lid. to ed. par lb. ; ape
Iran Is. to ls. 3d. pm lb.: duo Gruyere, 104. per lb.
ltortiout —tlood matt better, from L. to Is. Id. per lb. ;
book from Is. to Is. W. par lb.
Pulltrior —Vine young chickens, Is. ad. fine large fowls, from
iL to to. ad. ; fine young turkeys, from M. to D. ad.. ass your
from 4a. 64. to M. A large supply of game always em
DILLIT.FILD POLL—Logs, Irma 7yd. to ad. per lb.
tram Bd.Odd.

SEWING MACHINES.—WHIELER and
inuors mead "ILICLITITCH" OWING MACHINHS.
=is
geiLem UN le SOO Wham mhaaM.—lMM Imam, eel,
Demetsive /MIL
GAB AGAIN I—Two more serious explosions,
ems r Areemmed, Illemishesa, and the other In Seymour-
ihreet, heeds& Neither of them could bete takes Ore hest
MOW WHISTLING ATLAS CHANDELIZIth been used.
All yawn Irving sta.red should, therefore, have Woe Patent,
Hasty Cheedellen I Kepi ou show by meet esWestAle
peitiese Old dassadellere now In use may have She sebty Ind -
! mbar Stled Se them
AIM' Warta HeMememden.

CHINA.

(now ova owx

[The following letter, although inscribed " via Marseilles,"
was only delivered yesterday. NI arrival explains the
bier* at our correapondent's communication, dated October
13th, which we printed on Saturd►y, and which, as is now
seen, was little more than a post►cript We would call at.
Unitas to our ourremondeist's mention of the statement
made by the old mandarin to Mr. Parkes, which moon-
rages the hops that the missing Englishmen were still alive
and likely to obtain their liberty.]

CAMP BUMS PEKIN, Ocr. 9.
The English army left the camp it had occupied
since the engagezient on the 21st September on
the 3rd instant, and crossed over to the north side
of the canal that runs from the town of Tungchow
to the city of Pekin. On tho 4th it halted, waiting
fur the French to complete their arrangements and
get up their ammunition. The siege guns had
arrived from Tientsin a few days previous. On
the sth the allied forces marched to the Lime Kilns,
two miles from and opposite to the north-east angle
of the city walls. The begins and tents were left
behind, at a depot established on the north side of
the canal, and near the paved road leading to Pekin.
TricAseavy guns waft left there also. The allied
army comprised nearly 10,000 men, horse and foot,
with 38 Nieces of seld artillery. The soldiers' knap-
sacks were left at the Lime Kilns, and on the

morning of the 6th the whole army advanced to-
wards Pekin. On the northern side of the city is
• vast quadrangle, formed by an old mound or
earthwork, which probably protected a suburb that
once existed outside the wall. One side of this en-
closure is bounded by the northern wall of the
city. The east and west sides are formed by the
earthwork, in oontinuation of the east and west
walls ; and the northern face is • huge bank of earth,
manacling the two and running from east to west.
The distance from the northern aide of the enolonire
to the southern, which is the city wall, is about
a mile. The mound or embankment is over-
grown with trees and shrubs, the slope of its aides
is not steep, and there are many wide gaps in it,
through which roads lead to the city. The force
advanced across the country in columns of route ;
the French army on the left, directing its march
towards the eastern face of this embankment,
while the British moved parallel with, and outside
ot, the northern face. No opposition was encoun-
tered, beyond the exchange of a few shots with some
Tartars, who were leaving a village as our troops
entered it, and with some of the Chinese garrison
of the city, who had come up to the embankment,
and speedily reused as our skirmishers advanced.
Tbs army entered the enclosure within the
am entity a large gap, through which a road from
gate of the city leads to Pekin, and took
up lin ground it now occupies facing towards the
mantis wall, its rear protected by the embank-
ment, and covering the road leading up to the above-
mentioned gate, while the advanced poets are within
500 yards of the wall. The only enemy seen during
the day were a few Tartar horsemen, who retired
rapidly before the skirmishers of the Dragoon
Guards. The army arrived on the above ground at
half-past two p.m., and bivouacked there for the
night. In the mean time, the French force, after
Arriving at the eastern side of the enclosure and
'aioertainipg there was ao enemy inside, crossed the
British route to their rear, and making a sweep to
the right came upon the Emperor of China's sum-
mer palms, Yuan-Ming-Yuan, and our cavalry
brigade, which had been detached also to the right to
intercept any fugitives from the city, arrived
at the same place, and both bivouacked there for
the night, the French oocuping the palace, and
commencing its plunder, of which more anon. It
was now evident that the Tartar army had fled, and
this surmise was confirmed by all the village peo-
ple, who stated it had been encamped in the en-
closure the previous day, and had abandoned it
during the night and that morning. On the 7th
the English Commander-in-Chief rode out to the
Summer Palace, to see the French general. He wee
accompanied by Lord Elgin, who had come up with

the army the previous day. Yesterday a recon-
naissance was made up to the city walls, and •
favourable position for breaching selected, should
further operations be necessary. The officers of the
party got clime up to the northern wall, paring
through an extensive suburb, the inhabitants of
which evinced no hostility, or indeed any feeling
beyond curiosity. They found the wall to be 40
feet high, built of brick, or at least fried with that
material, the inside being of mud. There is no
ditch of any consequence, • parapet, loop-holed,
runs along the top, and there are • few embrasures
for guns. The flanking fire is insignificant. There
are two gates in the northern wall, each protected
by an outer work, and surmounted by towers, which
appear to be of sever►l stories, and to contain bar-
racks for the soldiers. A few of these were seen
on the wall, but they took no notice of the officers,
and did not fire any shots. Since the day of our
arrival negotiations have been going on through the
authorities iu the city with Prince Coong, who is
supposed to be somewhere in the neighbourhood.
The Emperor and his court tied some days before our
arrival, as well as all the grandees of the empire, so
that no one of high rank is left in Pekin. The
people are reported to be in great fear and excite-
ment, and the principal men with whom any inter-
course has been held are evidently in the same
state, fearing not only the allied army without the
walla, but the armed city guards within. The
result of all this has been that yesterday afternoon, at
4 o'clock, we were gladdened by the arrival from
the city, where they had been in confinement, of
Parkes, Loch, five Frenchmen, and one Sikh soldier,
all of whom were taken prisoners on the 18th ult.
When our army advanced and the Emperor lied,
they were taken from prison, and from that time
till yesterday kindly treated. They have had a
marvellous crape. Of the others we know nothing.
They are not iu the city ; but the old mandarin
who showed the most kiiiduer to Parkes and the
others who have been released, affirms that they
are alive, at least most of them, and that they
will be given up to us as soon as they can be
brought beck. In the meantime we are in hourly
expectation of ore of the gates of the city being
given up to us, and if that is done, Pekin is of
course at oar mercy—indeed it is almost so now,
for our engineers and artillerists are confident they
can breach the wall in a few hours, and the siege
guns are now within a few miles of our camp, and
will arrive this evening. What our subsequent
proceedings will be depends, I presume, in • great
measure on Lord Elgin. So far, with the excep-
tion of the unhappy capture of the prisoners, all
has gone prosperously with the army. The men
are in fine health and spirits, and able and ready
for anything, and the climate is most charming.
The Emperor's summer palace is a succession of