The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-15 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

INDTA. AND CHINA

,LA few days ago we published our usual telegra-
phic despatch from Trieste, in anticipation of the
Overland We Lave now received our papers
by the same route. The following is the summary
of the Bombay Time's, date I April 14 :
The latest accounts from Burmah still represent
the state of the country as most unstiefactory.
A detachment of Sepoys, escorting provisions
to Pronae' had been attacked by Docoits,
when two Sepoys were killed and 14 wounded.
The
Party numbering 70 men of the 10th
Bengal Native Infantry, -under the command of
Captain Phillot, when five miles from Taphocn,
Was fired into from the dense jungle through which
the road lay, and in which the dacoits were con-
cealed. On the first fire the cart drivers unyoked
their bullocks and ran away, so that Captain Phil-
lotcould neither advance nor return without leaving
the wounded men of his detachment behind, the
Only doolv lie had being occupied by a wounded man
who subsequently died. However, the Captain
charged his assailants and drove them through the
itingleat the bayonet's point, but no sooner were they
dislodged from one point than they appeared at
another. After two hours' hard fighting, Captain
b
hillot's detachment was reinforced by a party
of the 4th Sikhs, under the command of Lieute-
nantl Dunbar, who were accompanied by two de-
nuaalts, upon which the wounded were placed, and
all returned to Taphoon. Captain Phillot is said to
have had a most narrow escape ; the pony he was
°ll was shot dead, the ball passing through the
animal and grazing the rider's leg. Another bullet
went through h is forage cap and lodged in the shoulder
of one of the sepoys. The loss sustained upon this
occasion by the Burmese has not been accurately
ascertained but a wounded chief who had been
made prisoner died on the road to Taphoon. Major
-,utha.ll has marched from Yargun with 250 of the
19th and 47th Arracanese and Peguese in search
of Gounghee, and it is hoped he may be suc-
cessful in capturing that dacoit leader. The re-
Gn that Major Allan, the Deputy Quartermaster-
eneral, had been attacked and wounded and the
announcement that the King of Ava had been
d,,Pcisoned, are, as we anticipated, alike without foun-
dation. All parties concur in considering an ad-
a;a,nce on Ava unavoidable, and some dissatisfaction
beginning to be expressed at the policy pursued
in reference to the Burmese by the Governor-Gene-
ral. Sir S. W. Steel, K.C.8., it is confidently as-
serted, has been appointed to the command of the
forces in Burmah, and is to proceed there forthwith.
From Persia we have no intelligence upon which
"° can place much confidence. It is, however,
stated that 800 Persians had besieged the fort of
As"--has) in which was the Arab Chief, Mahomet
a'eern, and about 1,000 men. A three-masted
a-
eesel, with 500 troops on board, was also firing on
the
Persians, who are said to have lost 110 men.
t is also added that the Persians will be obliged
to retire, as the Arabs are well supplied with am-
munition. Sheik Kannoon of Aboo Dubbee and
ale Charga Chief were inclined to assist the Arabs,
td had set sail to do so, but they were pre-
. ciated by the British agent, who desired them not
interfere. The Ryots of Bunder Abbas were
safely
located at Kissim. A report was also cur-
rent at Cabul that the King of Persia had
sent an ambassador to Mahomed Saeed Khan,
son of the late Vuzeer Yar Mahomed Khan,
of
Beret, advising him to place his family
at, Neeshapoor (a Persian province in Khorassan,
States
Herat) until peace is established between the
at"
of Khoorshaid. Khoola (Sunny Cap, meaning
• , thealso
Emperor of Russia) and the Sultan. He has
a.,a30 directed him, as well as the Chiefs of Can-
tualiar, to keep their troops ready, and march them
° any side he may authorize hereafter. "Nou-
roz," the equinox, was fixed as the day for the de-
parture of the families from Herat. The Persian
-Ambassador, it is alleged, is deeply engaged in gain-
ing the confidence of the population of Herat, both
Persians and Afghans. He treats them with every
.assurance of kindness on the part of the Shah of
Persia. As to Dost Mahomed, his reported offer of
friendship is said to have been a piece of duplicity on
his part, but nothing certain on the subject has
transpired. It is alleged that the Khan of Khiva,
the King of Persia, aid the King of Bokhara have
entered into a treaty offensive and defensive, and
that Dost Mahomed, influenced by Burukzaee
chiefs of Cabul through the advice of the Kokan
merchants, had secretly deputed Jaffer Khan to
the King of Persia. Sooltau Mahomed Khan, the
ex-Chief of Peshawur, had also despatched Allandad
Khan to his Majesty on his own behalf.
- From Madras we learn of the total loss of the
ship Banker's Daughter, bound from Port Philip
to Bombay, and of the barques Hosannah and
Ramoody of this port ; the two former vessels were
Wrecked on the 'Maldive, the latter on the Lacca-
dive Islands. We are happy to add that the crews
Were all saved. Sir H. Pottinger is to leave India
theeY the steamer of the 24th inst. Gen. Stavely,
Commander-in-Chief, loft Madras on the 23th
V•`,intendingo, on a tour of inspection and review in the
-Ysore Division, intending to proceed from thence
° Coonoor and the Nelgherry hills, but the eie
petted change of the President-in-Council necessi-
dates, it is said, his speedy return to the Presi-
liency, that he may be present in Council at the eiswe,arine• in of the new Governor. Lord Dalhousie
in tlO
take effectual measures to secure peace
'lllO Nizeen's country.
0, e
s" From Bengal we learn that Government had
chartered thteamer Precursor, a proceeding that
Missed many opinions to be surmised. One was that
to was destined to convey troops to Pegu, another
ea carry them to Persia, but the most reasonable
vel,l,.se assigned is, that the ve)sel is destined to con-
-13 J. information to the officer commanding the
bpr,itish squadron in China of the declaration of war
prepared,
England and Russia, so that he may be
fa:Pared, by receiving earlier intelligence of this
oot, than the Russian 'Comm ander, to ke measures
anl),"ect our settlements in that part of tb) worlo,
tt-i) if advisable, bring the Russian squadron to an
r-,aagernent.
ist"he latest accounts from Ceylon confirm the ex-
vence of gold, but it is extremely doubtful indeed
te?„et her it can be procured in sufficient quantity to
";tinerae parties digginges for it.
,_4 fairamount of busins has been done in the
4eneral market, but money is scarce.

•
CHINA.
fur last reports from the northern capital (to
30th of January) contain nothing of novelty,
widlough they are important as confirmatory of
lat was published of the patriots' progress at the
c)
il'e of last year, viz., that they were quite able to
ka 414tain the position taken up for winter quarters
9.41 e two months before) against all the forces
Ven-fung had power to bring against them ; in-
deed these reports are more than confirmatory.
i 5 Certain that the Imperialists have sustained
ievere defeats. What may have occurred within
14 eight weeks which have elapsed since the last
eLin Gct:ette was published, it is impossible to
Say with certainty ; but if the winter has been
a. Mild in China in 40 deg. north as it has been
41 lower latitudes, we may soon expect to find
that both northern and southern capitals being in
the hands of the new dynaAy, the first duty of
our new Plenipotentiary will be to treat with the
de facto Government regarding our relations,
RPeedily requiring, as they do, an effective amend-
zukeol.

From Nankin we have most pleasing accounts
of the steadiness and good sense of the members of
the new Administration, and there is reason for
believing that whilst Thae-ping-Wang, in a praise-
Worthy spirit of humanity, is desirous of effecting
conclusion of the struggle by beleaguiting Pekin,
!"Ildealarmine- Hien-fung into flight from his palace,
41 other provinces of the Empire his Majoity is
Wetly consolidating his power. During the cur-
tit month we have had reports of three provincial
es having fallen under his sway.
thatW e mentioned in our last overland summary
1,,,—;4, the Tartar General Heang-yung was expected
b..'" his forces to make a final attempt at Shanghai,
but the order to break up their encampment and
parch southwards appears to have been the signal
t I,,,gneneral disarranment and thousands upon
r
of the troops at once either declared
laninew So,Nereign
s further movements about Shanghai, in
,or deserted from the Tartar flag.
Ilzece absence. of Heang-yung, are confined to the
to asional daily hire of three or four thousand men
hazake a show. These men—rebels in heart,
f,„ -vies by principle—put on the Imperial um-
-1111 for small pittances. Canton men for a sum
ie•tquivalent to is. a day. Natives of Shanghai do
recent
9d. On the occasion of Sir S. G. Bohnam's
With
visit to Shanghai, and interchange of calls
bunth
aaSlraamrm,gsq,eua, there were some strong musters,
proportion of them forgot to return
tthLeir.
which afterwards found their way into
ILeurgent barracks in the city. An extensive
co
short
time Piracy was discovered in Samqua's camp a
,e ago, and several of his officers have been
tOt to Soochow and there decapitated. Altogether
ellanc( s of the Imp
erialists' ability to retakeh
's'euaeghai, now nearly half a year in the rebels' pos-
c_sion, are very small. At other places on the
coast all appears to be quiet.
_lea Canton on Thursday last there was a great
CUtioll • three were partially flayed, then cut in
pieces, and their hearts taken to the Mandarins for
I,lslBPection • one was crucified, and G 5 others simply
fitecapitat_ci.
e The horrid spectacle was witnessed by
llror five foreigners, neither of whom, unfortu-
nately,A._ from ignorance of the language, could un-
uerstand the nature of their crimes.
exchange at Shaighai; on'the 14th inst., was as