The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-18 00:00:00

The news from Burmah reaches to the com-
mencement of July. Nothing had been heard of
the Nugent. If wood and iron could hold through
the gale, which the Lady Nugent must have en-
countered on the 24th and 25th of May, there is
every probability that she has not gone down at
sea. The vessel was rebuilt in 1843 of teak and
saul, and was classed A 1 at Lloyd's for ten years.
In 1853 she was replaced on the 1.:111110 number for
three years more, a fact which sets all doubts as
to her seaworthiness completely at rest. She was
carefully surveyed again at Madras before being
taken up by Government, and found to be thoroughly
provided with all necessary stores. The probabi-
lity is that she has been driven on shore' on the
weather side of the Andamans,. a fact which will
account for the absence of any iutellgence as to her
' fate, as it would be impossible for the crew to
communicate in that case with the Burmese or
Tenasserirn coast. It would be idle to say that no
fears need be entertained as to the safety of the
passengers and ship's company, but the balance of
probability is beyond all question in favour of their
present existence. Energetic efforts are to be
made to raise the electric telegraph in Pegu.
Major Durvernet, of the trigonometrical survey,
has been appointed superintendent, and it is ex-
pected that the posts will be erected by February
next. After being once established from Rangoon
to Prome, it will be carried across the Arracan
mountains, by Chittagong, to Calcutta. At Ran-
goon there was gl-eat activity in the dockyard,
about 20 large gunboats being in course of
building.
From Central Asia we have nothing of im-
portance to report. The Persians are said to be
strengthening themselv'es at Merw, and the Rus-
sians continue to negotiate with the Herat chief,
who has been complaining to Dost Mahomed that
the Candahar chiefs continue to despoil him of
portions of his territory.
From the Punjaub we learn that the Afreedees
in the Kohat Pass are still engaged in settling dif-
ferences among themselves. Some travellers hav-
ing been robbed in that pass, the Deputy-Commis-
sioner of Kohat made a demand for compensation,
and finally shut up the pass, preventing all trade.
One particular tribe only, it seems, had been guilty,
and all the tribes in the pass met, with the inten-
tion of considering the matter, and punishing the
offender. A correspondent of the Bengal Harkaru,
in reference to the matter remarks—" You have
heard, I dare say, that Captain Coke has shut up
the Kohat Pass once more (about a week ago).
Some men were robbed in the Pass within the
Akhor boundary. The deputy-commissioner of
Kohat called on the people of Akhor for compensa-
tion, according to treaty. They made lame
excuses, and the deputy slammed the door of the
Pass, and bolted it with the usual blockade,
declaring there should be no more trading
with Kohat or Peshawur for Jack Afreedee,
until he came to terms. Explanations soon ensued,
and it appeared that a feud had been raging between
Akhor and Bostee-khel, with various ups and
downs of manslaughter. The men of Bostee-khel
proving the strongest, set some of themselves to
commit robbery in the Akhor district, and so got
the Akhorees into trouble. Akhor did not mind
paying the amount leviable as compensation for
the loss inflicted on the travellers, but thought the
same thing would occur every week, and become
ruinous ; so Akhor declined to pay, with a view to
a parliamentary inquiry. And at this moment all
the tribes of the Pass and their allies are holding
a punehaeet on the feud, with a view to punching
Bostee-khel's head. The row is all among the Afree-
dees
themselves; and until they settle it, their trade
is most effectually stopped. Gradually they will
learn that their own interest is to keep order." We
formerly announced that the electro-telegraphic
cable had been carried across the Bens, and have
now to mention that everything is ready for placing
a cable of three miles in length across the Sutlej.
At the last meeting of the Paris Exhibition Com-
mittee at Lahore the display of local manufactures
was said to be very creditable, and a large collec-
tion will he sent down to B,Aubly to be forwarded
to Europe. Many merchants in the Punjaub have
signified their intention of forwarding goods to
the Exposition on their own account. Large quan-
tities of English iron have reached Atok for
the suspension-bridge to be thrown across the
Indus. Mr. Colvin, it is stated, has sent in a
proposition for constituting Nainee Tal the vir-
tual capital of the north-west provinces, that is
for making it the seat of government, and for
building a suitable residence for the lieuenant-
governor, with accommodation for the public
offices. Among the obituaries is that of Mr. Philip
_Melvin, of the Bengal civil service, who had been
for nearly five years secretary to the late board of
administration for the affairs of the Punjaub. In
some parts of the Nizam's dominions serious ap-
prehensions of a famine are entertained, if the
country be not speedily visited with more abundant
supplies of rain. The Nizam's cavalry volunteered
their services to the Governor-General to be em-
ployed in any part of the world where they might
be needed, but with thanks their offer was declined
for the present. An attempt was made at Hydera-
bad, by seven Jemadars, to place the Nizam's De-
wan in confinement, in order to force from him the
payment of certain arrears due ; but the project
having been betrayed the minister immediately ap-
prehended all the conspirators, of whom Vendrut
Ali Khan, the chief of the Rohillas, was one. The
prompt action of the minister, the authority which
he has shown that he possesses, and the submis-
sion of the great Rohilla chiefs, are facts full of
promise for the quietness of the future. All the new
arrangements in regard to the Hyderabad contin-
gent have now been carried out. The Resident has
the power of appointing native officers, while the
same powers in regard to English officers are in the
hands of the Governor-General. The Resident has
now, for his guidance in military matters, a military
secretary, draWing a salary of 1,500 rupees monthly.
The contingent itself is to consist of not less than
four field batteries of artillery, 2,000 cavalry, and
2,000 infantry, the command being vested in two
brigadiers, one having his head-quarters at Aurun-
gabad, and the other at Bolarum. It is expected,
however, that in a short time there will be only one
brigadier. The whole financial economy of the
Contingent is placed under the direct control of the
Bengal departments. The Madras government, we
are informed, have taken up the subject of improve-
ment in native agriculture, and purpose offering
prizes, &c., to encourage improvement. Lord Harris
has postponed his visit to the Godavery. It is gene-
rally
more stuhpapoo
as e
tdhiEonue
aunr odpfee
et
th aotr ceo holds
a ebroav neverethe levelasc e n o
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German
nt
missionaryt e Madras
on papersthe mentionNe
err
itehse,
or, death a
s
they are better called, the Blue Mountains, which
are eight thousand feet high. It is said to be the
first ease of cholera among Europeans which has oc-
curred, but that disease is not uncommon among
the natives on those hills, as on those of Mahabu-
leshwur. From Calcutta the only items of in-
telligence are that Lord Dalhousie is expected
to remain in India if his health permits until 1856.
The Russian war is the reason assigned for his lord-
ship's stay. The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal has
proceeded on a tour of inspection, and is not expected.
to be again in Calcutta before October. The Bank
of Bengal has declared its 31st dividend. It is at the
rate of 10 per cent, per annum. Sir Lawrence Peel
has intimated his intention of leaving India at the
end of the year, ill health compelling his lordship to
resign. Of local matters we have not much to
chronicle. The trial of Captain Haines, ex-political
agent at Aden, for embezzlement, commenced on
Tuesday, the 25th instant, before the Hon. Sir
Charles Jackson. The jury were composed entirely
of Europeans, the great majority of them being gen-
tlemen employed in banks, mercantile offices, and as
auctioneers, and consequently well accustomed to
accounts. Capt. Haines came to the court with his
solicitor, Mr. Jefferson, near whom.he sat until his
lordship took his seat on the bench, when he walked ,
Ttbbee
rGereegaht
fWareestienrna
THE GREOA
iT
upWaiy ElSTEbßaNveßcAion,wedart:h—e
into the dock and
clerkboweddulryesspweo:rtnfu,ltlyheto the jouf d
the
. Railway
C
'Crilroewjuurryeandatvhinegfirbseteinndictment containing twenty- line from Westbourne-terrace to the Harrow-road, for
two different items, charging embezzlement and the purpose of pulling down the bridge and erecting a
fraudulent miappyopriation of
money,
to new one. In the meantime, directions are given on a
which Captain Haines pleaded " public
not guilty." The notice board, that the public are to make use of the
Advocate-General, assisted by
Messrs. Howard and
next bridge lacing Southwick-gardens, and which is dig-
; nified by the name of the Ranelagh-bridge. A little
Standen
edefnor the prosecution,
case
defended the ma-
•farthe• down the line, below the place where they take
- the tickets on arrival, they have pulled down the brick
soner. Mr. Taylor applied for permission. for Cap-
danthdes
and sto.,e bridge and erected one entirely of iron the
counsel, roadway and sides being of that material, and the bridge
L°andwiAildeesss'res.onTdauyeloter
but his lordship said that
.it had been ruled that in is three time.; the width it was before, supported by iron
risoner should be in the •
tain Haines to be allowed to sit near his
sides being ,
all cases of felony th® p pillars of a light and handsome character. The bridge
dock, and as Captain Haines had already been ar- is quite horizontal and very lofty, so that there are no
raigned there it was
necessary he should remain in arches, and the company have been enabled to lay down
would be afforded iO, ! several additional lines of rails. The now bridge is Tory
•
to yam of corazuniating nthll 3lie 3 MA hip
1 Umbers° structure.
the dock. Every.
.opportunity .

The Overland Friend of China of the 22d states
that H.M.S. Baracouta had brought word from
Shanghai, which she left on the 14th of July, that
H.M.S. Encounter was going to scour the north-
eastern seaboard, where it was supposed the Rus-
sian fleet was to be heard of. The intelligence
from Pekin is scanty, indecisive, and stale. In the
interval of six weeks elapsed since former dates,
there had been time for the insurgent forces to
leave Nankin and gain the northern capital.
The Pekin Gazette of the sth of June contains a
memorial from Tsae-juy, recommending the applica-
tion for further subscriptions, in order to coin more
copper cash for the current expenses of the Govern-
ment. He says that the outlay on account of the
army is becoming enormous, while resources are
exhausted, and difficulties increase. Hwuy-tsing-
Wang and his fellows have applied for contribu-
tions, and have recommended the coining of iron
cash, which have been brought into circulation,
and proved satisfactory as far as the supply went ;
but the memorialist suggests that the embarrass-
ments of the Government are daily becoming greater
and greater—the demands upon the treasury are
multiplied; while the resources of supply are dimi-
nished ; and although some relief may be afforded
for a time, there is no prospect of returning plenty.
Her Majesty's steam-ships Rattler and Styx
reached Shanghai, on their return from Nankin,
on the 7th inst.

The Imperialists were courteous at Chinkeang
and at Silver Island, and are said to be in con-
siderable force on both sides the Key of the Yang-
tsze." The large quantity of coal lying along the
wharf at Nankin, which the steamers were anxious
to secure, the insurgents would not allow to be
touched on any consideration. They strangely
enough alleged that it belonged to God, and it
would be blasphemy to touch it.
At Shanghai a lengthy correspondence has been
published between her Britannic Majesty's pleni-
potentiarymnd British merchants, the latter pray-
ing that demands for arrears of duties may be
brought against them, and tried in the Supreme
Court of Hong Kong. To this request the pleni-
potentiary will not accede, and has told them that
the only appeal from the consul's decision will be
to him as the representative of her Britannic Ma-
jesty.
Canton (says the Overland Friend of China of
July 22) is now on the point of all anxiety, and
though not in the actual possession of rebels it is
apparently the next thing to it. As we write a
letter arrives, written yesterday, from which we
learn that firing and fighting had been going on
on the hills in the rear of the city for several
hours, and every one was anxious to see what the
result would be. Business at a complete stand still,
and all Chinese possessing the means moving away
as fast as possible. The plans for capturing Canton
appear to have been laid with much foresight and
skill. All the troops that could be sent from the
garrison were first attracted to the Tooug-koon dis-
trict. That being effected, Ho-Aluk, the rebel
leader, then moved up the river towards Fat-shan,
passing with a body of three thousand picked men,
it has been ascertained, within a couple of miles of
the foreign factories.
Fat-shau (a rich town some 10 miles above Can-
ton) being occupied, and the residents laid under
tribute, Ho-Aluk's bands now assail the Tartar
encampment at the northward of the city. Two
nights ago they made au attempt to enter the city
at its northern and eastern gates, and not until
they had captured two mandarins, and killed and
wounded several others, did they desist from the
attack. Before going to press, it is not unlikely
that we may have to tell of the citadel having been
taken and the regime of a couple of centuries
brought to a close.
For the protection of British property at Canton
the Comus, 14 guns, is moored off the factories,
and the sloop Racehorse is to go up from this to
join her there in a day or two. The Americans
have the steamers Queen and John Hancock and
schooner J. F. Cooper, with a couple of chop boats,
and some four score men from the Vincennes, at
Whampoa. This force is strong enough to effect
anything necessary. The French corvette La Jeanne
d'Arc remains at Macao, where we trust she will
stay until the Portuguese corvette Dom Joao re-
returns from Ningpo. French interests at Canton
are not very great, and not likely to suffer much
by the forthcoming emeute. French fingering of
this Chinese bourbillon is strongly to be depre-
cated.
From the coast we learn that the large and rich
town of Suatow, in the Fokien province, has been
burnt by a party who had taken possession of it.
From the North China Herald, of the 15th, we
take the following
We understand that despatches were received on the
12th inst. at the British Superintendency and the Ame-
rican Legation, from the respective consulates at Ningpo,
giving information that hostilities had taken place there
between the Portuguese and the Chinese, the Portuguese
corvette Dom Joao 1., with a fleet of 15 Portuguese
lorchas, having fired upon the piratical fleet in the service
of the Taoutae of that place, &c. As we understand it, the
Portuguese corvette was despatched from Macao last
May, to visit all the ports on the coast as far as Shang-
hai, and at the same time to settle at Ningpo some dif-
ficulties which had taken place between the Portu-
guese and Chinese, and to claim from the latter in-
demnification for two or three lorchas plundered and
captured by the piratical fleet, which has for some
time past been in the servkNingpo.
The of the Taoutae of
The corvette arrived at Ningpo about 24th of June,
a
and we are told that Captain Lopez made the ne-
cessary demands, to which the Taoutae gave evasive re-
pliesha e
t would
pildrbaetiseeatltlfiedeetperoompemrleyn,
commenced making , whilst at
pre-
parations for a fight, landing their guns and mounting
the samet
them on the top of the city wall, threatening to blow the
corvette out of the water if she attempted any attack.
We have not got full particulars as to how hostilities
first commenced, all we hear being to the effect that at
4 p.m. on Monday last the Portuguese were firing at
the piratical junks, and at their defences on
shore.
It was rumoured at Ningpo that the Portuguese were
going to land the next day and march into the city,
the object being to seize the piratical chief "