The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-16 00:00:00

CALCUTTA.

(From the Calcutta, Overland Price Current, April 7.)
The steamer Hindostan arrived on the Ist inst. with
London dates to the 24th of February last. •
Sugar here has been in brisk demand, but-large sup-
plies kept prices low until lately, when they became
firmer ; our quotations show a fall in all kinds except
Benares of 8 to 10 annas from the highest point at the
end of January last. The indigo market has been inani-
mate' and prices have gone lower than at any previous
period since the commencement of the season ; 20,634
chests have been shipped up to the sth inst., of
which 9,826 have gone to Great Britain, and 7,718 to
France. The planters complain loudly of the want of
rain, owing to which, the plant already in the ground is
suffering, and further progress in sowing is stopped ; for
particulars we refer to our article on indigo below. No
change has occurred in the value of saltpetre, which,
however, attracts a little more attention than it had
lately done from British shippers. Exports of rice to
Great Britain have fallen off very considerably. A de-
cline of 4 to 6 annas per seer in the value of raw silk
had the effeot of clearing the market ; the March bund
has failed owing to the drought, and further supplies
cannot be expected till the April growth is ready.
Shellac is still inquired for, at unaltered prices ; 205
chests have realised 11-2 per md. Lac dye has not re-
covered the decline quoted in our last report ; D T has
been placed at 70. The demand for hides has been un-
precedently active, and the shipments of these to Great
Britain are considerably above the average. Linseed
has also been in active request for both Great Britain
and America. Owing to the inferior quality of the sup-
plies of jute, prices gave way to the extent of 2 to 3
annas per md., but lately, the article ha.c: again regained
an upward tedency, and our quotations range as high
as they did a month ago.
Our market for cotton piece goods remains nearly in
the same state in which the last mail left it. Grey and
white shirtings, grey Madapollams, and grey and white
Jacconets have been respectably placed to a fair
extent, with a little improvement in the value of the
grey goods. Most other fabrics are dull, with prices
rather tending downwards than otherwise, but they
are sustained by the rather light supplies we have
had of late, which have caused a reduction in some of
the stocks. The better feeling noted in our last, as appa-
rent among the up-country men, has resulted in their
operating to a moderate extent, but their inquiries are
not animated. The twist market is dull ; dealers buy
sparingly, and only for immediate wants. Nos. 20 and
30 attract most notice ; the middling and ordinary qua-
lities of 40's have receded a trifle ; 50's are a shade
lower ; stocks generally have become heavier. A fair
amount of business has been done in Turkey red dyes,
both German and British. Orange and green yarns are
in limited request. The metal market is quiet. A spe-
culative demand prevailed during the past month for
copper, which became dearer, but lately the demand
has abated. Very little business in iron is in progress.
The holders of spelter are firm, but not much doing.
Both pig and sheet lead are in fair inquiry. Tin *plates
are in request at our quotatiOns.
The money 'market continues to be well supplied, but
a better'demand for the circulating medium is apparent.
Capitalists can readily find employment for their funds,
and the rates of interest are -improving, The share
market is firm. We quote Bank of Bengals at 6,000 ;
Agra Banks at 625 ; India General Steam., at 600 ; Ben-
gal Coal Company, at 725 ; New Oriental Life Insu-
rance, at 340 to 350. Government Securities arc a
shade lower. We quote the New Five per Cents, at
109-8 to 110 ; Sicca ditto, 102 to 104. Company's and
Sicca Rupee Fours at 99-12 to 99-14.
Exchange with London underwent very little varia-
tion since the date of our last report until within the
last few days, when a more plentiful supply of bills sent
them up id. higher. We now quote 2-0 i credits at 2-1
documents.

The rates of freight to London in dead weighl
remain nearly -unaltered. We quote 3/. 17s. 6d. salt
petre, and 3/. las. 6d. to V. sugar, and Q. rice to Lon
don.

The indigo market, until the, arrival of the mail, was
inanimate, and,-the prices obtained were lower than those
prevailing at any earlier period of the season. We
subjoin a list cof the sales by public auction. No sales
by private con tract have transpired. The news of the
results of the February sales has imparted a little more
liveliness to ti ie market, but prices, if anything, have
only improved a, mere shade. The advance on October
rates had been. anticipated and discounted here in the
earlier part of: the season. 20,634 chests have been
shipped up to the sth, of which 9,826 have gone to Great
Britain, and r„718 to France. The planters complain
loudly' of war it of rain. In Tirhoot the caterpillars
have committ. ?.(1 great havoc, and the destruction of
plant in that &I:strict has been large from the ravages of
those insatiabb insects. It is not, however, too late to
establish anotl ior crop there. On the line of the Bhauge-
rutty they are : u paiously waitingfor rain. Kishnaghur can
do as well with late sowings as with early. Jessore may
suffer most frog t the want of moisture, as the lands there
are genemll low er than in Kishnaghur, and consequently
more liable to in undation, while the manufacturing begins
early ; but we :hope that they may yet be able to raise
and secure a err op, although some parties entertain fears
that it will be r eady too late in the season to brin g the
whole to vat. 'The accounts from Dacca are conflicting
but the latest at Ivices we have received are rather favour-
able, inasmuch: as they state the damage fro
drought to be met only partial, but confined rat the
to some
particular localities look well. At going to press :ttmos-
pheric indications of aptiroaching
rain were percep C

CHINA.
HONG KONG, MARCH 28.
Our accounts from China extend to th( 11th
of March. The insurgents were steadily adva• ncing
towards, Peking, and the Emperor has appa rentl
no troops capable of arresting their progress. Pry
i-
vate letters utate that at Canton it was ge morally
believed that Nanking had fallen. The
rAn-nour
was possibly premature, but the place wa known to be besieged, anti there seems little cjaakce of

tremity of China, and was for nearly two years con-
fined to the province of Kwangsee, a marshy and
notoriously unhealthy portion of the empire. The
insurgents occupied this time in extending
their base, .rather • thaii by- attempting any
forward progress to the northward,_ but con-
tinued to defeat or win over all the detach-
ments of Imperial troops that were incessantly
dispatched against them. This state of things core.
tinned so long that the European residents at Can-
ton got tired of crying Wolf,' and began to believe
that the rebellion was nothing more than a Chinese
edition of the United States' Florida war. This was
the prevailing impression at Hong Kong until
about nine months ago, when the insurgents issued
a proclamation, stating that, having now destroyed
the armies sent against them, and thereby cleared
their way to the capital, they were about to make a
combined advance on Peking, and they have accord-
ingly advanced northwards, simultaneousli, along a
line several hundred miles in extent, until they are
at length established on the great river Yang-tse-
Kiang, which, running generally from east to west,
divides China Proper into two nearly equal %itions,
of which they now occupy the southerninost, with
the exception of a narrow strip of seaboard:- As the
course of this river is rather from the south of west,
the left of the him the insurgents came in contact
with it first, and at a point about 800 miles above
Nanking._lii the Emperor's proclamation, of which
I gave an abstraCt in my last, it was mentioned that
Seu had been ordered, with the main body of the
Emperor's army, to advance up thiS river against
the rebels' army, that was adVaneing down it. Seu
met the enemy, was defeated, and retreated on Yo-
Tchow, a great'city situated on the lake Tnng-ting-
Hou, where it adjoins the Yang-tse-Kiang, about
553 miles above Nanking. Seu abandoned the town
on the enemy's approach without fighting, for
which act of cowardice he was degraded ; but the
repOrt that he' had committed suicide m conse-
quence appears incorrect. From Yo-chow the rebels
advanced • 150 miles further down the river and
took Han-yang, a city said to be " the commercial
emporium of China. Then they advanced to
Woochung, on the same river, the capital of the
i
province of Hoopah, and besieged t ; this town
also has fallen into their hands after a short resist-
ance ; meanwhile the right wing of the insurgents
was advancing against Nanking, which there is
every reason for believing they are by this time in
possession of.

The left wing of the insurgents at• Woochung
(the capital of Hoopah) is about 400 miles distant
from their right wing at Nanking, and from the
proclamations in the Peking Gazette, and the mea-
sures of resistance ordered, it appears evident that
the rebels are expected to advance northwards on
the capital by two lines leading directly from these
places. Woochung is about 750 miles south of
Peking, and Nanking about 700 (measured along
the course of the great canal.) The Governor-
General of the two Kiangs (the province bisected
by the central portion of the canal) has been or-
dered to attack and oppose the right wing of the
rebels now before Nanking, and an army is being
collected at Sinyming, a town in the province of
Hons,n, about 120 miles immediately north of
Woochung, to attempt the recapture of the latter
town and to bar the further progress of the left
wing of the rebels to the northwards. On this
army rest the last hopes of the present dynasty.
It is said to be composed of Tartar levies from the
north, better troops than the average of the Chinese
army ; but the character given to these levies by
the inhabitants of the province of Henan' whom
they were sent to protect is by no means favour-
able. Their rapacity, it is stated in a memorial to
the Throne, is beyond all haunds. " To us," say
the Honanese, " they are as tigers—to the rebels
as rats." Seu, in his memorial deprecating the
royal anger at his failure, ascribes the rebels' suc-
cesses to their ingenuity in spring mines, and to
their great ferocity. It is said of the slaughter in
the neighbourhood of Woochung that the stench
from the unburied was so great that the inhabi-
tants °lithe city have been forced to evacuate their
dwellings, and it was feared their would be a ge-
neral pestilence. Piracies are of daily occurrence,
and the coasting trade is much interrupted. The
Chinese authorities are too weak or too cowardly
to put them down, One of their admirals has just
been degraded for alleging bad weather as a reason
for not proceeding to attack a piratical fleet in his
neighbourhood. Some of these pirates, contrary to
their general custom, having had the audacity to
meldle with some British ships, the Hermes was
sent out to give an account of them, and after a
short resistancesunk two and captured three others.
As yet, the most remarkable commercial result of
the recent rapid progress of the rebels is a very
large increase in the value of gold, as being more
easily carried away and concealed than silver in
such troubled times. The legaliiation of the trade
in opium may possibly be attended with very seri-
ous results to India. It has been remarked that
the financial position of the Company's Govern-
ment is so anomalous that to make its income meet
its expenditure it is dependent on two circumstances
—first, that the Chinese should persist in eating
opium, and secondly, that the Emperor should
prohibit the home production or importation of the
drug. The Canton and Shanghai correspondents
of the China merchants of Bombay appear, how-
ever, to doubt whether the Chinese Government
will be Able to enforce at so distant a port as Can-
ton (2,000 miles from Peking by sea, and not much
nearer by land) an edict which would curtail so
considerably the perquisites of the mandarins of
the coast province.
The mail of the 24th of January arrived on the
11 inst., and that of the Bth of January on the
16th inst. Advices from England of the Bth of
February are hourly expected.
We regret to have to report several cases of death
among the detachment of her Majesty's 69th Regi-
ment, lately arrived. The patients now in hospi-
tal, are gradually improving. The illness—dysen-
try—is supposed to have been caused by the water
taken in at Timor. The garrison other_ wise has
been healthy.
The intelligence we communicated last mail, the
11th inst., regarding the rebellion in the north,
was fully confirmed on the receipt of advices of the
3d from Shanghai on the .12th inst., and, as we -
expected, her Majesty's plenipotentiary—Sir Geo.
Bonham—left this for Shanghai on the 13th inst.
in her Majesty's steamer Hermes, then under or-
ders to proceed to the Straits, but detained for
this special service. It appears that application
had been made by the Viceroy of Soochau to the
English Consul at Shanghai to co-operate against
the rebel force for the protection of Nanking. The
rapid advance of the rebels had spread consterna-
tion and alarm through that capital and other
wealthy cities and the imperial officials seemed en-
tirely paralysed and powerless. Our latest advices
of the 20th from Shanghai, report the rebel force
b investino• Nanking, -which it was expected would
fall, and it is further stated that delegates had been
sent from Soochau to the rebel leaders, offering a.
large sum to secure that wealthy city from molesta-
tion and plunder. There are reports that a portion ,
of the rebel force had proceeded north. The native
bankers and wealthy people were removing their
families and treasure into the country, and goods
had been sent from Soechau to Shanghai for safety.
At Shanghai there was a general panic ; bankers
and merchants' houses were shut up, and an entire
stoppage to trade. Money was so scarce that the
duties of exports had to be arranged by giving
security in bills and other property to the Consul.
The naval force that must now be off Shanghai is
calculated to restore confidence in that vicinity ;
and if the rebels proceed north, and do not delay
round Nanking and the neighbouring country,
internal trade may be resumed sooner than the
present state of affairs would lead one to expect.
Her Majesty's stean-ier7Salamander has left Amoy
for Shanghai.psrHccee:e.Mhaeodafvjntinehsoteg:r'shsetrbs.uetackulinetrh:La.ntotr,thler.w.wase
a TshuenkAmenerroicackn,
detained at Amoy,
Minister
sustainedlisasterhas no serious damage,
iFn the United States'
also
quiet goneat Canton,nor th.
steamer Susquehanna The Tench steamer Cas-
BilliAlhlaiis
feeling in.the city, Which, probably,
but there is an uneasy
may be attri-
buted to the
have had rather -a novel
acted at and. extraordinary scene
the French ,Canton—the French Minister sending up
landing corvette Capricieuse to Whampoa and
a body of marines in the small garden at
Canton to erect a flagstaff there, against the wishes
and protest of the
community. The demand for im-
ports in Canton was improved, but . operations are
checked in the present uncertainty of affairs north.
Rice is beck:lining dearer. The transactions hay
been small in tea.and silk. Exchange has advanced
to 4s. 11d.
At Shanghai, by advices of the 20th, prices o
tea and silk remained without alteration. In im-
ports and exchanges nothing doing.
The total export of tea to Great Britain shows
an increase of about 3,000,0001 b. over that of last
yO4t tolhe same time. _ - -
In
Barbour—Ller Majesty's ship Spartan, her

Majesty's surveying ship Royalist, and the United
States's sloop Plymouth. At Whampoa—Her Ma-
jesty's brig Rapid and the French corvette Capri-
cieuse. At Macao.—The United States' sloop
Saratoga and the store-ship Supply. At Shanghai.
—Her Majesty's brig Lily. The Hermes was seen
close to Woosung.
Our latest dates are from England, Feb. Bth ;
Calcutta, Feb. 27th ; Bombay, March 4th ; Singa-
pore, arch 19th ; Sydney, Jan. 6th ; Manilla,
March lath ; Shanghai, March 20th.
By advices from Ga, of the 11th, we learn the
arrival there of the United States' steamer Missis-
sippi, Commodore Perry, which would come on
here immediately.
The following is a translation of the petition for
assistance which has been addressed to the foreign
Consuls at Shanghai :
"Woo, imperially appointed Provincial Judge, Inten-
dan of Circuit for Soochau, King, and Za-Chang, &c.,
send this notification :
"I; the Intendant, have just received a communica-
tion from the Governor in reply to a former statement
of mine sent up to him. In my letter I had said that
the war steamers of your honourable nation had not yet
arrived at Shanghai, but it was arranged that within the
first decade of the present moon they should be here. I
also stated, that only one ship of war belonging to the
great English nation was keeping guard at Shanghai,
which was not sufficient to repress and exterminate the
rebels, to all which the Governor replied as follows :
‘, 'lt appears that the rebels, having already arrived
at Kenkrang and Ghankking, have dispersed themselves
in various directions, causing disturbances. All the
trading vessels anchored at the towns and markets along
the banks of the Yang-tse-Kiang have been taken pos-
session of by the rebels, and, although there force has
been attacked and routed by our grand army from
Ronan 'and Keangse, yet the main body of the
rebels having embarked on board of these vessels
have pushed on in an easterly direction, and, though
our troops have arrested their progress at successive
stages, yet, on account of the breadth of the river, they
could not be effectually stopped. Our grand army,
from various quarters, coming along by land, could not
be instantly assembled, and our vessels of war could not
closely follow and prevent the progress of the enemy,. so
that the rebel force have become more and more daring
and irrepressible. The lorchar' sent up by the Intend-
ant of Shanghai, although successful in various encount-
ers, after all were found to be unequal to the exigency
of the occasion, and, being few in number, could not
resist the many, so that at present the rebel vessels have
arrived before Nanking, and the city is in the greatest
danger. If we do not attack them on the first moment
of their arrival, we shall find it difficult to prevent their
spreading themselves in all directions. Let the said In-
tendant of Circuit again consult with the Consuls of the
different nations, and request immediately to implore the
ship of war now keeping guard at Shanghai to come
forward and attack the rebels, and, further, to request
the war steamers which are expected to arrive, succes-
sively to come on and unite in attacking and extermi-
nating these banditti—thus extirpating these vile ene-
mies of the Chinese empire. Should they do this, not
only will his Majesty the Emperor be sensible of the
obligation, but the officers and people will be exces-
sively grateful for the favour ; and, when all parties to-
gether enjoy peace and tranquillity, they will be mutu-
ally beneficial to each other, following their various occu-
pations without disturbance ; but, if we have to wait
till the grand army advances eastward to unite in exter-
minating the rebels, the relief will be too slow for the
emergency. Let the said Intendant, therefore, use the
utmost dispatch in making his arrangements, and I, the
Governor, look and hope for the result with the most
intense anxiety. I shall also in conjunction with the
Viceroy of the province, address the English Plenipo
tiary on this subject.'

'The above communication having reached me, the
Intendant of Circuit, I have considered that the
various provinces of Ronan, Hooput, Keangse,
Guamtrung, Keangnan, are all places with which
Shanghai has commercial transactions, and that
from the time that the rebels have spread them-
. selves from Keangse to Honan, a year has elapsed, after
which they invaded Hoopit, Hankhow, and some other
marts of commerce have also been disturbed by them, or
that merchants are arrested in their course, and dare
not move. Now the rebels presume to move eastward
down the stream of the Kiang, and disturb Nanking.
If they be not speedily intercepted trade will be stopped,
and the commercial intercourse between China and
foreign nations will be at an end. Having just received
the above communication from the Governor, it is en-
cumbent on me to inform you, the honourable Consul,
begging you to make inquiry into the case, and beg the
ships of war which have already arrived at Shanghai,
with the one stationed here for the defence of the port,
to go forward immediately to Nanking, and act in con-
junction with the " lorchas" already there, exerting
their united strength in attacking the rebels, swearing
to exterminate these villainous banditti, to gratify the feelings of the people, and promote commercial inter-
course. I also request, that you, the honourable Con-
sul, will write to expedite the arrival of these vessels of
war that are expected, that they may go up successively
to Nanking, and sweep away the remains of these vaga-
bonds from the face of the earth, and thereby give tran-
quillity to the whole region. The officers and the peo-
ple of China will be under great obligations to you, and
I, the Intendant, will be exceedingly obliged. We there-
fore beg and pray of you to expedite the matter. A
_necessary communication.

" Hoenfung, 2 year, 2d moon, 7th day.
"March 16, 1853.

(From the Overland China Mail of March 28.

THE TROOPS.

In our last Overland we mentioned the arrival of
the India, with a detachment of 3 officers, 4 ser-
jeants and 120 rank and file of the 59th Regiment,
and are sorry to have to report seven deaths already
among the new arrivals from dysentry apparently
caused by the water taken in at Kopang, in Timor,
where the vessel touched for supplies of fresh pro-
visions and fruit. Previous to their arrival at
Timor the soldiers were suffering from scurvy. Of
the dysentric patients still in hospital the majority
are said to be gradually recovering.
Besides the seven men above mentioned, the
mortality in the garrison during the past fortnight
has been two—one a bombardier of the Royal Ar-
tillery, of bronchitis ; the other a gun Lascar, of
remittent fever.

The Sappers and Miners, from Captain Brough-
ton downwards, seem especially to enjoy excellent
health—probably from their being► kept in constant
work.

The number of sick in hospital, on Saturday, the
25th, c. as 67—viz., Royal Artillery, 4 ; Sappers
and Miners, 1 ; Gun Lascars, 4 ; 59th Regiment,
40 ; Ceylon Rifles, is.