The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-24 00:00:00

4, quickly to reform, and each attend quietly to
• business, lest not a s'ngle sail return, to be the
stock of other nations. Carefully consider
~,es.
Awang, the 27th year, 2d month, 25th day.
" Canton, April 10, 1847."
'lnto, Lieut. Airey commanding, returned this
;, bringing up some munitions for the gentlemen
IP inn, seen, and resumed her former anchorage just above
/he factories.
TZESDAY, lar-R.—During the last few days we have
taken some pains to ascertain the state of popular feel-
ing. On repeated occasions we have landed on Honan,
and in one instance entered the large fort on the east
btnk of the Macao Passage, and in company with two
gentlemen walked along the whole battery, mounting 60
or more heavy guns; a Chinese corporal, a soldier, and
a. few coolies, were all the persons we met in the fort;
'they seemed pleased with our visit, and said their supe•
the commandant, had gone to town to buy vege-
tables fur their supper! We have also gone almost daily
to some of the gates of the city, and throagh the streets
of the suburbs---everywhere unmolested except by base
language. But there is a great deal of excitement
among all classes, and it partakes more of wrath and
indignation than of aught else. Many copies of the follow-
ing proclamation have been p„sted up, and almost all in
the vicinity of the factories have been torn down or
defaced:—

" No. 19.
" A PROCLAMA.T/CN BY CHANG AND L/, THE MAGIS-
TRATES OP NANHAI AND PWANYU, &C., MAKING
KNOWN S;;TRICT AND EARNEST INJUNCTIONS.
" Wlv4reas, foreigners of all nations, in carrying on
o^rom'irce at Canton, for more than 200 years, have
duri this long period beets well acquainted, and on
good terms with our people, the said foreigners coming
as guests from afar to China; and because it is perfectly
tratural av:a no matter of wonder that they should wish
to roam abroad and see the places in the neighbourhood
of the provincial city, and inasmuch as not only the
Peace will be injured-and serious troubles created if the
PeU'ple of the country assemble and crowd and gaze upon
Ifr.ern, but the purpose of our august Sovereign to show
kind less to men from afar be greatly frustrated; there-
fore it is right and proper to put forth strict and earnest
instructions. This, accordingly, we hereby do, expect-
ing that you, people and gentry of the country, will
fully understand that henceforth, if foreigners travel
about in the said places, you must not as heretofore as-
semble and gaze at them, creating broils and giving rise
to other serious troubles, so as to expose yourselves to
trial and punishment. It behoves you carefully to con-
sider this and obey. Oppose not our special proclama-
tion.
" Canton, April 13."

" No. 20.
" GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
" Diplomatic Department.
" His Excellency her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c.,
is pleased to direct that the annexed instructions to lit r
Majesty's Consul at C....iiton be published for the in-
Lrmation of British subjects at that port:—
" Victoria, Hong-Kong, April 14.
" have the satisfaction to state that I have
received from Keying a reply to a note which I addressed
to him before quitting Canton, regarding the objection-
able lane contiguous to the British factories, in which
his Excellency does not dissent from the propositions
made on that subject.
" You will take care that the British merchants r,t-
ii-aburso the proprietors of the house lately pulled down
at the eastern extremity of the river front, adjoining the
creek, and that they agree to a fair compensation for all
Chinese property which may be given up for their
benefit or c.invenience. On no other condition than this,
which is the obvious dictate of common justice, will I aid,
countenance, or permit any measures of the sort.—l
have. &c.,
" J. F. DAVIS.
" F. C. Macgregor, Eq., &c.
By order, " A. R. JOHNSTON.
" Victoria,-Hong-Kong, April 1:5.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20.—Since the 3d, Hog-lane has
h‘hm closed, and the prevailing opinion is that it will
continue so. Yesterday crowds of people from Canton
and flonan thronged the offices of the city authorities,
all b gging that the street and ferry may be kept open.
And to day rumours are rife that, if compelled to aban-
don their houses, they will set them on fire! This threat
should not be unheeded, for there are thousands that
would exult in its execution.

BATTLE BETWEEN THE FRENCH
SQUADRON AND THE COCHIN-CHINESE.

ONE THOUSAND COCHIN•CHINESE KILLED.
The following is an account of the late occurrences in
Cochin-China, taken from the narrative of the Bishop of
Loo Choo, who was present, and is now on board the
steamer Lady Mary Wuod, en route to France with the
news:—

CHINA SEAS, MAT 1, 1847.
Several missionaries, natives of France, having been
put to death or cruelly punished, within the last twelve
years, in Cochin-China, without any crime being im-
puted to them but that of teaching the Christian reli-
gion, Admiral Cecille, commanding the French squa-
dron in these seas, presented to the Cochin-Chinese
Government a remonstrance against this treatment of
his countrymen, whereof no notice was taken.
M. La Pierre, who succeeded to the command of the
French squadron in the China seas, resolved to follow
up the intentions of his predecessor, and for this pur-
pose addressed a letter with a similar remonstrance to the
King of Cochin-China, which he dispatched on the 19th
of March last, from Macao to the port of Touron (situ-
ate about 50 miles to the south-east of the capital
city Hue), by the corvette La Victorieuse, Captain Re-
gault de Genouilly, who had orders to deliver it into the
hands of the prefect of the province. M. La Pierre, in
the frigate La Gloire, followed the Victorieuse on the
23d March, and, arriving in the bay of Touron, was
surprised and indignant to find that the captain of the
Victorieuse had been unable to obtain any communica-
tion but with the inferior mandarins, and that all oppor-
tunity of fulfilling his commission had been denied him.
Endeavours were now renewed to obtain an interview
with the prefect, either by his coming or giving permis-
sion to deliver him the letter. These endeavours were
met only with subterfuge and mockery, which, for the
honour of the French flag, M. La Pierre deemed it ne-
cessary to resent.
There were anchored in the bay five corvettes, built
on the e;uropean model, fully equipped, on which M.
La Pierre laid an embargo, vowing to retain them till
his letter was received and replied to. Anxious to
avoid hostile measures, be caused all their sails to be re•
moved to two small war junks, which were made to an-
chor between the French ships,
This proceeding seem- d to have effect, for the foll)w-
-ing day, March 31, the prefect appeared at Touron, re-
ceived M. R. Genouilly politely, and, after some hesita-
tion, took the letter, promising an answer in teu or
twelve days.
This period passed without incident. It was, however,
observed, that in the forts, on shore, and in the cor-
vent's, preparations were going on, by increasing very
greatly their force in men and otherwise, for hostilities.
On the morning of the lth of April an inferior officer
cattle on board, announcing the arrival from Hue (the
capital) of a superior mandarin, bearing the reply, and
inviting Commodore La Pierce to land and receive it the
foliowing day.
To this invitation he replied, that having sent his se-
cond in command as the bearer of his letter, a co:res-
ponding civility required that the bearer of the answer
should deliver it to him on board his ship; at the same
time giving assurance that he would be received with the
honours due to his rank and station.
The Cochin-Chinese evaded this proposition, and con-
tinued to request the Commodore's presence on shore.
Whilst the correspondence on this point was proceeding,
several of the officers of the French ships took walks on
shore. In these strolls a man seemed desirous to impart
some matter to them unseen by his countrymen ;
whereon, one of the French officers furnished him with
paper and pencil ; he wrote four or five characters, the
meaning whereof, on translation, was found to be,
" during the entertainment they will surprise and murder
yee), en masse."
On this hint the commodore became more fully re-
solved not to accept the invitation of the mandarin to go
on shore to receive the alleged answer; neither did the
mandarin go on board the French frigate.
The movement of troops and armament was being
c trued on with much activity. Arms in considerable
quantities were secretly being conveyed on board the
two small junks.
The commodore, hopeful to avoid the shedding of
blood, sent a party, who took the junks by surprise,
and made a discovery of the utmost consequence at
that moment.
Whilst disarming the people on board one of the
junks, a raidshipman noticed one of them trying to
secrete a paper, which he sprung at and seized. This
was given to the commodore, who had it translated.
This paper, bearing the red seal of a mandarin in
three different places, was a plan of a conspiracy against
the 'French.
It was intended to murder the commodore and suite
at the conference if he was not found sufficiently re-
spectful and submissive, and by a concerted signal to
etteck at the same time the French ships, which were
tt" be reduced to atoms, striking Europeans with such
ror that they would not venture to re-appear. The
mode,_td of attack, Sec., was given in detail.
r s discovery was made on Tuesday,' 13th April.
T4e. next day, the 14th, the commodore sent a copy to
the mandarin, demanding an explanation. In the
evening the mandarin sent an inferior officer on board La
Gloire with a letter, wherein he sought in vain to justify
his conduct.
To the French officers it appeared evident that,
aper referred
dis-
concerted in his plan by discovery of the
to, he was prevented from actingdirectl
y, and only sought
to gain time.
attack from the Coehin-Chi-
On Thursdity, 15th, an
nese appeared to be approaching. The five corvettes
were filled with men, and formed in line towards the
French ships at the mouth of a river which falls into
the bIY ; a number of war junks were seen prepared
for action ; four others were seen working into the
mouth of the bay, probably from the capital, evidently,
as the French thought, with a view to attack them on al]
sides.

Thus menaced the commodore had no time to lose ere
the enemy should close upon him. Still unwilling to re-
sort to extreme measures, he made another attempt at
accommodation. He sent an officer on shore to warn the
mandarins that Enless an order was immediately sent to
stop the junks from approaching he would forthwith de•
:troy the five corvettes.
ether this notice lie waited fully two hours, when
FAN'iinfr, that the junks continued to approach, and that
no countermanding vessel was dispatched, La Gloire
opened her fire, seconded by the Victorieuse. This was
insrAntly ~-esponded to by the corvettes, the junks, rnd
ttrr forts on`. shore. The junks were too far off to take
effect, but tbe corvettes and one of the forts were suffi-
ciently near.. The crews of the corvettes had no means