The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-08 00:00:00

ti a ),esorr, and ci,rur,:rlee a r, nl adjustment next spring
nrar PekiO"."•=nigapore Floc Press. -
(;tom ti,e Calcutta Courier.)
CALCUTTA, Dee. 22, 1840.

Since my last communication we have received furtlter
ared important news from China. The questions be-
tween our Government and that of China are evidently
as far from being settled as ever, and there seems' every
reason to suppose that the attainment of any satisfactory
result will be protracted for a considerable p*riod.
Very probably ail negotiations will be abruptly termi-
nated, and war recommenced, after the loss of a year's
time, and the total waste of the money already speet.
The fears of the most intelligent English residents
in China speak a plain language, and there cannot be
a doubt that the temporizing policy and affected mode-
ration which prevail in 'the councils of the Admi-ral,
from whatever source these rimy proceed, show an utter
want of knowledge ef the Chinese character and policy,
and cloerade Great 1.3:-itain in their eyes.
The people of England cannot too soon be
thoroughly convinced that the Chiliese are incapable
of
,appreciating either moderation or magnanimity, and
regard the profession of such maxims as shear imbeci-
lity. An abstract of what is stated to be the High
Cemmiseioner Lin's reply to the Emperor's reprimand
of his proceedings has been published in a Singapore
paper of the 17th of November, and will reach Eng•
land by this mail. There- seems to be good reason,
front internal evidence, to conclude the paper
,to be
genuine. It is, for an Asiatic, : rather •a clever
production. The hints which Lin gives to Lis master
that a blockade must eventually lead us into Imsti-
with neutrals, and the recommendation to
employ ships built and armed after the European man-
ner, show that he is not without friends and advisers
among the Americans, or others in. China, who in the
latter suggestion, however, would appear rather to have
overlooked their own interest as well as that of those
tittle. advise. The sickness at Chusan is so serious,
that the whole military force there may be regarded as
disorganised for offensive purposes, and should a serious
military effort be now required, the whole of what has
hitherto been done may be looked' upon as worse than
useless, for the next expo-dition will find the Chinese
tench better prepared. Commercial prospects in that
'quarter are of course in the most uncertain condition
possible, and the only reasonable calculation that can
be made is, that exports front China to England must be
diminished to the lowest ebb for a considerable time to
come, if all trade be rot entirely stopped.

CHUSAN, OCT 3, 1840.

I aaa happy to be able to add that our anxiety about
the fate of the Conway and Algerine has been re-
lieved by their arrival in the harbour yesterday, all
well, after a cruise of nearly three months, during
which explorations and observations of exceeding value
and interest have been made. It appears that Captain
Bethune ascended the Kang-tze-Keang, as far as
longitude J. 20 deg. 26 min. oast, being then in lati-
tude 31 deg. 42 min., and forty miles from its mouth,
having the whole way excellent anchoring ground and
deep water, never less than six fathoms. '['be chan-
nel is described as far too broad to admit of being
blocked, being from one and a quarter to one and three-
quarter miles in width at almost all parts, the tide
running freely throughout. and from the general ap-
pearance at the extreme point reached, which (accord-
ing to Burrow's observation of the longitude in 1805)
was forty to sixty miles distant from the line on
which the grand canal crosses it. Captain. Bethune
is of opinion that the same facility for the passage
of vessels of moderately large size will .be pre-
sented much further up the course of this fine
river. At the spot where be turned the river was
seven to eight miles broad, the sounding in the mid-
channel having eight fathoms. The town of Nan-.
kin is situated at the distance of about tan or twelve
miles from the south hank of the Yang-tae-Keane and
about fifty miles west of the junction of the canal, so
there can be little doubt that in the course of two tides
a large force, fully equipped, could be towed up by
steamers an 3 disembarked within one march of this
town, which, from the impossibility of defending such an
immense extent of wall as that which surrounds it, must
be expected to tail by escalade, or assault a In G/iuzna,
the first night ; while, at the same time, the line of the
canal, the great artery of the empire, would be effec-
tually severed, all traffic and communieation with the
capital suspended, and a gripe lai3 on the vitals of the
" flowery nation," which scarcely any struggle they are
capable of would throw off, and which nothing but the
most ample concession on the part of their arrogant Go-
vernment could relax. It has become evident, indeed,
from the reports received from various quarters, that
the Chinese Gavernment, fully aware of the extreme
weakness of its position, and of the impossibility of pro-
tecting the passages of the Yang-tze-Keanaa have been,
ever since the rumour reached Pekin that a fleet was
ascending their coasts, in a state of the greatest alarm
concerning Nankin, in which, lying at the mercy of a
force even so small as ours (properly handled) there is
said to be property of immense value. From the posi-
tion which things have assumed now it does not appear
likely that during this war (of words) advantage will
be taken of the information and data for the guidance
of operations obtained, but the value is nevertheless
great, as when the real war, which people versed in
China politics and history predict, will blaze up, before
the small embers of the present " demonstration" have
entirely ceased to glow, again collects an armament in
this latitude, an easy road will thus be pointed out,
whence the axe can be laid at the root of the tree, fully
bared to receive the blow. _ _ _

Contrary to expecte:ion, along the whole course of
the river passed over Captain Bethune perceived only
one wailed town of any considerable size ; this was in
the south bank, and in both it and the nor* although
many in number, the viilapes and small towns ap-
peered insignificant. Several encounters took place
between boat crews and parties of Chinese on
shore, where a landing to procure supplies was found
necessary, in one of which some loss on our side
was experienced, and a midshipman of the Conway
wounded, it is feared mortally, though living at this
date, by a matchlock ball. The Chinese soldiers car-
ried with them a large sort of shield or screen, which
they planted upright on the ground, and fired from be-
hind it as flow a breastwork ; several of them were
killed and woundee. No fleet of war junks was seen
on the river, but a flotilla of row boats accompanied the
ships up the river and down again on their return,
watching their movements with attention, and anchoring
when they anchored ; they kept, however, always well
in shore, and were suffered to take their own course
till the vessels had returned nearly to the mouth of the
river, when having tried the range with a shot, a shell
was thrown from the Conway into the midst of them,
wl,r) they biok.. up and made off in all directions.
On their way up towards the river, the Conway and
Algerine had occasion to pass the town of Sba-poo on
their coast, about thirty miles south of the Yang-
tzee•Keang, and the Algerine was sent in to make a
cursory examination of the harbour. As this
sturdy and well-sailing little brig was sailing
out several shots were fired at her by a fort
near the town, on which she immediately anchored,
with a spring on her cable, and in a short time com-
pletely silenced the battery, the gunners in which, how-
ever, behaved for a time very well, and one principal
looking Mandarin was observed from the brig's deck
walking up and down between the guns during the
firing with as much sang froid as if well used to war's
alarms. With regard to the Kite but little light has
been thrown on her fate, which, as the Ningpo people
preserve silence on the subject, remains yet a matter of
conjecture. In proceeding up the river to join the
Conway she got amongst shallows, and grounded upon
a mud bank, when a boat was sent cff to report the
circumstance, which, overtaking Captain Bethune, he
immediately proceeded to her assistance, with all the
boats which could be sent, and succeeded in getting her
off into deep water ; but, as it was impossible to get
her into mid channel from the intervention of a bank, she
was suffered to go back by the passage through which
she had entered, and to ascend the river by the proper
course. While lying on the bank preparations were ob.
served to be making on the river side, which was not far
distant, to attack her ; some junks having been brought
down and a number of tents hay ing made their appearance
on shore. The supposition now entertained is that a party,
probablyconsistingof the Europeans senton shore for sups
plies, was cut off, and the brig thus left almost defence-
less, surrounded by boats and taken. If this should
prove well founded, the occurrence must be considered ex-
ceedingly untoward and provoking, as she was a very fine
little craft, well found in all stores and necessaries for a
voyage, and moreover carried a man of war's pennant,
and four serviceable 32-pounder carronades belonging
tu the Melville, fitted with longest scales, elevating
screws, &c., and mounted on good truck carriages, be-
sides two or three lighter ship guns, and a good supply
of poweler, shot, muskets, cutlasses, &c. &c. The
charge of her had 'been given, in the fighting depart-
ment, had been given to Lieutenant Douglas, R.N.,
with whom were sent six marines and six first-class
boys from the Melville's crew ; these, in fact, consti-
tuted the whole fighting force of the vessel, as the
lascars cannot be depended upon in the event of an
attack, and, as has been proved by the Braemar at
Amoy, will not take the ship into action unless com-
pelled by force, representing, and with some justice,
that it is hard and unfair, in point of fact illegal, to
be exposed to loss of life and limb, for which they
have not entered, and for the pains and penalties of
which no compensation, either of pension or gratuity, is
promised them. The intelligence of the capture of
Captain Anstruther appears to have had a strong and
perhaps wholesome effect upon the Plenipotentiary,
Captain C. Elliot: but certainly not of that nature which
1 was more hoped for than expected. He went over the
other day in the Atalanta steamer to Ningpo, to nego-
-1 tiate about the restoration of the prisoner, and as the
squadron lying off the mouth of the river was re:pect-
able in numbers and forces—Blesheirn, 74, Modesto,
Alligator, Queen, Atalanta, and Mohamed Shaw—
much was hoped from the demonstration. Captain
Elliot has, however, since returned, and it is under-
stood completely tailed in his at'empt, the surrender of
Captain Anstruther having been, it is said, somewhat
perem'ptcrily refused. His person is detained, and