The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-04 00:00:00

MOST IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE FROM
CHINA.

CAPTURE OF THE BOGUE FORTS AND THE CITY OF
CANTON BY THE BRITISH.
(From the Bombay Overland Courier, May 1.)
The intelligence received from China during the past
month is of a highly interesting and important nature.
t)ur latest news from Macao is to the 31st March. Ke-
,ihen's continued procrastination having at length ex-
hausted Captain Elliot's patience, the Nemesis steamer
was despatched from Macao on the 14th of February
with the draft of a Treaty for the approval and
ratification of the Imperial High Commissioner. The
Commander of the steamer was ordered to • wait at the
Bogue for a reply until the 18th, and in the event
4 his not receiving one by that date to return imme•
diately to Memo. This he accordingly did on the 19th,
Keshen not having made his appearance. A circu-
lar was then published, stating that the squadron were
moving towards the Bocce Tigris. On the following
day Captain Elliot received a message from Iteshen in
which the latter stated his willingness to sign the treaty
and excused his delay in hot Coming to the Bogle, when
;he steamer was there, allegitw tit it he had been de-
tainad by some pliat;eal bath. 'this appears to have be,.n
a mere ruse to gaol time, On the 24th of February a tt-i-
-tification of the escal "nf hostilities was issued to her
Britannic 7341 (Ws Ijubjects.
Towards the morniue• of the 25th February three
hAtitzers and a party:of Sepoys were landed at South
\Vantong from the Nemesis and the boats of the Siva=
• dron. The Chinese kept up a desnitotw fire While the
darkness lasted, Before the Awn of day a battery had
been erected with sandbags; and the guns got into posi
tion. Frown these as semi R 5 it WAS stiffibiently light
the British ret..*neLl the fire of the • Chinese. At
eleven A. ti, tin tide served and the signal was
:ode f‘3l' the squadron to weigh. Her Majesty's
.711113 Calliope bearing the broad pendant of the Commo-
dore lett the attack against North Wantofigi followed by
the Semarang, Draid, Wellesley, Sulphur, and Modeste.
The Blenheim and Melville with the (Veen steamer
opened their fire on the fort of Anunghoy. By noon the
action had become general, and the firing constant and
heavy on all sides. In the meantime the Nemesis and
Madagascar steamers with nittiterotts boats in tow ran in
close to North WantOng and landed the troops under the
conuttand of Major Pratt. Shortly afterwards the whole
of the forts were in possession of the British threes. Offi-
cial notifications were issued in the course of the day
one by the Plenipotentiary, intimating the capture of tho
forts ; the other, by the Commodore, authorising met..
chant vessels to proceed to the Bogue.
The number of prisoners taken at Wantong is esti.,
mated at 1,000, and the killed and wounded on the side
of the Chinese are said to be very Minterons.
It is evident that an attack on the Bogue forts should
have been resorted to at the outset. The great loss of
time and expenditure of public money which has occurred
since the first arrival of the squadron 011 Macao, would
have been avoided. as also the Mortality which has so
dreadfully thinned the ranks of the unfortunate regiments
that were quartered at Chusan.
That island has been evacuated and deliVered up to the
Chinese. Orders to that effect having been. transmitted
byCaptain Elliot, when he was labouring under the
happy delusion that the Chinese were inclined to fulfil
their promises of indemnity. The British who *ere de-
tained prisoners at Ningpo were released as soon as the
evacuation of Chusan was completed. Captain Anstru-
cher, Lieutenant Douglas, R.N., Mr& Noble, and their
companions in captivity, are now in safety under the Bri-
tish flag,
The whole of the European troopS on leaving; Chusan
proceeded to llong Kong, and Conaeqiiently lieve beet,
available in the hoStile •66peratintiA: that hive been carried
‘'n'i since the date Of the action at the Bogue. But no
,27reater proof need be adduced of the wretched mafiage-
eient of Captain Elliot, and his Utter inea*City to fuifii
the responsible duties Of the stetoti which he holds, than
the fact that three Ma:sports with several hundreds of
ihe Bova voltinteets were ordered to proeeed direct
From Chusan to Calcut'a. On ti‘eir arii‘ial at Silippore,
th 4 heard, of the renewed hdiilities, and were detained
that pert an aitifig farther instructions: The troops
were.
.Su diminished in numbers by death and sickness
luring thLir sojourn at Chusan, that the 11:2rigal volan-
tee.rs.may be considered a.; forming oite.thied part of the
effective land forces attached to the expedition. Yet m
a time when the presence of every man is so important,
the volunteers are several hundred miles from the scene
-ofraction,-- the entire blame of which rests with Cap-
tain'Elliot, whose reliance on Chinese good faith, in op-
position to the opinions of all well-informed persdns on
he spot, appears to have been caused by something bor-
dering on i: s unity.
theWme,lrrlia;vTeig,,:ftr:hicatte(dia:•arious items, of Chinese intelli-
gence fro,;4 Calcutta papera,of .tlikt.'iotit April, Oa.
the
.queen steaanT from Macau
thealst March, arrived at,Calcuttu with Commodore Sir
'i3lLte6Gordori Bremer. his itlx.,„-ellencyis stud to have
come to•lndia fie ,the purpose of. coast:king. 444.3 Go-
-.viiicireesittierat taid.obtaining reinforetuteuts, The Bat
fish troops have; possession of the factory at Canton, but
it would app tilers; is a provisional ChWeso GOVEW.