The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-03 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.
Our latest news from Macao is to the 31st March. Ke-
shen'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
of his not receiving one by that date to return imme-
diately to Macao. 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' Bocca Tigris. On the following
day Captain Elliot received a message from Keshen in
which the latter stated his willingness to sign the treaty
and excused his delay in not coming to the Bogue, when
the steamer was there, by alleging that he had been de-
tained by some piratical boats. This appears to have been
a mere ruse to gain time. On the 24th of February a no-
tification of the renewal of hostilities was issued to her
Britannic Majesty's subjects.
Towards the morning of the 25th February three
howitzers and a party of Sepoys were landed at South
Wantong from the Nemesis and the boats of the squa-
dron. The Chinese kept up a desultory fire while the
darkness lasted. Before the dawn of day a battery had
been erected with sandbags, and the guns got into posi-
tion. From these as soon as it was sufficiently light
the British returned the fire of the Chinese. At
eleven A. M. the tide served and the signal was
made for the squadron to weigh. Her Majesty's
ship Calliope bearing the broad pendant of the Commo-
dore led the attack against North Wantong, followed by
the Samarang, Druid, Wellesley, Sulphur, and Modesto.
The Blenheim awl Melville. with the Queen 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 numerous boats in tow ran in
close to North Wantong and landed the troops under the
command of Alajor Pratt. Shortly afterwards the whole
of the forts•were in possession of the British forces. Offi-
cial notifications were issued in the course of the day :
one by the Plenipotentiary, intimating the capture of the
forts, ; the other, by the Commodore, authorising mer-
chant vessels to proceed to the Bogue.
The number 'of prisoners taken at Wantong is esti-
mated at 1,0009, And the killed and wounded on the side
of the Chinese are said to be very numerous.
It. is evident that an attack on the Bogue forts should
have been resorted to at the outset. The grant loss of
time and expenditure of plzblic money which has occurred
since the first arrival of the squadron off MAW, Would
have been avoided, as also the mortality which has so
4tlllaetl the ranks of the unfortunate regiments ;
that were quartered at Chusan.