The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-19 00:00:00

CHINA.

Our dates from llong-Kong are to the 30th of
October. The following is the letter of our corre-
spondent at that port :
" The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Braganza, with the 24th of August mail, arrived on the
23d inst. She had very severe weather near the coast
of China. At Canton and the ports matters keep per-
fectly quiet. Hong-Kong is more healthy than of late,
the cool autumn having set in. All her Majesty's troops
have been landed during the month, and the three char-
tered ships have been paid off. We regret having to
report that a malignant fever was very prevalent at
Shanghac, which had carried off some foreigners; and
by the last accounts, of the 21st instant, it had not
abated. The sickness is attributed to the unseasonable
summer and constant rains.
" We regret to state that his Excellency Governor
Bonham met with a severe accident four days since in
spraining both his ankles by a fall, which is likely to
confine him some time to the house. He is, we hear,
going on favourably.
"After some correspondence the American Commis-
sioner, the Hon, Mr. Davis, has had an interview with
the Governor-General Sew, on the 6th inst., at Canton,
which took place at Hovrqua's residence, and terminated
with a banquet.
" During the month we have had very severe weather,
particularly on the coast, and the disasters have bcen
numerous, several vessels returning to port disabled.
Her Majesty's ship Childers sailed for Shanghae on the
4th, and returned to port on the 28th inst. She met
with a hurricane on the 7th, and was driven on the
Pratas shoal on the 10th inst., where she remained till
the 25th. She threw all her guns overboard, lost her
boats, spars, &c., and her hull is much damaged by
constant bun,ping during the continuance of the severe
weather.
" The Hon. Company's steamer Phlegethen arrived
from Manilla on the 25th inst., to which port she was
obliged to put back after being 150 miles off the China
coast.

" Her Majesty's brig Columbine came down from
Amoy on the 25th to take provisions.
"Her Majesty's steamer Medea remains at Whampott,
and Pluto steamer at Canton. Her Majesty's steamer
Scout is at Foochowloo, her Majesty's steamer Mariner
at Shanghae, her Majesty's frigate Cambrian, Commo-
dore Plumridge, sailed for Singapore and Bombay on
the 24th inst. Admiral Collyer is expected hero imme-
diately in the Hastings, 74.
" Our latest dates are, from London, August 24 ;
from Calcutta, September 16 ; from Bombay, Septem-
ber 18 ; Madras, September 15 ; Singapore, the 10th
inst.; Manilla, the 18th inst.; and from Sydney, Sep-
tember 6, by the James Scott, arrived at Weosung on tbo
19th inst."
AFFRAY WITH SOME CHINESE JUNKS AND
THE BOATS OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP CAM-
BRIAN.

A serious affray took place at Hong-Kong on Oc-
tober 15, between the boats of her lltlajesty's ship Cam-
brian and two Chinese junks. It appears from the
lengthened depositions in the China Mail, of the
19th October, that a Mr. Muir and some friends
were going ashore from the Tam o' Shanter, at six
P.M. on the 15th, when showers of stones were thrown
at them from two junks. They lodged a complaint
at the police station, when three boats of police-
men were sent to the junks, but they were assailed
with stones also, and were beaten off with gingals and
matchlocks. The, superintendent of police then pro-
ceeded on board the Cambrian, and requested the assist-
ance of Commodore Plumridge, who, with the view of
arresting the Chinamen without bloodshed, ordered ail
the boats of the frigate under the command of Lieut.
Lloyd, with Fin.t. Lieutenant H. Julliffe, of the Royal
Marines; Mr. Alexander, midshipman; Mr. Wise, second
master, &c., to board the junks. When the man-of-
war's boats arrived alongside the Chinamen they were
fired at, whereupon Lieutenant Lloyd gave the word, the
marines of the launch sent back a volley of ball cartridge
with three cheers; the junks were boarded through the
smoke, and the prisoners, 22 in number, were soon se-
cured. The Chinese further resisted by pouring hot
water and molasses on the boat's crew, and by presenting
bamboo spears, and bit and pinched the seamen and
marines when they were captured, two of the Chinese
having been killed in the boarding.
An inquisition was taken on the bodies, when the
following verdict was: returned.—That Uhafoo and
Niu-achiu, Chinese junkmen, came by their deaths
between Sunday night and Monday morning, the 15th
and 16th of October, 1848, from gun-shot wounds
inflicted by certain seamen and marines unknown, acting
under orders of their officers, who were instructed by
the senior naval officer on this station to aid the police
in capturing two junks anchored in-shore in the harbour
of Hong-Kong, the crews of which junks had been
alarmed by boats coming alongside after nightfall, and
resisted the authorities and others, under the impression
that they were thieves; and such resistance as was
offered on this occasion appears to the jury to have been
justified by the necessity for trading junks protecting
themselves from being hoarded by strangers and pre-
tended p,lieemen, as well as by the existing regulations
of the Hon;-Kor,g Government, issued to junks anchor-
ing in the harbour.

the jury then considered it to be their duty to pursue
the inquiry into several matters not immediately con-
nected with the deaths of these two men, but the investi-
gation of which may tend to prevent the recurrence of
such disasters, and seems of importance to the reputation
and prosperity of the colony.
A session of the Admiralty Court was held on Tue,s-
day last, the commissioners being Chief Justice Hulme,
Commodore Plumridge, the Colonial Secretary, the
Chief Magistrate, and Captain Morris, of her Majesty's
ship Cambrian—for the trial of two cases, one of which
(Kwok Asee) was postponed on the usual plea that the
whole of the witnesses were absent. The other case was
that of the Spec, which has excited a good deal of in-
terest and some newspaper discussion, in which last we
have abstained from taking part, beyond announcing the
fact that in July last the schooner was boarded and
afterwards seised by Captain Pitman, of the Childers,
under suspicion of having been engaged in a piratical
attack upon a Chinese junk near the Chusan islands,
which seemed to receive so much confirmation from the
Spec's log, that Captain Pitman considered it his duty
to detain her, and carry the master and his crew for
examination before her Majesty's Consul at Shanghae.
The most material witness for the Crown having sud-
denly disappeared, the jury, after a deliberation of two
hours returned, having found "no true bill." Captain
Cole was discharged, and the Government immediately
offered 200 dollars for information, so as to enable them

to trace the missing witness.—China Mail, Oct. 5.
Lieutenant Teesdale, of the Ceyloa Rifles, is gazetted
as Aide-de-camp to his Excellency the Governor, which
we presume is equivalent to cancelling Mr. Wade's in-
terim appointment as private secretary, either but not
both being allowed by the colonial replatione.—China
Mail, Oct. 5.

The interview between the American and Chinese
Commissioners took place at Howqua's residence on the
river on Friday last, the 6th. There were present on
the part of the Chinese the GovernowGeneral Sen, the
Lieutenant-Governor, with Tung and other mandarins;
on the part of the Americans—H. E. Commissioner
Davis; Dr. Parker, Secretary of Legation; Mr. Forbes,
Consul; Commodore Geisinger, and Captain Glynn,
with several officers of the Preble and Plymouth. After
the interview a banquet was given, during which the
natural reserve and taciturnity of the Viceroy began. to
wear off, and he became as courteous and comnpcwasttleve
as it seems possible for him to be. The.m
July
glai
from one one o'clock till five.—China Mail, l2.

CANTON.
The criminal judge of Canton has strictly prohibited
the drowning of female children, and has also issued
severe prohibitions against lotteries.
The Chinese authorities have been /taking the most
energetic measures for the suppression of piracy and
against assisting pirates.
The following proclamation has been issued by
Chow:— _ _

"In Canton every place is filled with robbers, and
plunder is of frequent occurrence. I have several times
adopted measures for their seizure, as is on record.
There is one man, Shilt-woo-sze, who boldly dares to
rob on the sea (he, indeed, is addicted to wickedness), to
the great injury of merchants. Now, the great officer
has taken the command of the troops in order to exter-
minate pirates; in every spot they are on the alert to
seize them: this is very severe. I fear treacherous people
supply them with provisions, thereby involving them-
selves and their relations in difficulties.
"Therefore, I issue this proclamation, addressing my-
self to the policemen and gentry for their information.
You ought mutually to warn each other. Do not sup-
ply the robbers, and entangle yourselves in the law. As
soon as any come on shore to disturb and pillage, imme-
diately sound the gong, that they may be seized and
delivered up for trial. If you dare secretly to supply,
protect, or conceal them, the moment you are discovered
you will certainly be severely judged. Each ought im-
plicitly to obey.
,Do not disobey. Hasten! Hasten! A
special command.—China Mail, Oct. 26.
Two robber captains have been seized at Canton, and
after decapitation, their heads were stuck up as a warn-
ing to evil-doers. The district of Pwan-yii has not paid
up its taxes, and the magistrate therefore addressed a
very pathetic appeal to the people, to urge the payment
of the dues, so as to enable him to forward at the pro-
per time the requisite sums. This will perhaps not be