The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-20 00:00:00

CHINA.

We have :received files of the Overland Friend of
China to the 28th September inclusive :
HONG KONG.—By embarking her Majesty's 95th R -
giment, the disease which committed such havoc during
the past four months has been checked. In August
three large vessels were chartered (one for the convales-
cents), and with the exception of the men in hospital the
regiment has been kept afloat.
The captain and crew of the brig Spec, charged with
piracy, will be tried before a Court of Admiralty, to be
held to the 3d of October. The depositions of Captain
Pitman and the other witnesses were taken anew before
the chief magistrate, those sent from Shanghae being
informal. Several of the prisoners were not identified,
and it leaked out during the examination that Mr. Con-
sul Alcock did not have the evidence translated to those
prisoners who do not understand English, an unpar-
donable omission, though in perfect •conformity with
other proceedings in the Consular Court.

THE TYPHOON IN TUE CHINA SEAS.
Tho following account of this destructive storm is

given by the Cana Mail of September
28:—
OnThursday night, Auqust 31, this part of the coast
of China was visited by a storm which, from the disas-
trous accounts arriving from adl quarters, appears to us
to have been one of unusual severity.
In Hong-Tong, early in the forenoon, the fall in the
barometer attracted attention, and the assistant har-
bour-master went round the shipping, and warned them
of what might be expected. But little fear seems to
have been entertained till the approach of evening,
when the signal, " The barometer indicates bad wea-
ther," was seen flying at the flag-staff in front of Fed-
der's- hill.

From this time the wind gradually increased till half-
past two, when the hurricane was at its height—the ba-
rometer being so low as 28 92. Fortunately, the China
boats took the alarm early, and made for the sheltered
creeks on the Cowloon side; but even there they seemed
to have suff?red severely, as a number of sa,lt, and cargo
boats wt re driven on shore, and many of their crews
drowned. A few large junks and a lorcha remained at
anchor off the Lower Bazaar, all of which were
de-
stroyed during the night. Of four which came on shore
oppooite Circular-buildings about midnight, the crews,
with the exception of three or four men, were landed in
safety.
In the morning the colony exhibited a most melan-
choly appearance. In the harbour—several vessels dis-
masted, others on shore, and, the whole beach strewed
with the wrecks of Chinese junks, in the midst of which
dead bodies were occasionally seen floating, while on
shore every house exposed to the storm suffered more or
leas—tiles torn from the roofs,
-walla levelled, verandahs
blown to pieces, and wherever a garden plot formerly ex-
isted the plants And bpshei were either broken short off
or torn up by the roots.
The following is an enumeration of the dis isters which
befel the shipping, so.far as we have been able to ascer-
tain them:—

- .
The British barque. ljerm?s went on shore at Circular
buildings, but has since bren,got off with little damage
except the loss of fore and main masts.
The American brig Charles Wirgman a complete
wreck at the Rot Naval Stores ; since sold by public
auction.

The British barque Ijelen Stewart on Shore at Green
Island ; slight hopes amstill
,entertained of saving the
vessel.

The British iron barque John Laird drifted foul of
the Eliza Stewart, and, Jo.it her Mi4;ll mast and bul-
warks.

The British ship Eliza Stewart, laden with sugar for
Shanghac, would have rode out the gale in safety, but
the John Laird drifted down upon her, and drove her
against the Dos Hermanos, by which she was so much
injured that she has had to discharge her cargo.
The Spanish brig DJs Hermanos lost main topmast,
bowsprit, and fore top gallant mast.
The Dutch ship.Kien Ileetn, wrecked on the east end
of the island, close to the village of Sheko. Only three
of her crew saved.

The British barque Salopian drifted out beyond Green
Island, tutally dismasted ; has since been towed into the
harbour by China boats.

The Portuguese schooner San F. Xavier was totally
dismaYed off the West Naval Stores.

The British schooner Island Queen's masts were cut
away to save her from going on shore.
The British brig Daniel Watson drifted to the mouth
of the Cap-sing-moon passage, lost topmasts.
Tne British barque Constant put back, with a con-
siderable portion of her cargo damaged ; 2,000 packages
of tea are to be sold by auction.

The Bremen ship Juliano put back from sea, having
lost rudder heads, sprung head of mainmast, and lost a
few sails.

The Spanish brigantine Carmen also put back, in a
leaky state, having lost main t )pma.it and sail.
The British ship Ilindostan was dismasted and driven
down to St. John's Island, about sixty miles to the west-
ward of Macao, but has since been towed into Hong.
kongr, by the steamer Corsair.
The British brig Calder was dismastel near Macao,
but has since been towed into this harbour, with part of
her cargo damaged : 400 chests of tea are to be sold by
auction.

On shore very few houses entirely escaped but those
which received the greatest damage were—
His Excellency the Governor's, Major Caine's, Mr.
Cay's, and Mr. Inglis's, much damaged in the roofs, vane-
tines, and verandahs. The old naval stores partly blown
down, and the new much damaged. Mr. Edger's house
partly down. Circular-buildings very much damaged.
Mr. Slqinight's outhouses and walls down. A great
many houses in Taeping-Shan very much injured. Of
the Chinese houses along the water's edge a great many
are down, and many more nnroofed. Part o: the wall of
the Seamen's Hospital blown in, and Dr. Harland's
house much injured. Considerable damage done to the
Chief Magistrate's Court-house and to the gaol build-
ings- West Point and the Contrail Hill police-stations
unroofed, and venetian: broken to pieces. East Point
Stationrendered quite uninhabitable. In Soo-kunpoo,
w ng-nei-ehutig, Aberdeen, Stanley, and indeed in
every village on the island, may houses are blown down
or unroofed,
At Macao the weather throughout the day was dis-
agreeable, but the near approach of a severe typhoon
was not apprehended. The barometer commenced falling
at about a P.M.,
at which time one of rather a high range
stood at 29.68. At 8
P.M.11 it was 29 20, end at midnight
it fell in the course of
an hour to 28.48, soon after
which the gal© moderated, and the quicksilver rose
rapidly. But the calm was of brief duration, for about
1 A.M. the storm recommenced, blowing furiously from
N.W. and W.N.W. About a quarter to 3 there was
another calm of about an hour, after which the storm
increased, and then much destruction was caused in the
harbour.
The gale commenced; not blowing hard however, at.