The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-21 00:00:00

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to baiii rsteliaB *a bpilhhig, biiitiS --„, i!,,,,0.:„.,,i.,!,
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mandarin vessels, and after the gold • -'- : :.wormed askr.)4l 1
above.mentioned, the mandaria' alte ft:red it tio,• ':#7l/
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enter, evidently supposing, from seei A - pear IL,;>./
the door of the cabin, that the boat con isi‘it'tfrosti-cle" ---;
444dato witness the execution, but priaatlyllitlie.".4l"-
ceiec them, by shouting that the English officers were
coming is a ' fire ship.'
"' After waiting for about an hour, till a little after
seven o'clock, the war-steamer Pluto became visible
through the thick fog, steaming slowly against a strong
tide, with the lead going on both sides, and her corn-
mander4CaptaiuiAirey, standing;on the larboard paddle-
box. It was, under all the circumstances, a sight to
make an Englishman - feel a little proud, to see bow'
steadily and skilfully she was, under his directions,
brought through a narrow passage, between a ridge cf
sunken rocks, just below the place of execution. She
anchored at the end of the two lines of mandarins' ves- .
sels, almost closing up the space between them. In about
five minutes after the anchor dropped, two boats put off
from her, filled with the soldiers, followed by a Ihird,
containing the Hon. Mr. Johnston, Mr. Vi;:e-Consul
Elmslie, and Mr. Meadows, interpreter to the Consulate.
Our soldiers, in two divisions, and a party of the Pluto's
seamen, with fixed bayonets and drawn cutlasses, formed
along the bank of the river. About two minutes
afterwards the signal fur the execution was given by one
of the mandarins, with whom Mr. Johnston and his party
were standing, calling out the word " pan" (proceed),
which was passed by the subordinates to the opposite
line of ves els, one of which contained the prisoners,
and within five yards of which I was standing on the
bank.

" The first of the criminals that was brought out
seemed to be about twenty five years of age, decently
dressed, tall for a Chinaman, and strongly made. Ile
had good features, but was ghastly pale, he was gagged,
and had his hands tied together behind hie back, and
his feet were fettered in the Chinese manner. He had
a piece of wood, about two feet in length, with a slip of
paper at the head of it, eticking down between his
clothes and his back. This piece of wood is called
Cha peaou, and the criminal's name, with a description
of his crime, &c., is written on the paper attached to
it. He passed from the boat to the shore along some
planking, over which he was supported by a Chinese
policeman on each side. There was another policeman
behind him pushing him roughly forwards. The eyes
of this criminal were rolling about in a fearful manner,
as ho turned them from the forein soldiers to the sea-
men between whom he passed from the boat to the field.
He was run out about 20 yards from the river, into
the equare, till about 10 yards from the spot where
I was standing, with a clear :Tice between, so that
I was able to see very plainly the whole of the proceed-
ings. When the policemen had led him to that dis-
tance, they threw him down on the ground, and in
consequence of his hande being secured behind his
back he tell quite forward on his face. The executioner,
who on his being brought out came running from where
the mandarins were stationed, with his naked sword in
his hand and his sleeves tucked up to the elbows, was
by this time at him, and after pulling out the Cha-peaou
from his back raised him up into a kneeling posture. He
then took hold of the criminal's tail, which had been
previously rolled up into a knot, with the left hand, and
by the kelp of this hold and by pressing the right foot
on the criminal's hands, or on the small of his back,
brought his heal and neck into the requisite position,
sticking almost straight out and horizental from the
trunk, but slightly bent down. He then, retaining his
hold of the tail with the left hand, brought his sword
down iu the right hand, so as almost to touch the cri-
minal's neck, which I suppose he did in order, as it. were,
to mark the exact place at which to strike. Ile then
raised the sword quickly up, and at one blOw severed the
head from the bedy, only leaving it attached by a small
piece of skin, which he afterwards separated by a tug.
The policeman now took the trunk and put it into a
Chinese coffine;which some of the other policemen had
brought forward while the beheading was going on.
This criminal being a stout- bodied man, the policemen
were obliged to force his body into the coffin by stamp-
ing it in with their feet, which, from the cool way in
which they did it, was to me the most disgusting sight I
witnessed during the morning. After the trunk bad
been completely squeezed in one of the policemen took
the head from the ground by the tail and put it into the
coffin, into which another put the Cha-peaou. The head
when suspended by the tail in the air had, from its
ghastly paleness and the dropping of the under jaw,
peculiar lengthy horrible appearance, which, when once
seen, will, I think, be long remembered.
" "The second and third criminals who were brought
out close behind the first man seemed to bo about fifty
years of age, and meagre-looking people. They were
gagged and fastened in every way like the first man, and
were as roughly handled. The executioners, however,
cut their heads completely off at one blow. They were
then put into the coffins, first the trunks and afterwards
the heads. The fourth wet carried out from the boat
into the square, by means of a piece of matting slung be-
tween two poles. lie sat huddled tog-ether with his he ad
resting on his breast; and being tumbled out of the con-
veyance in such a manner that when the executioner
raised him up the man's back was turned towards me.
I did not see his face so as to judge of his age. I re-
marked, however, that he was dressed in very ragged
clothes. The executioner had a good deal of trouble to
get this man's head put in the proper position, and
seemed, in consequence of having to handle him so much,
to be rather unnerved, for in Liking hie aim with the
sword, in the manner described above, I saw that his
hand trembled very much ; notwithstanding this, how-
ever, he severed the head from the body at one blow.
The circumstance of the executioner's being punish-
able if he strike more than one blow, may account in
part for his anxiety and nervoueness. \V hi n all the
hair criminals were beheaded and the trunks and heads
put in the coffins, the Chinese policemen carried them
into a small boat. _ _

" From the time of taking the criminals from the
large vessel, until their bodies were carried to the small
boat, the whle periol, did not, I think. exceed eight
rainutes. I have since ascertained that the bodies were
buried at a place out,ide of the eastern gate of Canton,
named Llan Tsankaug.'"

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(From the Bombay Times.)
THE BOMBAY mAiti(Kr.
1,110.31 TUE IST TO TUE 16-rn JANUARY.
Since our last report a genet al dulness has prevailed,
and the business of the fortnight is limited in amount,
both in imports and exports.
In the money market no change has taken place.
The steamer with the London mail of the 7th ultimo
has not yet arrived, and being some days past due, the
anxiety with which she is looked for has been added to.
Cotton Piece Goo:is—The limited demand existing at
the date of our last for these fabrics has continued to the
present time, and the amount of business done in the
fortnight is, therefore, small. Prices of a few kinds of
goods are rather more in favour of buyers than they
were, but on the whole are well supported, owing to im-
porters having pretty generally refrained from pressing
stocks upon the market, and which light receipts, added
to the limited quantity upon hand, and on the way out, war-
rants theta in not doing. Low qualities of grey and bleached
continued to enjoyA preference in demand, but transactions
in all have been so unimportant as not to call for special
notice. Of dyed and fancy goods there have been a
few trilling sales, and Turkey red, plain, and twill cloth
in the former, continue to be inquired for. Prices of the
plain cloth of good quality have slightly improved.
For Turkey red prints there has also been a slight in-
quiry, but the prices offered are still very low, and far
from remunerating.
Cotton Yarn—ln the Grey, has partaken of the dull-
ness prevailing in the piece market, and the sales since
our last are very limited in amount, but which, after the
extensive sales of the previous fortnight, was only to be
expected. The same are undernoted, and show a decline
in price of 30s. and 40s. mule, and 405. water, but which
arises solely trom the quality having been inferior. Of
orange no sales have transpired, but of Turkey red one
is noted at a low figure. The former dye continues to
be in request. Mule 80 bales, 300Ibs. each—No. 30, at
annas 61 per lb. No 40, at annas 7;1 per lb.; No. 70, at
annas 101/8 per lb. Water, 145 hales, 3001bs. each—No.
30, at annas 7i per lb. ; No. 40, at annas si per lb.
Turkey red German dye, 50 bales, 4001bs. each, in
Q,11). bundles No. 30, No. 40, and No. 50, at rs.
1-4-6 per lb.
Woollens continue to be neglected, and nothing has
been done in them.
METALS.—lron—Swedish bar has been in good de-
mand. and an assortment of suitable sizes has realised
an advanced quotation. British bar is much wanted, and
what with a very limited stock and a good inquiry from
the interior, prices have further advanced, and have still
an upward tendency, A current assortment would now
command 40 rs to 43; square about 46 rs to 47, and
round 46 rs to 50 per candy. Of the latter a small sale,
as will be observed, is reported at this extreme price
quoted, the sizs, 2 to 24 inches, being at the moment
what is much wanted. Nail rod, hoop, and sheet con-
tinue much as before reported. Copper is steady, and
some sales have had effect at full prices; the latter for
tile are in the ascendant, 52 rs. per cwt. having been re-
fused for a parcel, stock of the kind in first hands being
moderate. Lead has farther advanced in price, but
nothing has been done in it. Of Spelter, 200 cwt. has
been sold to arrive, at 11 rs. per cwt. Tin plates much
,he same as before.
Iron-250 candies Swedish bar R 5.52 prey.
do.
50 ditto British bar (all round) 50
150 ditto square nail rod o.
421 do.
160 ditto ditto ..............• 434
6i pr. cwt.
400 cwt. hoop
64 do.
Copper-300 cwt. sheathing
200 ditto brazier 5............. 6441 do.
63 do.
200 ditto ditto ditto
400 ditto tile
200 ditto ditto
Cochineal--None in the market, and we repeat our
last quotation, which can readily be obtained.
Saffron—First quality in good demand, and saleable
at our quotation. 1001bs. of rather interior is reported
sold at 13f rs. per lb.
Spirits—Brandy has been sold to the extent of 40
!Olds , in equal quantities of brown and pale, at 3 rs. per
gallon. and for the present the market is well supplied.
Beer—None at market, but fl porter there has been
a recent import, the bulk of which is for Government;
and we only hear of a sale of 50 hhds. Tennent's at
55 rs. per hhd.

- .
EXPORTS.
Cotton Wool—This market continues in en etees-
sively dull state. Purchases in the fortnight have been
few and trivial in extent, and chiefly for the Chihli
market. We quote prices much lower, but a good pro-
portion of the decline is more nominal than real, the
quality of nearly all available .being so very inferior,
more particularly Compta, which description at this
season of the year is always in the greatest abundance.
The latter is this season much more seedy than usual,
and the fraudulent mixing of it with Rajapore and
Sholapore descriptions, which appears to have been car-
ried on to some extent, has much depreciated its stand-