The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-27 00:00:00

CHINA.

The following is from the China Mail, Hong-
Kong, March 15 :
" Sir Hope Grant, Commander in Chief of the
British Expeditionary Force, arrived here on the
13th inst., along with his staff. No further details
of the British and French forces have arrived, but we
have intelligence of several vessels with troops on
board having reached Singapore. All kinds of ru-
mours are going about as to the preparations made
by the Chinese,their determination to fight, and their
efforts to engage Europeans in their servise ; but
no dependence can be placed in these rumours'.
There is a general impression among the Chinese
that the Court of Pekin intends to make a deter-
mined stand, but that is only conjecture on their
part.
" We mentioned in our last summary that four
English war vessels—the Samson, Actaeon, Alge-
rine, and Dove—had left Shanghae under sealed
orders, and that we had heard they were to take a
strip of land in Shantung as a depot. One of them,
the Samson, has since come down to Hong Kong,
having left the other vessels on the 4th inst. safely
anchored at a port in the entrance to the Gulf of
Pechelee. These vessels went first to Ta-lien Bayr
near, we think, to the port of Tang-chau, that was
to be opened by the new treaty. The inhabitants,
who had never seen a European ship before, were
alarmed at their appearance, but showed no hostility.
The country round was found to be extensively culti-
vated, and growing much grain. Fresh provisions
could not be obtained, and fruit and vegetables must
be scarce. There are salmon and oysters in the
bay, and the thermometer was so low as 18, the
shore being lined with ice. A singular report exists
among the Chinese at Canton, to the effect that the
two gunboats have been taken, but no one believes
it. It is true that the news of the loss of the gun-
boats at the mouth of the Peiho last summer was
reported in Canton nine days after the event took
place, and before our vessels brought the intelli-
gence to Shanghae ; but though Chinese stories often
prove correct, yet they cannot be relied on, and
in this case all the probability is against it. The
story only shows that the Cantonese expect hosti-
lities in the north.

0 Admiral Page has issued a proclamation, open-
ing the River of Saigon, in Cochin China, to the
commercial vessels of all nations at peace with.
France.
" The rebels in the valley of the Yangtsze have
had some more success, and also in Sze-chuen.
There have also been some disturbances near Can-
ton from rebels, or rather local marauders. In eight
separate districts of Kwang-tung bands of marau-
ders have risen up and set the mandarins at de-
fiance, refusing to pay the taxes, and plundering
the villages, which they surround during the night
and enter at dawn. The mandarins sent out 4,000
men against them in the commencement of this
week, and will probably reduce them to order ; but
these and other local disturbances, which are mainly
owing to the shock given by foreigners to the
prestige of the Chinese authorities, must cause much

misery.
" The state of matters in Japan appear to be get-
ting worse and worse, and the foreign community
there is living in great apprehension. On the 26th
of February two Dutch captains, Capt. De Vos, of
the brig Christian Louis, and Capt. Dekker, of the
schooner Henrietta Louise, were murdered in Yoko-
hama. They were walking through the streets, and,
it is said, had given no offence, being respectable,
quiet men, when they were attacked by some Japa-
nese with swords. Capt. De Vois was killed almost
immediately, and Capt. Dekker was pursued a short
way before he was dispatched. No cause is assigned
for this act. The Japanese are a high-spirited people,
and have been known to commit suicide when insulted

by foreigners; it is not impossible that the unfortu-
nate captains may have committed offence without
intending to do so, or a ey may have been sacrificed to
expiate the acts of other foreigners. The burial of
Mr. Alcock's servant was attended by officials.
The mission to the coal mines is said to have been
a failure ; but it has been found that Hirado coal
can be advantageously used by all steamers when
it is mixed with an equal portion of Welsh coal.
The imitative powers of the Japanese must be
very great, for muskets and rifles are now made
by them as well as in Europe, and the re-
tainers of the princes are daily taught their exer-
cise and use. There is an idle story going
about of one of the Japanese Ministers having, is
the heat of a recent discussion, laid his hand upon his
sword and exclaimed, "Let us rid ourselves of these
treaties and fight for freedom." At Hakodadi good
feeling exists between the foreigners and Japanese,
and articles are exported from there which are held
back at the other ports. Copper, iron, tin, and
coal exist in the island of Yea() ; and the ores are
said to possess flora 75 to 85 per cent. of fine metal.
Russian influence is there said to be supreme ; there
are always two Russian men-of-war in the bay, and
large Consular mansions. The Japanese Ministers
to New York were to have sailed before this time in
the Powhatan, and one of their own steamers was to
accompany them under the direction of Lieutenant
Brooke, late of the United States surveying schooner
Fenimore Ccoper.
" Mr. Tarrant is to be released in a few days;
but the heavy costs of his trial will probably con-
fine him in the debtors' gaol for some time longer.
The gaol authorities condemned him lately to soli-
tary imprisonment for a short time on bread and
water, because the end of a cigar was•discovered in
his cell. Such a fact scarcely requires comment,
and shows that, whatever may have been the faults
of some of the papers in Hong Kong, no small
share of the obloquy should fall upon the officials
who thus demonstrate their incapacity for compre-
hending the age in which we live, and so wantonly
embitter the state of matters.
Captain Saunders has been committed for trial at
the Supreme Court, on the charges of the mur-
der of a Chinaman, and of shooting and wounding
other Chinamen, on board a Customs' boat, at S wa-
tow. He has been released on bail, the securities
being himself for 6,000 dols., and two friends for
5,000 dols. each.

CANTON.

Business at Canton is in anything but a satisfactory state.
The country through which the lines of communication
with the interior pass is in a most disturbed state. Rebels
commonly, but robbers properly called, infest all the high-
ways of commerce, and render communication dangerous
and expensive if not impossible.
In tea, transactions are much curtailed, in consequence of
the entire absence of fresh supplies. The teamen positively
affirm that further stock will not reach market. If this be
a fact, there remains only 11 chops of Congou available for
the remainder of the season.
Silk is quite out of stock for Europe.
Cotton—There has been a very lair demand for cotton.
during the fortnight, 7,900 bales having passed into con-
sumption. The bulk of transactions are, however, confined
to the better qualities, which fully maintain prices current
last mail. Inferior kinds are lower, in consequence of an
undue pressure from needy holders.