The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-16 00:00:00

THE RECONNOITRE.

On reaching the shore to the north of the Peh-
tang forts, a large body of Tartar cavalry was disco-
vered, which had been despatched from an entrenched
camp some few miles inland. It was at first thought
that they would ronder the undertaking one of some
difficulty; but upon firing some three or four rounds
of shell and shot, they very quietly rode back again,
leaving the coast undefended. The French, whose
force on this occasion was larger than the English,
rapidly effected their purpose, and the Ehglish
were not long in following their example ; some
slight skirmishing took place with a portion of the
enemy, in which we had some fourteen wounded ;
these all amongst the military, one, Capt. Great-
head, being, I regret, seriously so. On the next
day, or the following, they proceeded to advance
against the forts, the gun-boats, from their light
draught of water, being able to go up the shallow
river which forms the false mouth of the Peiho
here. These forts were, to all appearance, well
supplied with guns, and a considerable resistance
was expected. You may judge, then, of the sur-
prise of the forces to find them utterly undefended.
The English then proceeded to occupy them, but
did so cautiously, thinking it not unlikely, from
the known character of the Chinese, that some trap
was laid, and it was fortunate that it was so, for before
entering the first fort, the man who was reconnoi-
tring found the bridge across the dry ditch which
surrounds it trembling with his weight, and, upon
a careful examination being made, it was shown to
be so constructed with levers, &c., as to form a
large hammer, which, on the rush of any body of
men, would have exploded some detonating powder
in communication with a large quantity of gun-
powder, effectually destroying fort and all within it.
Of the guns found some were only wooden dum-
mies, but a large supply of Chinese rockets was
there, and the soldiers amused themselves by ex-
pending these harmlessly in the air.
With the exception of the occupation of three
such torts, we have hitherto done nothing but
make preparations for the march inland, and the
first attack of real consequence will be begun to-mor-
row. The first will, lam informed, be a feint on
the part of the military, and an attack upon the
entrenched camp I spoke of before ; if this draws
off their attention from the forts the gunboats will
begin a bombardment, and from their number and
the weight of the guns they carry, will, I fancy,
rather astonish John Chinaman. Ai easy victory
is not expected, for it seems pretty well known that
many of the engineers are Russians and not
Chinese.

The safe landing of the troops, their occupation
of the Pehtang forts, and the skirmish with some
Tartar cavalry is the sum total of the news. Specu-
lation is rife as to the probable issue of the next
steps, as upon the rapidity with which the Taku
forts are overcome depends ♦irtually the length of
the campaign. If we occupy them after an attack
lasting but a day or two, we may hope to date from
Pekin this year; if siege operations of any magni-
tude are necessary, we shall have to wait another
season. Nearly every one is heartily sick of the
inactive life they have been leading since the com-
mencement of the expedition.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTING AT MANCHESTER—Mom:JAY.

As on Saturday, the principal business was settling on the
past week's wvents, which has proceeded so far without any
complaints. A moderate amount of business was done on
the Cambridgeshire, and a change as to some of the out-
siders took place, for which we refer to the quotations, but
nothing was done on anyparticular animal calling for special
notice. Closing prices :

CAMBRIDGESHIRE STAKES.
sto 1 agst Dulcibella (offered)
14 to 1 agst Thunderbolt (offered)
20 to 1 agst Sutton (taken)
20 to 1 agst Stampedo (taken)
20 to 1 agst Prelude (taken)
25 to 1 agst Optimist (offered)
25 to 1 agst Maggiore (offered)
33 to 1 agst Contadina (taken)
13 to 1 agst Cavriana (taken)
40 to 1 agat Killigrew (taken)
40 to 1 agst Seclusion (taken)
40 to 1 agat Fravola (taken)
40 to 1 agat Moorcock (taken)
50 to 1 agst Bonbow (taken)

YOUATT WY. GMAT TO SITBSCRIBERS.—You must pet
more and more on the Cambridgeshire • we sh.
I know a
all win easier
than Dulcibolla did the Cesarewitch 'Stakes
horse that has been kept for the Liverpool Cunow at 60
to I—that will receive all sorts of " popper ;" that will settle
half the bookmakers: Terms, to the end of the season, 5s ;
the Cambridgeshire Stakes, 2s. 6d.—Address 15, Charing:.
cross, London._