The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-05 00:00:00

CHINA.

(From a Correspondent of the Daily News.)
TALIEN-HWAN BAYS NORTH OF CHINA, JUNE 20.
You will find this Bay on the point of land which forms
the eastern jaw of the Gruff of Pecheli, and in the same lati-
tude as the mouth of the Peiho river, distant, in a straight
run across the gulf, 180 miles. This is the rendezvous of
the British expeditionary force, about half of which has
already arrived. This bay is a fine expanse of wlter, deep
enough for the largest ships, with good holding ground, and
sheltered from all winds except those from the southward
and south-eastward. A large portion of the force, in about
20 transports, left Hong Kong on the 18th of May for
this rendezvous, and the ships made their way under
convoy, with light winds, till the 28th, when a violent
gale from the north-east caught the squadron in the For-
mosa Channel, between that island and the mainland
and I fear has done considerable damage. It blew steadily
and furiously for eight days and nights, during which no
observation could be had of the sun, moon, or stars, with
heavy falls of rain, which, in some instances, filling the
quarter boats of the ships, tore them from the davits ens?,
washed them away into the ocean, Some of us, however,
held our own, and weathered the gale successfully ; but as
half the ships which left Hong Kong with us have not as
yet made their appearance here, we cannot know what the
general appearance was. The storm extended down the
coast to Hong Kong, on the east end of which island the
Assistance is reported to have been lost, with Chinese
coolies on board ; and also a French transport, with all
their artillery gear and harnes on board, no light loss,
if true, for our allies just at this time and place.
On the gentle hills all round this bay are scattered
several very pretty small villages, shaded by trees, the rest
cf the landscape being bare of wood and foliage ; but indus-
triously cultivated as high up the slopes as I suppose the
soil will admit of, or as will repay the labour and expense.
On the arrival of the first ships of the force the inhabitants
of these villages sent away inland their women, children,
and live stock, and many of the men have also gone ; those
who remain being seldom seen with our glasses, and hold-
ing no communication with us. These people must, I
should think, pass much of their time in fishing in peaceful
times ; but now their boats have been sent away, and they
do not venture on the water or come down to the beach,
being, both by orders from their Government and by fear of
mistrust prevented from communicating with us. There
are now collected here about fifty ships, men-of-war and
transports, under the command of Rear-Admiral Jones, in
her Majesty's ship Imperieuse, Admiral Hope not having
as yet arrived : but as only about one-half the transports
have as yet come in, the force is made up of portions of
regiments, four corps being entire, and none of the cavalry
having joined. The estimated time for the entire arrival and
formation of the force, and the final preparations for cross-
ing the Gulf of Pecheli, landing, and commencing opera-
tions, is three weeks, during which we shall all, I believe,
remain on board ship and get ready for fighting, which, if
report speaks truth, will be rough work whilst it lasts.
As I told you before, the Taku. Forts have been for-
midably enlarged and strengthened; and these best in-
formed now tell us that they are not assailable from
the rear so as to be taken in reverse, the country on
the land side being a swamp or morass, impracticable
for artillery, and even, it is asserted, for infantry. If this
be true, then these dens must, it would appear, be again
attacked from the river face, with little or no co-operation
or aid from the army ; but I feel a difficulty in believing
that the country on the land side is really impracticable at
all times of the year, however wet or inundated it may be
during the rainy season, and especially when under rice
cultivation. Let us hope that this somewhat formidable
information as regards these forts is exaggerated, for they
are certainly to be taken before any political intervention
in the shape of diplomacy comes upon the field, as I believe
I am right in saying that Lord Elgin will scarcely appear,
certainly will not speak reason and peace to the court of
Pekin, until after these Taku Forts shall have been smashed
infinitesimally, which we can certainly do, whatever sur-
roundings they may have. I am sorry to say that reports have
reached us here to the effect that our allies the French have
been behaving in what may be called a scandalous manner
at Shanghae, and to the southward ; but as there are regu-
lar mails from those places to England, you will have re-
ceived authentic and detailed accounts of the matters to
which I refer before this reaches you, and I am afraid that
France will have reason to frown and shrug her shoulders
at the conduct of some of her soldiers out here. I am
philo-Gallic in my feelings and associations, and I write
with regret anything about French soldiers, but extraordi-
nary occurrences will come out, and may as well be tempe-
rately mentioned by a friend to the French as
written violently and distortedly by those who
do not know and cannot understand there. The
main fact, then, is, that the French expedition to
China on this occasion is not creditable to the
nation, financially, militarily, or marinely ; and, moreover,
another fact has come out on'the present occasion—that
the French, though rapid and powerful in military organi-
sation, movement, and evolutions, have not as yet acquired
the capacity of fitting out a large combined military and
naval force for a distant expedition in the north of Asia.
No one knows when the French will be ready to join us
in military operations against the Chinese; but every one
knows that the French expeditionary force has been sent
out here miserably deficient in, everything fearfully
crowded, and very poor. Hence many scandals, out-
rages, misconduct, and suffering, and consequently a
lamentable diminution of that esteem on our part to-
wards them which alone can keep up the true entente
cordiale; for an Englishman is not long caught and
kept by vivacity, politeness, and glory; but, on the
contrary, soon looks for the solid qualities that
command respect in a friend or an ally. Out of the obliga-
tion to show some of these qualities no man who wants to
be John Bull's friend and associate can long keep : and I
am very much afraid that we are not getting on well hero
with our European neighbours. The Sikh regiment of
Loodianah, which was ordered to remain behind on the
Kowloon promontory, opposite Hong Kong, has, as you
will doubtless have heard before, been ordered up to Shang-
hae, where I believe the French troops have been behaving
very badly, as far as we up here can learn. They com-
menced their unmilitary and undisciplined conduct
at the Cape, on their way out from Europe : and
they have continued to create eclat as high as Shang-
hae. They have plenty and more than enough to
do in trying to get ready to join us in
this coming fight, without lessening their strength and
ruining their character by doing, as we are not doing, and
as we have not time to do just now, even if we had the incli-
nation. There is not much entente in our position or asso-
ciation now, for there are no French flags flying here, ano
I believe that they have their arrangements pretty much to
themselves. As I have said in all my letters, this Chinese
war will do little indeed to increase or to foster the mutual
attachment of the two first of nations, and I am sorry f
if for it.
It is not the fault of the French themselves ; but their ex-
pedition to China is miserably fitted out, and Dever was
as far from Calais as is Hong Kong or Shanghae, one
might amuse himself with the idea and organisation of a
French invasion of England just as he would with the
story of " Jack and the Beanstalk," or a Christmas panto-
mime. We have received here the London papers up to the
middle of April, with the China war discussions, which are
sufficiently amusing. We could not keep out of this war.
civilised world. Those
China, and every other nation, must be made to come into
the community....and accept
in England. and talk abstracted responsibilities, with
o f peoples,
the
restto exchange c
thhaen a'e
who sit at home
benevo-
lence, and the selfish. doctrine of every one doing as he