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

same model as the new ones. By another decree, likes, may argue in favour of the voluntary isolation and
the old Sicilian debt contracted by the Parliament sulky mischievousness of large nations and empires ;
of 1848-49, which had been repudiated by the Bour-
but if they hiad passed,
..as we did on our voyage up,
eight d
Channel, with
ys
and
cnnights
a
both, gal
sides, e inteshe
an d Formosanot
bon Government, is to be paid off. For this
rockypur-
guide coast on
or warn the ma.riner, they
pose a new loan of 2,550,000 f. rente is opened, and a single light to
all holders of the securities relating to the debt would have thought that a nation which so neglects
alluded to are admitted to subscribe to the new all the general duties of civilisation and humanity deserved
loan, their securities being received in payment at to be seized by main and violent force, and dragged within
par. The price of the new rente in both cases is the pale of general responsibility. All along the coast of
this enormous empire there is not a single lighthouse or
fixed at 95.
beacon maintained by the Turkish Government, and I need
The Nazione of Florence announces that that city not tell you what a rich and valuable trade is carried' on up
is now without a garrison, and that all the mili- and down these shores. In the Formosa Channel alone
tary posts are occupied by the National Guard. five lighthouses are required, three on the mainland, and.
t
The same paper gives some details relating to the two on the island, one at either end. Scurvy to a
departure of Nicotera's volunteers from Leghorn,
considerable
mleextent has• broken out in the force now
Having arrived there, the chiefs declared they
medical
European n
treatment and nativeis
Indianraeti;c a
hanl a
on
and as
boardnon
b
would not go to Palermo, but would land on any
ship, and the Chinese will have nothingp to do with
point of the Neapolitan coast they pleased. The here,ut strictly o
us, thus putting fresh vegetable diet for the troops
captains of the, vessels which had been hired to con- out of the question, I am afraid that the die-
Ney them then declining putting out to sea, lest the ease will spread extensively, as all the men have come long
volunteers should offer them violence during the
wtetl he supplyhutl
understand
n f
er
voyages, and many from England.h There is also an anxiety
whereas
rties goth on shore to
d
passage. The Government was, therefore, obliged
abi,ou wells ; dwat or
etand :LT,d
to have recourse to force. The troops were called tion of water in the force now here is 400 tons
a-ndilasyne nitto
out, and the generale was beaten. About 1,000 supply hitherto procurablefrom thesewells does not amount
National Guards were soon under arms. The royal to above 40 tons daily. About all this part of the north of
delegate and an officer of earabineers went on China surface water fit for drinking purposes is scarce,
few, and it is
r waterlve whenandthe largceour bodiest of o f
p e menkin may
now
board the vessel where the chiefs were, and, ac- rivers. and
to
d.rivuletsf are comparatively
cording to law, summoned them to obey (about the necessary
same as reading the Riot Act in England). The be
never hear anything from one another; though
doubt-
chiefs then yielded, and promised to let themselves m asseYd together.
n
less they know a good deal of our movements, and are
be taken to Palermo. acting accordingly, as you will hear after we have tried the
A Vienna letter of the 30th ult., in the Boersen- Taku Forts. The annexation of the holy island of Poo-too,
of which I spoke to you in my former letters, has been
halls, says :
dropped: and even the force at Chusan has been much "Two very important telegrams arrived here last
re-
night, one of them addressed direct to the Emperor d
Acheda,nahe9omtham portion and headquarters of Majesty's
Regiments having come uphehreertjoin in
by the King of Naples, the other to Count de Rech- 7
the fighting, leaving each a few companies on the island.
berg, from Count Szechenyi, the Austrian Minister
The weather—poor Lord Raglan's favourite topic—is vaH-
at Naples. The latter announced that Francis 11. able and uncertain here, for some days past having been
had resolved to leave his States, the situation hav- most trying, wet and gloomy, but being to-day as fine as
ing become quite hopeless. Other intelligence his lordship could have wished, warm and summery,
received during the day leaves no room to doubt Then again;Lyons
that a catastrophe is imminent. As to the King's
despatch, it is said to announce his Majesty's deter-
v
mination to retire to Spain for the present. Prince with fresh meat and vegetables, sent from
as the worthy Lord used to write, at
the same time, " the health of the troops is extel-
de Metternich, who has arrived here from Paris, Malta by Rear-Admiral
had an interview this morning with Count de Rech-
t
berg, which lasted several hours." l
well supplied lent,"
scurvy, I am sorry I cannot add that "the men aro
with the exception that, as regards the pre-
emloonfiggh are n
tot
waitont very
exciting
ci Stewart," Waiting and preparing
or newsful ; but there is not
now,
and I fear that my second letter after
this will have a red tinge upon it. However, as our
French allies say, " you cannot make omelettes without
breaking eggs." The naval brigade, for service on shore,
is being organised, and, as far as practicable, on ship-
board, being drilled and practised, and it will be a formid-
able part of the force. There is great gun exercise,
rifle exercise, revolver exercise, and hostile activity
movements of at least a hundred different descrip-
' tions and powers. The entire force to be collected here be-
fore a move is made will be about forty men-of-war of dif-
ferent rates, and over eighty transports ; but I do not know
what the little bill to be paid by the people of England will
amount to ; and, indeed, there is no occasion to make up
any pages of the account just yet, as we shall, in all pro-
bability, be obliged to go on with the "carried forward"
for some time to come. About the time you get this the
small items will be dropping in upon you pretty fast, the
just retribution and suffering for the accursed wicked-
ness of war, necessary or unnecessary. I believe that
we are to have a despatch of letters for England every
fortnight, if practicable ; and it would appear that
our letters are to go home free of postage, a boon which I
think we deserve, notwithstanding the latest distance they
will have to go for nothing. The latest news is that we
do not make a move from this till Lord Elgin comes up,
and so he will be welcome when be does arrive.

CHINA.

(From a Correspondent of the Daily Hews.)
TALIEN-HWAN BAY, NORTH OF CHINA, JUNE 20.
You will find this Bay on the point of land which forms
the eastern jaw of the Gulf 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 water, 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 tie 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 and
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
of 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 • Lufi a 4 os,ly About Onn-Bolt tb.
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 mayhave. 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
phile-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 th e French as
written violently and distortedly by those who
do not know and cannot understand them. 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,
lamentable misconduct,
diminution
of that esteem on our part and suffering, and consequently a
bl
to-
wards them which alone can keep up the true entente
lam
cordials; 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 hero 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, and
I believe that they have their arrangements pretty mut.
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 are sorry for it.
It is not the fault of the French themselves ; but their ex-
pedition to China is miserably fitted out, and if Dover 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 no' lreep out of this war.
China, and every other nation, must be made to cora,'
the community of peoples, to exchange benefits, and accept
responsibilities, with the rest of the civilised world, Those
who sit at home in England and talk abstracted benevo-
lence, and the selfish doctrine of fY ery one doing as he