The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-03 00:00:00

friends ' What is your honourable age ? and I may he mis-
taken.'
L " Yes, we understand. Your customs are different.
But I think that Lo-hiau-tsiuen must be younger than 45.*
How long have you been on your journey ?'
" Four days. We passed on the way through 40 miles
of the territory of the new dynasty.'
" 'll hat day do you keep as a day of worship; and what
four stars in the cycle of 28 denote the day ?,
" Fang, Hii, Mau, Sing are the four days on which tlae
worship day occurs.'
" And what day in the week is this, then ?'
" The second after the day of worship.'
" The day, then, is the same in your nation as in ours.
Ha% e you,any other matter cn which you wish to speak V
" Our nation carries on trade with China; our country-
men are now desirous to obtain the new silk just ready for
the market, from Kiahing, Nantsin, and other places. The
forces of the new Celestial Dynasty are now there. It
would be highly satisfactory if, in these circumstances, com •
coerce should not be interrupted. If by some arrangement
it could continue both natives and foreigners would find it
beneficial.'

" The Celestial Dynasty also desires that there be no
obstruction to trade. It it continue, the Celestial King
will
levy customs upon goods which pass.'
We have brought books upon our religion which we
wish to present to the ' Faithful King.' We have them in
our boats.'
" ' That you may do to-morrow. Now, after your jour-
ney,or t
h ryeoeud ma
yuss
nb
theeNv ecaitryy.. IClohuacvaen
oirf
dyeoruedplßearsoethreemr
Laiineutwtoo
provide supper for you and a lodging. Thanks, thanks'
" After this conversation we left the palace with the same
salute as on entrance, and were escorted on horses, pro-
vided by the direction of the King, to the residence of Lieu
a high officer of amiable disposition, who entertained us,
hospitably enough for the rest of the evening, On our
expreFsing a wish to return at once to Shanghai, horses
were brought, and we proceeded along the silent streets
long after midnight had tolled, to the ponderous city_
gate, just outside of which we had left our boats. Au
was still, except the noises of the watch, under the bright
moon which illuminated our long ride. The drumming
and clapping of the watchmen was only varied by the
word of the night now and then passed from one to another
On that occasion it was Hoh yih' combination in one
Reaching our boats at 1 a.m. we sent Bibles and other
books to the ' faithful king' and then lay down to rest.
"It would have been extremely interesting to have staid
for some days' as we had been invited to do, but it was ne-
cessary for us to return to Shanghai without delay, and the
boatmen therefore lifted their anchors in the dead of night,
and the dawn saw us already at a distance from the city,
ploughing our way again along the Grand Canal.
In the course of conversation with the Cantonese Lieu
we inquired why the city had been so easily taken. lie
stated that it was for no reason but that several tens of
thousands of Imperialist troops (he said 80,000) deserted to
them and gave the city into their hands.
"However easy it may have been to take it, it does not
appear likely that it will be easily recovered. The force in
possession is very large. At least 40,000 or 50,000 must
hold it.

" We asked why, if the city was taken with little blood-
shed, the number of the dead was so great. He replied that
the far greater part were suicides. With this statement
agrees the too common fact that on the approach of danger
the Chinese, in a multitude of instances, lose all hope, and
throw themselves into the nearest well or stream of water.

" We further inquired if they did not fear disease being
caused by thq unburied corpses, and recommended that
active measures should be taken to prevent this danger, also
reminding him that many of the younger brethren' had
time for the performance of this necessary act. He replied
that the ' brethren' were extremely reluctant to undertake
so disagreeable a duty, and that 10 days would not be suffi-
cient for the task.

" The Mandarins in the city had all escaped before its
capture. Reports have reached Shanghai of the governor
of the province having been killed, also of his having been
baptized ani proceeding with a rebel army to capture
Hangehow. But these reports are not in accordance with

:he information we obtained from Lieu and other rebel

officers. They say that he escaped like the rest, while the
others, however, found their way to Shanghai, he alone is

missing.

" The rebels have establishcd six titles t after that of
' King.' Most of them are new and unusual in China.
They are partly capricious, and partly according to very
ancient precedents. If they should ultimately achieve the
conquest of the empire, which at present they have not
power enough to accomplish, they would probably alter
almost the whole of the nomenclature of administration,
civil and military.
" On our way to Shanghai the towns and villages we
passed were in a state of great excitement. Bands of men
carrying lanterns, and armed with pikes, and one in
twenty having a matchlock or musket, march in proces-
sion at night round their own districts. One of these
large bodies of villagers came by us as we lay anchored
in a snug creek one evening. They felt suspicious of us
that we were not really what we professed to be, Eng-
lishmen from Shanghai. Our presence in their village
seemed to them to omen mischief, and we saw by the
pale light of their lanterns, as they stood close by us on the
bank, glances of patriotic indignation gleaming from their
countenances upon ourselves. Their anger was moderated
when some of our party went among them, and explained
to the head man that we were, beyond question, foreign
preachers of Christianity. We then had permission to re-
main there for the night, while this picturesque procession
of pikemen proceeded on their way.

Visitors to scenes such as those now described cannot
fail to have witnessed much that shocks the sensibilites and

grieves the heart—burning suburbs, deserted streets, fielde
of corn left to perish uncut, hundreds of unburied dead,
here and there an abandoned infant. These are sad sights.
Such are the accompaniments of war. It touches the heart
to see the misery to which those not engaged in the groat
revolutionary struggle are exposed.
" In all this Providence is at work, and we believe that
God will cause the result of the war to further His wise

designs, and in the end to promote the real happiness of
the Chinese people."

* Hero the insurgent King must have been wrong. I
find on inquiry from those well acquainted with Mr. Roberts
that he is on the other side of fifty.
t 1, Wang, king ; 2, i, right ; 3, ngan, rest ; 4, fuh,
happiness; 5, yen, swallow; 6, y ii, preparation; 7, heu,
marquis.