The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-05 00:00:00

Translated by THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.

The undersigned, the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, her
Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni-
potentiary in China, has received three despatches from his
Excellency the Governor-General of Chih Li, under date
respectively the 14th, 15th; and 16th instant.

The Governor-General announces, first, the appointment
of a high officer, who is to wait the arrival of the under-
signed is Pekin, subsequently the immediate approach of an
Imperial Commissioner, and requests him to call on the
Commander-in-Chief of her Britannic Majesty's forces to
desist from further hostilities.

In his despatch of the Bth instant the undersigned
apprised the Governor-General that the military and
naval commanders-in-chief had been called upon to
act, in consequence of the unsatisfactory reply given
by the great council to the demands of the British
minister, conveyed in his letter to the council in March
last. .They are engaged in taking possession of the Taku
forts, and opening up a passage for the undersigned to
Tientsin. Until the object shall have been accomplished,
and sufficient assurances given of the resolution of the
Chinese Government to concede points demanded in thl
letter in question, the undersigned cannot call on the mill•
tary and naval commanders-in-chief to suspend their ope-
rations. (Signed) ELGIN AND KINCARDINE.

Tientsin, August 26,18.x,0.
(Received Nov. 2, 8.15 p.m.)
My Lord,—l have the honour to enclose the translation
of a despatch to me from the Governor-General of the pro-
vince of Chih Li, which was sent on board Admiral Hope's
vessel when he reached this place on the 24th inst. ; also
a despatch to me from Hang and Wan, announcing the
appointment of K weiliang, with whom I negotiated the
treaty of 1858, and Hang Fuh, the Governor-General of
the province of Chih Li, to be Imperial Commissioner to
treat with me at Tientsin.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) ELGIN AND KINCARDINE,
The Lord John Russell, &c.

Hang, a President of the Board of War, Governor-General
of the Province of Chill Li, makes this communication :
I beg to inform you that I, having in the first instance
retired from Taku to Tientsin, have now caused to be
withdrawn from the latter place all the troops forming its
garrison, and also to be removed the guns from all the
batteries. As we are now establishing friendly relations
between our two countries, I hope that when your Excel-
lency comes to Tientsin, you will not bring many vessels
of war, which I fear might excite alarm in the minds of the
inhabitants. To this end I address you.
A communication.
To his Excellency the Earl of Elgin, &c.
Hien Fung, 10th year, 7th months 7th day,
(August 23, 1860.)

Wan, by Imperial Appointment Minister Resident of
Sening, and Hang, by Iroprial Appointment, Minister
Controller-General of the Household, &c., makes this
communication

y Traslation.)
On the 9th da ta,(Le:3eventh month (25th August) we
receive at Tientsin an Imperialn decree dated the Bth day of
the month, in the following terms
We hereby appoint liweiliavnge:Fd Hang Fu Imperial
High Commissioners. Let Kii
proceed by express
to join his colleague, and transact business.
Respect this.
On the same day we received another de
Let Hang-ki remain at Tientsin, to
thiWsantsun
transact as follows:
under the orders of Kweiliang and Hang Fnusact business
is to come immediately to the capital. Respect
W• 3 make known the above to your Excellency, and we
request that you will wait the arrival of his Excellency
Kwei, Imperial High Commissioner and a member of the
council, who is to come to Tientsin, and in concert with
his Excellency Hang, Imperial High Commissioner and
Governor-General of the province of Chili Li, conduct ne-
gotiations with your Excellency.
This is important.

A communication.
To the Earl of Elgin, &c.
Men Fung, 10th year, 7th moon, 9th day.

(Extract of a Despatch from the Earl of Elgin to Lord

John Russell.)
Steam Sloop Granada, Tientsin, August 26, 1860.
(Received Nov. 2, 8.15 p.m.)
I have the honour to inform your lordship that I arrived
last night at this place.
My despatches enclose translations of several communi -
cations which I have received from Chinese functionaries.=
A perusal of these various documents will, I think, sa.

tisfy your lordship that the Emperor of China desires
peace, although he has not quite yet made up his mind to
concede all that lam instructed to demand. His reluc-
-1 tance to do so will no doubt be surmounted in due time.

Tice-Admiral Hope and Lieut.-General Sir H. Grant
have exerted themselves to the utmost to prevent the cala-
mities of war from falling with severity en the peaceable
Inhabitants of the country. This ;'co vse is recom-
mended by policy, as well as by humanity ; for here, as in
other parts of China, the people, when unmolested, prove
to be the most useful purveyors for the wants of the army.
1.7.2 e cavalry brigade, consisting of two squadrons of
King's Dragoon Guards, and Pane's and Probyn's horse,
with Stirling"! 6-pounder battery, have just arrived. They
performed the jottrnay frgm Peiho to this place by land.
Mr. Wade, who, at my request, accompanied them, reports
that their march has been most prosperous; that the
people, though greatly alarmed at their appearance, took
heart when they found that they were not maltreated, and
offered readily for sale such supplies as the country affords.
Lieutenant-General Sir Hope Grant has found a suitable
encatripment for them in the vicinity of the town.
The persoile (gentry of this place) who were appointed to
I procure supplies for Sang Kolinsin's army have, at Mr.
' Parke's instance, undertaken to perform that service for
us.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) ELGIN AND KINCARDINE.
The Lord John Russell, &c.

Tientsin, Aug. 36,1860.

Received Nov. 2, 8.15 p.m.)
My Lerd,—l havd the honour to enclose the copy of a
very interesting report wl'cl► I have received from Mr.
Parkas, who, at my request accompanied Vice-Admiral
Hope when he advanced upon Tientsin on the 23d instant,
and who has, since the admiral's departure, been rendering
the most useful services in making arrangements for the
reception of the allied troops and ambassadors at this place.
—I have, &c.,
(Signed) Etcall AND KINCARDINZI,
The Lord John Russell, &c.

Tientsin, Aug. 26, 1860.
My Lord,—l have the honour to make the following
report to your lordship of particulars which have come
under my notice during the proceedings of the last three
days.

After quitting your lordship on the morning of the 23d
inst., I joined Admiral Hope, who proceeded up the Feiho
in his tender, the Coromandel, accompanied by a division of
five gunboats. At half-past two p.m. the forts of Shwang-
keang were passed, and found to be deserted. The people
of the various villages on the banks of the river turned out
to look at the steamers as they passed along, and, far from
evincing any feeling of hostility, gave proof of their good
will in.:hauling, entirely of their own:accord, at the hawsers
or ropes that had occasionally to be landed, and also in
bringing fresh fruit and vegetables to the boats that were
sent ashore on this service.

At seven p.m. our small squadron anchored at a point
ten miles below Tientsin, and I had an opportunity of con-
versing with a number of respectable persons who repre-
sented themselves as a deputation sent by the people of the
city to pay their respects to the allied commanders. From
them I learned that the authorities entertained no idea of
defending the extensive works recently thrown up by Sang
Kolinsin for the defence of Tientsin, and that both garrison
and guns had been withdrawn. That San Kolinsin himself
had passed by the place the previous day (or within 24 hours
of his abandonment of the southern Peiho forts), but only
with a small body of one or two hundred jaded horsemen,
and that he himself was too dispirited to enter the city. The
Viceroy Hangfuh, they said, had also :arrived from Taku
this day at noon.
Admiral Hope having determined, upon receipt of this
intelligence, to occupy Tientsin with the small force ho had
with him, the gunboats pushed on the following morning,
and having landed parties of marines at the two forts which
command the approach to Tientsin, arrived off the city about
9 a.m. Several subordinate officers came off with polite
messages from their superiors, in reply to which the Admi-
ral requested the viceroy to come himself to the Coro-
mandel. His Excellency complied without hesitation, and
was accompanied by Hangke and Wantsenen, the officers
commissioned by the Emperor to escort your lordship to
Pekin. Admiral Hope informed them that they must con-
sider Tientsin to be in possession of the allied forces ; that
the people would be scrupulously protected, and the civil
authorities allowed to remain in the exorcise of their func-
tions, and he showed them a proclamation which I had
prepared by his direction for the purpose of apprising the
people of this change in their position. The viceroy and
his companions made an ineffectual attempt to induce Ad-
miral Hope to regard them as the governors of the city, but
a reference made by them to Canton led the Admiral to
observe that the situation of the two cities and of their re-
spective native authorities must be considered parallel.
While this interview was proceeding a party of marines had
taken possession of, and hoisted the English and French
flags on the east gate of the city, and the above-mentioned
proclamation was posted in the same public thoroughfare.
The Admiral having desired me to remain at Tientsin
and to act with Captain ISlTleverty as occasion might re-
quire, I proceeded to inform myself of the condition of the
city. Having found out the temporary residence of the
viceroy and commissioners, I had a long and friendly con-
versation with them on the position of affairs, my object
being to make it plain to them that the Chinese Government
had it in their power to arrest the progress of hostilities--
hostilities which they by their faithless acts had entirely
brought upon themselves, by agreeing unconditionally to
the terms of your lordship's letter to the viceroy of the
17th inst., and that delay in doing so was full of peril to
them. The viceroy told me that he had forwarded that
letter to Pekin the moment he had received it, but no fur-
ther instructions had reached him on the subject. I pointed
out that, during the short intervening period, all the Taku
bolts and Tientsin had fallen, and that our army was now
on the march, remarks which led them to offer many perso-
nal assurances of their wish for the restoration of peace, &c.
Having knowledge that a committee of supply had been
formed, by Sang Kolinsin, at Tientsin, to assist him in his
operations, I requested the viceroy to direct the native gen-
try who compose this committee to act as a board for the
supply of our troops with fresh provisions, and before the
evening had closed in I had the satisfaction of arranging with
several members of this committee the manner in which
large supplies of bullocks, sheep, fruit, and vegetables were
to be brought in for our use.
The following morning, the 25th, the first supply of pre-
visions that had been ordered was punctually delivered,
and the committee rendered me further assistance in a
search which I then made for suitable quarters for your
lordship, and undertook the repair of another building
which may be required for the public service. At an in-
terview which I had with the commissioner Hangke, he
showed me an imperial edict dated the previous day
(21th), appointing Kwei-leang and Hangfuh (the vice-
roy), to be Imperial Commissioners for the transaction
of business with your lordship, and ordering the former to
travel by post to Tientsin. I spent the greater part of this
day in visiting many of the streets of the city, and the
country around it; and wherever I went, although I was
unaccompanied by any guard, the people received me in a
very friendly manner, and evinced but little alarm at the
new state of things. I observed that women were being
taken out of the city; but bullocks, droves of sheep, forage,
&c., were being brought in, and most of the shops remain
open. At one place, Peitsang, five miles from Tientsin,
300 or 400 of the villagers set themselves willingly to work,
by my desire, to clear out some granaries which I thought
might bo required for the accommodation of our troops.
I have noticed that the viceroy has removed from the
streets, as I requested him to do, the recent hostile procla-
mations of Sang Kolinsin. But one met my notice, issued
only six days ago, in which the people are informed that
the allies have been defeated, and we are now suing for
peace, and that therefore the people need not be alarmed,
nor remove from the city.
This morning I again had occasion to see the Commis-
sioner, Hangke, and he showed me an Imperial edict de-
priving Sang Kolinsin of his three-eyed peacock's feather,
his honorary position in the body-guard, and his command-
in-chief of the Kanchoo-bordered blue banner. The edict
characterises the above as a " light punishment."—l
have, &c.,
(Signed) HARRY S. PARKES.
The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine.

French Head-quarters, Tungko, Peiho River, August 25,

1860.
(Extract.) (Received November 2, 8.15 p.m.)
My Lord,—l have the honour to inform your lordship
1k It the allied forces are in possession of the Peiho Forts,
and that the river is now open alp to Tientsin, whither it
is the intention of the commanders-in 'chief to proceed im-
mediately, each with 1,000 men and a battery of artillery.
The remainder of the alliel forces to move up to some
eligible ground within about 16 miles of Tientsin.
In consequence of the heavy rains the troops were un-
able to leave Pehtang until the morning of the 12th of
August, when a force of 2,000 French and English, with
two batteries of artillery, marched along the causeway to
attack the Chinese intrenched camps situated about five
miles from Pehtang; Gen. Janvrin's division followed. Sir
Robert Napier's division previously moved to the right by
a sort of cross road, which was supposed eventually to di-
verge towards the same direction. On arriving within
range of the first camp, the artillery opened and soon drove
the Tartar's cavalry, &c., out of it. The same with the
second. Whilst this was going on, a large body of Tartar
cavalry came down and actually rode within 200 yards of
Sir Robert Napier's artillery. The infantry opened fire,
our cavalry charged, and dispersed them, causing them
considerable loss.
General de Montauban then marched a force with artil-
lery along
a causeway to attack what appeared to be a urge
entrenched camp close to the river reiho, but upon open-
ing fire, found that nothing could be effected from the
causeway, the ground on either side being impracticable ;
he sounded the retreat, and encamped his force on the
ground between the two entrenched camps taken in the
morning. . _ _

--- -
Monday was employed in building bridges, &c., ever the
&c
various creeks. On Tuesday morning a division. of oath
force,
to theeNvithit left,
s artillery,
the English to the right and the
French marched to the attack of the entrenched
camp above mentioned
The artillery opened, and gradually approached to within

400 yards, silenced the fire of the Chinese guns, the infan-
try with difficulty crossed two big ditches, scaled the walls,
and captured the camp and villages of Tungko. Sir R.
Napier took up his quarters in the place with his division.
The French marched back to their camp. The loss in
killed and wounded was slight on the part of the allies ; the
total not exceeding 20.
On the 15th instant, the Emperor's fete day, salutes were
fired.

The time was employed till the 18th in getting up provi-
sions, building various bridges, the tide constantly flooding
the whole country, and in fixing upon a spot for one to be
built over the Peiho, where the French engineer, having
crossed the river with two companies of Chasseurs to recon-
noitre the ground on the other side, was attacked by the
Tartar cavalry and a fire of gingals, &c, opened upon him.
The Chasseurs drove away the cavalry, and more troops
having crossed the river the Chinese withdrew.

The construction of the bridge immediately commenced.
Sunday and Monday nights were employed by Sir R.
Napier in throwing up batteries, &c., and on Tuesday the
21st, about 5 a.m., a force of 1,500 Englieh, and 1,000
French, with all the heavy guns which could be brought
up, commenced the attack of the forts, the Chinese being
the first to open fire. The firing of our artillery, English
and French was excellent, and soon teld with great effect
upon the fort, a powder magazine inside of which was
blown up. The besieged made a most determined resist-.
ante, and it was not till after two hours heavy cannoned •
ing that the infantry was ordered to advance.
Nothing could surpass the desperation with which the
besieged fought, every description of missile being brought
to bear upon the attacking parties. At length, after a very
prolonged resistance, the English and French succeeded in
getting a footing in different parts of the fort, each much
about the same time, and the allied flags were planted
upon the top of the cavalier in the fort.
The Chinese Commander-in-Chief, a relation of Sang
Kolinsin's was killed in this fort, the whole of which was
strewed with the bodies of the dead and dying. The French
loss in the attack Was about 130 killed and wounded, and
the English about 200,
The gunboats, during the attack upon this fort, fired at
long range upoi the North Fort nearest the:mouth of the
river, in order to create a diversion. They also succeeded
in blowing up a magazine in that fort.
During the time given to rest the men after gaining pos-
session of the fort, a flag of truce was sent from the other
side of the river, but as it was merely bringing a letter for
Lord Elgin and the object appeared to be to gain time, the
order for the attack of the Lower North Fort was given at
two p.m.
To our surprise we approached without a shot being
fired, and having erossed with great difficulty the various
ditches, &c., entered, no resistance being made by about
1,500 men, whom we found in the fort.
It soon became evident, from the appearance of the Great
South Fort opposite, that it had been evacuated ; a small
force was despatched across the river to occupy it.
No sooner had we entered the Lower North Fort than a
tremendous storm came on which soon rendered the whole
country impassible for heavy artillery, and would have pre-
vented our carrying on operations for some days, had they
not luckily been just in time brought to a conclusion.
During the night the navy removed the various barriers
at the entrance of the river, and at daylight the English
Admiral, accompanied by several gunboats, ascended the
river as far as the village of Tangken, and the day before
yesterday some of them were sent on to Tientsin.
Thus in one day we got possession of all the forts. The
prisoners taken were all set free, and some of our troops
have already commenced their march upon Tientsin by
land ; 2,000 French and English have also started for that
place in gunboats. Tientsin, I hear, has been made over
to us by the Chinese authorities.
I am happy to inform your lordship that, in all the inter-
course which has taken place between the allied comman-
ders-in-chief, departments, &c., the utmost cordiality has
prevailed, and has mainly contributed to produce the happy
results which I have herewith briefly brought to your lord-
ship's notice.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) ST. GEORGE FOLEY, Colonel,
Her Majesty's Military Commissioner at the
headquarters of tho French army in China.
The Lord John Russell, &c.
P.S. Upwards of 500 guns have been taken in the forts,
more than 100 of brass, 50 of which are of a very large
calibre. ST. G. F.