The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-27 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

By the arrival of the Calcutta mail we (Times)
have received advices from Calcutta to the 22d of
October, and from Hong Bong to the 13th.

INDIA.
The following is the letter of our Calcutta corre.

spondent: --

" CALCUTTA, OCT. 22.

" It is pleasing to turn from the grievances of the

ndigo planters, upon which I have so lately ad-
dressed you, to notice the recommendations of the
committee for the revision of the tariff. Formerly
piece goods were taxed according to their length
and breadth. The consequence was that light and
inferior pieces paid as much as tho heavy and more
expensive, and the duty thus became a far greater
tax on the poor than on the rich. Now it is chiefly
by the importation of goods calculated for the use
of the millions of India that the trade of the country
is to be increased; it is therefore sound policy to
lighten as much as possible the duties which press
most heavily on that class. The committee have
therefore recommended that duties should be calcu-
lated according to the weight of each piece, at a
uniform rate of 131 d. per lb. In this way the lighter
sorts adapted to and used by the lower classes will
pay far less in the way of duty than the more ex-
pensive sorts, of which the rich are the principal
buyers. They have also recommended what is here
termed to Gladstonise' the tariff—that is, that
duties on all articles which produce less than 500
rupees a year should be swept away altogether.
Another suggestion is the return to the 5 per cent.
ad valorem, duties, which were in force up to April,
1858, and were then immensely increased. But in
the present state of the finances it does not seem
probable that this idea can be practically enforced.
"The retdrns regarding the income tax are most
satisfactory. The Government has wisely an-
nounced its determination not to enforce an in-
quisitorial inspection of the affairs of individuals,
and the merchants and bankers throughout the
country have responded to this cull by send-
ing in returns of their own, in which their income
is very fairly noted. In such a vast extent of country
some mistakes must occur, but these have been
fewer and of less importance than the most sanguine
advocate of the income tax could have believed
possible. In a word, it is a success—a success, too,
which is another demonstration of the wisdom of a
bold and manly polity.

" The Governor-General will proceed next month
to Benares ; thence he will make flying tours to
Nagporo, Gwalior, and Hydrabad, and from Cen-
tral India will probably proceed ♦ia Bombay to
England some time next February.
" I must not fail to notice an order which Sir H.
Rose has lately issued, and which, like all his orders,
goes far to remedy a great existing evil. With a
view to render general means of instruction, recrea-
tion, and employment for the soldiers of the army,
he has taken steps for the formation of workshops,
gymnasia, gardens, reading and coffee rooms, skittle
and ball alleys, and singlestick alleys. Committees
have been directed to report fully upon the means
available at each station of the army for the effectual
carrying out of this plan. The announcement of
it has been received with enthusiasm everywhere,
and there can be no doubt but that it is the dead-
liest blow that has ever been struck in India
against the soldier's deadliest enemy, ennui. Sir H.
Rose is thus practically carrying into effect those
reforms of which he was originally believed to be
the harbinger. He is the most popular Comman-
der-in-Chief, and at the same time the sternest dis-
ciplinarian, we have had for a long time.
"Some curious traits regarding a portion of
the population of the Hazara district, in the Pun-
jab, have lately come to light. Col. Nicholson
was the pacificator of that district. He changed
the character of its tribes from being the most dis-
orderly into the most orderly people on the frontier.
Such was the influence of his character that the
people began to regard him as something more
than human, and in spite of floggings and per-
secution, they persisted in worshipping him as
the Goorco Nikkul Segn. After the heroic death
of Nicholson before Delhi their conduct was most
peculiar. The head of the tribe killed himself ; the
second followed his example; the third started off
to Peshawur to learn from the missionaries of
Nicholson's God. The whole story may be relied
upon as being correct. The third man and another
of the tribe are now Christian teachers in native
schools, and it is expected that others will follow
their example.

THE WAR IN CHINA.
(From the Overland China Mail of Oct. 13.)
The London Mail of the 27th of August arrived
here on the 9th inst.

• The news which we have to convey by this mail
is of very great importance. Hostilities have been
resumed in the north. Mr. Harry Parkes; Mr.
Bowlby, the Times Correspondent ; Mr. Loch, Lord
Elgin's private secretary ; Mr. de Norman, attache
to Mr. Bruce ; Capt. Brabazon, Deputy-Assistant-
Quartermaster• General, and Capt. Anderson, of
Fane's Horse, have been taken prisoners. Two
engagements or skirmishes have been fought with
the Tartar cavalry, who surrounded our force, but
had to retire with great loss. The allied army is
waiting in a hostile attitude within sight of the
walls of Pekin ; and negotiations have again been
opened up by the Chinese.

In our last Overland we mentioned that negotia-
tions had been broken off at Tientsin, and that th©
Ist division of the force was marching upon Pekin,
The Imperial Commissioners are puzzled by the

demands for a permanent residency at Pekin, and
for an immediate and large instalment of indem-
nity money, Their counter-demand for delay was
met by the advance of Lord Elgin with a great
portion of the allied force. Soon the towns upon
the march were found to be in a great part de-
serted, and supplies had to be taken by force. One
large town, Ho-si-wu, was completely looted by the
force, and it became evident that there must be
another appeal to arms. On the morning of the 18th
of September Mr. Parkes and his party fell into the
hands of the Chinese, and it was found that the
army was surrounded by Tartar troops at the
village of Ho-ko-chuang. An engagement immedi-
ately took place, which caused the Tartars to retire
with some loss. A second engagement took place
on the 21st of September, when about 25 of our
force and several hundreds of the enemy were
placed hors de combat. The next day a flag of truce
was sent in from Pekin, and proposals were made
to re-open negotiations. On the following day sup-
plies were sent in by the Chinese for the use of the
allied army, which saved Tung-chau from being
looted. The latest news we have is by verbal com-
munication with a French steamer, which entered
the Yang-tse as the mail from Shanghai was leaving.
It brought intelligence from the seat of war up to
the 27th or 28th of September, when the allied
army was still in its position, seven or eight miles
from Pekin, and two or three from Tung-chau.
The statement was confirmed that the prisoners
were well treated.
The rebels still continue to absent themselves
from the immediate neighbourhood of Shanghai.
Their object in coming to that place was to be at a
port where they could be in contact with foreigners
and obtain foreign ammunition and arms. Having
been driven from Shanghai, it is likely they will
try to effect their objeet by advancing on one or
the other ports where foreigners reside.
In the south of China there is nothing stirring,
and, but for the news from the north, Hong Kong
would have been quite doll during the past fort-
night.

The following letters, which we have received
from the neighbourhood of Pekin, give full accounts
of the progress of the allied army:—
" PUSI-TSA, SEPT. 22.

" The first detachment of troops, consisting prin-
cipally of cavalry, left Tien-tsin on the Bth •f
September, and about 1,000 men followed the next
day. The cavalry had halted only a few miles oat
of Tien-tsin, and were soon overtaken on the 9th.
The column halted about noon at a town called Pu-
k'au, which was about half deserted by its in-
habitants. A market was soon established, princi-
pally by people who had followed us from Tien-tsin.
Supplies were brought in, and everything was as
comfortable as could be desired.

" On the 10th we reached a large town called
Yang-tsun, where supplies were also easily obtained
—4OO sheep having been bought. Heavy rain fell
on the afternoon, and the force was unable to march
on the 11th from the muddy state of the road.

" On the 12th the march was resumed, and a place
called Nan-tsai-tsun was reached, and on the 13th
we arrived at Ho-si-wu, the largest town, except-
ing Yang-tsun, we had seen on the march. At this
place the opposition of the Chinese commenced, pas-
sively as usual. The town was found more deserted
than any of the others, and although supplies were
promised none were forthcoming. The troops there-
fore took what they could get in the place, which
was finally completely plundered. We stayed here
three days.

" Each day's march on the way up discovered to
us a more beautiful country than that which we
had passed through on the preceding. As at Tien-
tsin and the neighbourhood, not a barren spot could
be discovered ; but the flatness of Nan-tsin was re-
lieved by the trees and the hills which could be
plainly seen in the morning.
a Mr. Parkes and Colonel Walker usually rode on
a-head with a small escort of cavalry to choose the
encamping ground, and report on the state of the
roads. At Ho-si-wu, General Mitchell, with the
60th Rifles, the 2d Queen's, the 15th Punjabs, and
some Artillery joined us, and the French also came
up. Mr. Parkes rode on to Ma. tou and Tung-chau,
and made the usual arrangements fur our encamp-
ment. He reported that Chinese troops were sta-
tioned at Tung-chau.

" We leftHo-si-wu on the I7th, and after a
very dusty march arrived at Matou. Mr. Parkes
rode on and passed the night at Tung-chau.
Colonel Walker and a Commissariat officer ac-
companied him to a village within a short dis-
tance of Tung-chau. Mr. Parkes rode back to
this village on the morning of the 18th, and seeing
that a large number of Chinese troops had taken
up a strong position on each side of the road
through which we were to pass, he rode back to
Tung-chau, accompanied by Mr. Loch, Mr. de Nor-
man, Mr. Boulby, the Times' correspondent ; Capt
Brabazon, of the artillery, another gentleman
whose name I have forgotten, and Capt. Anderson,
with 20 Sikh cavalry, to ask an application of the
appearance of such a large force.
" In the meantime the army (which had left
Ma-tou early in the morning), had advanced to
within a mile of Ho-ko-chwang, where the Chinese
troops were assembled. Our attention was first
attracted by a trench which had been dug across
the road at a village about four miles from Ma-tou.
A passage was made acroes, and our troops passed
on leaving the French at the village. About a mile
from Ho-ko-chuang our troops halted, and a Chi-
nese officer came out with a message to the effect
that we might encamp where we were. He was
told that we wanted to encamp on the other side
of the village, as previously arranged by Mr. Parkes,
where the river was—but he held to his request
that we should encamp where we were, and offered
to supply us with water. This offer was declined,
but for the time we made no movement in advance,
as the safety of our party within their lines gave
the General considerable anxiety. This party, con-
sisting of Col. Walker, Mr. A. C. G. Thompson, and
five or six Dragoons, were waiting in return of
Mr. Parkes 'and his party from Tung-chau,
when their attention was directed to a struggle
between a Frenchman and some of the Chinese
troops. The cause of the disturbance is not known,
but it is thought the Chinese wanted some pretext
for beginning the day's work. Col. Walker rode
up to the rescue of the Frenchman, but ho was sur-
rounded, deprived of his sword, and almost dragged
from his horse. As the place was full of troops no-
thing was left for him and Mr. Thompson to do
but to run the gauntlet. They escaped from the
village and got within our lines under a heavy fire
from the Chinese. Mr. Thompson was wounded in
the back by a spear thrust and one of the dragoons
was shot in the leg. The general lost no time in
advancing the troops, and in about an hour the
Chinese were cleared out of the village by the artil-
lery and cavalry. The French drove them out of
the encampment on our right and protected the
village in the rear, where all our baggage was.
The position of the Chinese was well chosen, shel-
tering their camp, extended across our front and
out on our left and right in the form of a semicircle
and had we encamped where they wanted us, we
should have no doubt been severely cut up in the

night.
" After driving the Chinese from their position,
we entered a small walled town, called Chang-chm•
wan, where we remained the 19th and 20th. The
place was looted.
" On the 21st the allied army moved on in the
direction of the canal between Tung-chau and Pe-
kin. I have no time to give you a detailed descrip-
tion of this day's work. The French advanced to-
wards the stone bridge called Pa-li-chian, a mile
and a half west of Tung-chau, and the English upon
the wooden bridge Pu-si-tsa, a little to the west of
the stone bridge. The Chinese were assembled in
force in front of these bridges, and the ight soon
commenced. After about two hours' firing we had

"SEVEN MILES FROM PEKIN, SEPT. 22.
"An attempt has been made at negotiation,
which has ended in the smoke of more gunpowder,
the partial deception of Lord Elgin and Mr. Parkes,
and, I grieve to say, the capture of the latter by
the Tartars, with the Times correspondent, Mr.
Loch, Lord Elgin's private secretary, Mr. de Nor-
man, Attache, Captain Brabazon, of the Artillery,
and the Adjutant of Fane's Horse, with some 20
Sowars,' and the murder of a French officer. But
I must, as well as my memory will enable me, take
up my narrative where I dropped it on the 26th
ultimo. The whole of our force were then encamped
at or near the Taku Forts ; now they are scattered
over a space of some 80 miles, to say nothing of the
44th Regiment, who were packed off in a hurry, on
the 27th or 28th, to relieve Shanghai, where it ap-
pears they were not wanted, the Royal Marines
having ' settled the hash' of the rebels before their
arrival. It was not until the Ist inst., I think (un-
fortunately I have lost the few notes I kept), that
the first move was made towards the North. This
consisted in the advance of our Ist Division, which
crossed the Peiho over a bridge of boats,
about two miles above Tongku, and were followed
on the 2d by the 2d Division (with the exception
of a wing of the Buffs who were left to garri-
son the Taku Forts), the French marching along
the left bank of the river. The first halting place
was about half a mile from the bridge of boats, on a
plain nearly encircled by orchards full of grapes,
peaches, apples, pears, and water melons. The
second march was to a place called Kikko, the third
to Kih-tang-kou, and the fourth brought the whole
army to Tien-tsin, the marches consequently ave-
raging about eight miles each. Btvt although they
were so short, and the start was generally made
before daybreak each morning, still they were much
more fatiguing than any one would imagine, as
they were never finished in less than four hours,
during the last two of which the heat was always
very great, and to men carrying heavy packs as
well as their rifles and ammunition very trying.
At Tien-tsin the army halted for nearly a week on
a magnificent plain immediately outside the town,
living in clover in more senses than one, while the
French occupied a position on the left bank of the
river, and an attempt was made at negotiation,
which, as I have already said, has ended in smoke,
the Chinese Commissioner sent down to treat with
us having declared himself afraid to sign any con-
vention on his own responsibility, and almost
hinting, I believe, that our best plan would be to
advance upon Pekin, and so frighten the Emperor
into submission by a warlike demonstration at his
very door.

" On the 9th inst. accordingly a force consisting
of the King's Dragoon Guards, Fane's and Pro-
byn's Horse, Baring's, Desborough's, and Stirling's
Batteries, the Royal Marines, and 90th Regiment,
the whole under the command of General Michell,
marched past Tien-tsin to a place called Pwkoo,
10 miles distant. On the following day they
marched to Yang-tsin, eight miles further; the
next day to Nan-tsin, eight miles further ; and the
next to Hoo-si-woo, when they halted for five days
again, until the 2d Queen's and 60th Rifles and
some 2,000 French came up. Almost the whole of
the road for these last four marches was through
endless fields of millet, extending as far as the eye
could reach, and the camping ground at the end
of each of them was nearly as comfortable as a bed
of thorns, being upon half-cut beds of millet,
the spikes of which were nearly as sharp and
strong as those surrounding the Taku Forts, and
had, I verily believe, been left so by the Tartars,
in the hope that they would effectually prevent our
advance, without any further aid from their prow-
ess. So far not one of them had shown his face
within range since the dressing they got at Taku.
At Hoo-si-woo, accordingly, Mr. Parkes was em-
boldened to ride forward to Mut-ow, about 10 miles
further on, attended by a cavalry escort and the
gentlemen I have already mentioned, in order, I
believe, to propose to the inhabitants that if they
would send us out supplies of fuel, flour, Sze., we
would not molest them, but encamp outside, as we
had previously done in the case of every village or
town we had passed. As far as I can make out
from the various reports I hear, they first of all
told him they would consent to furnish us with
supplies, if we would agree to their selecting the
camping ground for us, but on his replying that
the General could not agree to any such condition,
they immediately made him and all his companions
prisoners, with the exception of a few King's Dra-
goon Guards, who succeeded in cutting their way
out. Colonel Walker, of the Bays, and Mr. Thomp-
son, of the Commissariat, who had ridden out in
the same direction, were also very nearly taken
prisoners, a French officer who accompanied them
being cut to pieces—Colonel Walker only escaping
with the loss of his sword, and a cut over the hand,
and Mr. Thompson with a lance wound in his back.
The Cavalry, Artillery, 21 Queen's, Royal Marines,
and 90th Regiment were immediately ordered out
by Sir Hope Grant, and about midway between
Hoo•si-woo, our friends of Singho celebrity, and
whom we had heard had never drawn rein after
that affair until they reached Pekin, again came in
sight, extending in a wide semicircle before Mut-ow
as far as the eye could reach. The Queen's, who
were in advance, were immediately ordered to halt,
until the rest of the regiments came up, and a line
of battle was formed, the French taking the right,
the Queen's the centre, Royal Marines and 99th the
left, and Artillery and Cavalry the flanks. They
had not advanced far in this order before the
fire was Opened on them from some dozen points in
the aforesaid semicircle, while the Tartar Cavalry
threatened our flanks. They were promptly met,
however, by ours, but the Irregular Horse who were
on the right flank, the King's Dragoon Guards
being on the left, alone succeeded in getting
among them, with the to-be expected result of
thawing them up' completely of course, Our Artil-
lery, meanwhile, thundered dreadful responses to
theirs, and with very unequal effect--theirs doing
little or no damage, ours telling with deadly effect,
and finally completely silencing all their batteries,
which were planted in all sorts of extraordinary
positions, and were evidently of quite an impronzphi
construction, some at the entrances to villages,
others among clumps of trees, and others behind
natural embankments. The infantry then ad-
vanced, and threw in a smart fire on them as they
retreated, our nimble and gallant allies even get-
ting among them with the bayonet, I believe, and
killing great numbers. The enemy fled in every
direction, and did not even attempt to defend
Mut-ow itself, which was accordingly
entered and
taken possession of the same evening, and proved
to be a very comfortable and picturesque little
town, with a tumble-down old brick wall of great

day of rest, and yester-
day height, and once doubtless orA ;Teat strength. Thy
more than three Smiles i 'afore the enemy
in a valid semicircle. We
again presented themselves
ghd oaanyd followingetrhe eallfyodr
:aye wasandavr
ad
lime ae dd
day's e
c againi onto the plain, and
had really a hard day's fightin They had not
dmaeyt , them
gPotrectltosy mruli as
them wi did on the previous
both the Irregular Horse and King's Dragoon.
Guards getting well among them, an, well as our
more advanced parties of infantry—al: from
the nature of the ground (endless fields of cut millet,
intersected by wide ditches, and separated here' and
closer
there by dense thickets), and their knowledge of
how to avail themselves of it, it was very difficult
to get near them at all. If we had had infantkt
alone, I believe they actually might have had the
audacity to close with us (as they were evidently'
plucky enough men) but, as it was, they showed.
themselves, on both days, impressed with a very
salutary dread of our artillery and cavalry, 'and
although they made several apparent charges at our
cavalry, I believe they were almost all feints to drawn
them into some trap or other (such as a concealect
ditch or rough piece of ground), while entangled
in which they might have an opportunity to fire
their gingalls at them from under the cover of some
walls or copse of trees. However, the result of the
two days fighting has been that we have cap-
tured upwards of 100 cannon, most of them 9.
pounder brass guns of very good description, im-
mense stores of forage, grain, and tea, and have
got to within seven miles of Pekin, and have, I
should think, thoroughly demoralised the Tartar
army, by capturing and entirely destroying all
their camps and munitions of war, so far. (They
say that Sankolinsin commanded in person on both
days, and that he had 10 Mongolian princes, each
1 with 5,000 men under him.) We have now taken.
1 up a position on the right bank Of the Grand
Canal, only seven miles from the Celestial capital,
but are again encamping among fields of spikes, of
which our worthy and gallant General seems to
think we are fend, as he never lets us among the
trees. There, like so many impaled martyrs, we
are to await, I believe, the arrival of some more
troops and stores. A ' shave' has just come into
me that the Emperor has bolted from Pekin, and
that Sankolinsin has sent in another flag of truce,
but I have not time to find out how far it is true.
Great sympathy is felt for Mr. Parkes and his
party, and I have heard a report, which I earnestly
hope is true, that Lord Elgin has declared he will
order Pekin to be sacked if he is not given up
again with all his party alive and in good condi-
tion. Such is certainly not mere than Mr. Parkes
deserves, for he has undoubtedly proved himself
throughout the whole of this campaign—as, indeed,
throughout the whole of his long service in China

—one of the most energetic and zealous servants
his Country has ever had. If it is true that the
Emperor has led, and that Sankolinsin is now in
undivided power at Pekin, I believe, however,
that not only will Mr. Parkes be given
up again all right, but that a satisfactory treaty
will soon be made, as Sankolinsin's policy through-
out, I suspest, has not been so much to repel us as
merely to get a name for himself by opposing us
with apparent determination, while he was in
reality merely forcing us to advanbe until his
chicken-hearted cousin (as I believe the Emperor
is) should get sufficiently frightened to fly into
Tartary, that then he might assume the reigns of
Government, and, by taking that course which his
more enlightened mind must have pointed out to
him long ere this is the best for his country, secure
for himself that place in it to which he has all along
been aspiring.

" TIEN-TSIN, SEPT. 26.

" You will doubtless obtain all the news from
other sources; however, I send you the latest re-
ceived this morning from the front. _

" It appears that Messrs. Loch, Bowlby, and
Captain Brabazon are all safe and well treated at
Pekin, with Mr. Consul Parkes. The army is
within five miles of Pekin, after an engagement on
Saturday, in which the enemy is said to have kept
at a respectful distance from our artillery, but the
French got at them, and treaty them very roughly,
killing, it is said, 400 or 500 men. We had one
officer and a few men wounded. The Emperor's
brother and another Mandarin of the highest fea-
ther came out to camp, but Lord Elgin would not
see them until Mr. Parkes and the other prisoners
were given up. Tung chau was given up to pillage,
and the usual atrocities of the Tartars were com-
mitted by themselves on their women, whom they
deprived of life, and on their children, whom they
threw into wells. The latter was past doubt, as
the bodies were seen when the place was entered."

COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

HONGKONG, OCT. 13.

We received the 26th of August mail on the 9th inst., it
having been brought up by the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamer China, the second new boat on the sta-
tion within two months.