The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-28 00:00:00

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(PRION :41). SfA.MPIC 5 d

of the peninsula. It was found, however, that the
Chinamen had made good their escape, and the
inhabitants of the large village which is situated
here gazed wonderingly at the « Are shirv,;! confi-
dent, apparently, that the barbarians 'Would not
mistake t'tem for soldiers. A line o
_diserted
junks moored right across the' river at Ibits pbint
formed a very goed.-deferice ler" our Overfeed pOsi-
lien, and • the Whole peninsula being'notricatieoteu:
permession the day's work was consid*.rea
We may trust that this blow will -lialte-:Beet,
sufficiently serious to bring the Chihese.Govern:
meet to its senses,._ It had eitideutly blfn occur
pied during the last five we.lcs in conceriating
he e warlike resources. Large bodies, o IrcoPs
had been gent doWn from Pekin, and the batteries
hail been ire ,proved and strengthened by guns col-
lected from neighbouring towns. So exaggerated
was the estimate formed of their own powers of
resistance that the Chinese did not hesitate to open
the first fire upon us, and it took us upwards of an
hour thoroughly to undeceive them upon this point.
The fact that the batteries were so easily taken
after f 0 many week,' preparation only shows how
sinip'e it would have been in the first instance to
seize them. If the impression produced, however,
is more effectual in consequence, the delay is not
tote regretted. We have to deplore a Melancholy
accident which t.:ok place in the centre fort
after it was in our possession.. Some FrenCh
engaged in, the work. of demolition had imprudently
set fire to some gabiorts in the immediate-Vicinity,
a spark was blown into a magazine, which bad not
been observed; -and a crowd Of hYstanders were
blown up. Some were killed on the spot, and
others frightfully wounded. The accurate returns
have not yet come in, but 36 is the estimate I hsve
generally beard given. Our ent're loss. has been
comparatively trifling. Wo have captured about
150 bras guns, most of them of enormous calibre,,
exquisite workmanship, and not above two years
olil, and we have had five men killed and 15
wounded. Of these five, one was shot by accident
and ono blown up. The Chinese loss has not been
so great as might have been expected, and is not
supposed to have exceeded 100.
It is generally believed that this success will be
followed by an immediate move towards Tien-tsin,
lin which diri_ction the 'Plenipoteatiaries will pro-
ceed until they meet with at, Imperial Commissioner
properly qualified to treat with them.
The Belle Isle storeship his just come in with
provisions for the fleet.

(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT,)
THE PEIHO RIVER, MAY 21.
I was so sick of all the delays, all the idle txcuses
for delay, to cover shortcomings, after arrangements
had been made atHougliong for an efficient force to
be here early in April, that I began to despair of
ever seeing the flag within the f irts of the Peiho.
However, it is so at last, and yesterday, after
a brilliant little affair with our force of gunboats,
blue-jackets, and marines, all the Chinesewwort,k-t,
containing fully 150 heavy guns, and some dozen
batteries ef field-pieces, were carried in spite of a
creditable resistance extending over three hours.
Tue general orders, which will be published, will
tell you of the plan of attack ; it may be comprised
in tine?. Fen- ences.
First, the heavy vessels, Nimrod, Cerinorant,
Fusee, Avalanche, tt.rc , to engage at 10 a.m.
S cmd, the small gunboats, Slaney, Staunch,
Bustard, Leven, Opossima ; Firm to tow up seamen
and Marints in two divisions, to carry the works
on right and left banks.
Tuird, First Division Landing Party—Pique,
Furious, Surprise, and some French, total 400,
under Sir F. Nicholson and Capt. Sherard Osborne.
The Second D vision—Calcutta's, Fury's, Nim-
rod's men and some seamen of the French squad-
ron ;.Captains Hall, Dew, G odenotigh, Lechie,
I must in detail connue myself to what I VA n iu -
the starboard attack.
Yesterday, at 8 a.m., a letter was sent in calling
on his Imperial Majesty's Commissioner Tan to
surrender all his forts within two hours, as a gua-
rantee fur the safety of our ambassadors while
•hey.advanced on the capital. At JO a.m ,zat a
signal, the Nimrod and Cormorant taolcurf their
positions, speedily supported by four heavy French-
men. The Tartars opened the ball, and a heavy
well-sustained fire commenced on either side ;
for casualties you must look to other quarters. I
hear of several, but am not certain. The Tartars
would rot leave their gnus ; no-gunners could have
behaved better, consider ing their materials in guns,
powder, and shot.
About 11 o'clock Sir M. Seymour led up the
landing force, which bawled ashore in the usual
farmal array cif the British seaman. Dew and Sau-
marez had, however, effectually shut up such guns
as bore on the points of debarkation, and on the
right bank they took the Point Battery and Square
Fort without any resistance, the garrison, minus
its dead and wounded, wiarly retiring at the double
to their camp and a cavalry entrenchment, whence
a heavy fire was being poured upon the guub.iats
and some upon the men on shore. Having finished
that portion of our work, the French on our side
took to their boats, and went over to the left b ink ;
while the Pape, Furious, and Surprise, with the
Leven, Opossum, Bustard, and Staunch, advanced
on the camps.
It was the prettiest thing of the day, after the
gallant and dashing manner in which Dew and
Saumartz took up their positions within 500 yards
of their respective points of attack, to witness this
attack on the camps.
The Bustard, Opossum, and Staunch covered
our left flank, and took off the attention of the
guns iu the entrenched camps. Indeed they were
throughout under much the heaviest fire,: the Bus-
tard gallantly keeping the lead. In each of these
vessels there were several casualties, and the
enemy continued firing on them until the landing
party approached and threatened them in flank and
rear, when a general sauvelta-peut took plaCe, and
we poli-hed off some few of the blackguards as they
went over the open. By three o'clock we had pos-
seSsion of all the works, and. the enemy had re-
treated three miles. Each camp had about 25
field-pieces, six-pounders, four heavy brass guns,
On capital
field carriages, .
on capital carriages, throwing 681 b. shot, and a
dozen iron
guns otLaonwe:geao
nnstrllc
181 b. io
ball, ;
and they
must have had about 1,000 men in each, at the
loWest computation, with abundance of admirable
gingals. VS, hile this was taking place the Second
Division had disembarked, and carried with ease
by, a flank attack all the works on the southern
shre, but for some unaccountable reason they 'did
not advance on the village, consequently all the
garrison escaped and carried off their field guns on
, that side.

The explosion of Chinese magazines was, of
course, a s-rious difficulty in all our advances, and
I hear of 40 Frenchmen having gone where French-
men may he said to go when thrown up 100 feet in
rho air by some tons of powder. In the evening
the Second Division moved up, embarked in our
own gunboats, supported by Captain Dew (of the
Nimrod), to our present position of the village
Joss-house. Had I had my way I should have
Pushed up all night, and been at daylight at Tien-
t in, given them two hours more, and, Om burnt
down all the Imperill granaries.
With respect to all the delay in taking this deci-
sive step, I may assure you that Lord Elgin is in
no way to blame, and it is only by constant pret-
sure, and ,by threatening to refer the whole ques-
tion of their inaction home, that the admirals have
been induced to act at all.
The French admiral I p,:rfectly understand. He
has fitted out his men at our stores. They fire
English powder and use English rifles ; but be has
a'"pigeon" in Cochin-China to which those ni(u
a►nd those attides ate to be applied; and intends