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

xa,
''''H.; . . r'.l:l
~,,,, - -,1!"---4;!...-,., 44 re.mSlEr
..4 -...,1:,c- y-,,,-.=.- .- _ -,7:
.....;., •;?.•
.
• , ,1,,,.
• ~
..:, _
..,...,.„ , .. ~.! 1,0
..., 4,.._...,_„..,,,,,.
„....,
~...411,:::„. ..,. ,
..,.' ...

THE EAST 'NMI TEA: COMPANY, in
expectation of their next Telegram bringinz favourable news,
have reduced their quotations for Black or Green Teas to 2s. per lb.,
in 6llt. bags—the lowest price on record.—Warehouses, 9, Great St.
Helen's-churchyard, Bishopsgate-street.

THE ENGLISH NAVY IN THE CHINA

SEAS.

EP P S'S COCO A.—EPPS, Hoincelpat hie
Chemist, London.—This excellent preparation c in be obtained
of the principal Grocers in Ili. and y 4 lb. acke s, Is. 6d. and 9d,
Each packet is labelled JA.IIr.S EPPS, p
Homceopathic Chemist.
London.

GRAND NAVAL FETES at CHERBOURG.
SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.
RETURN TICKETS will be issued from London, and from South-
ampton and Port-mouth, to HAVRE. on FRIDAY, 30th July, and
MONDAY, 2d August (last train frem Waterloo-bridge Station at
1 p.m.), available to return from Havre within one month.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 28, 1858.

(Flom the Times' Correspondent.)
GULF OF PECHELEE, MAY 17.
Exactly five weeks have now elapsed since the
Russian steamer America, with Count Putiatin on
board, anchored opposite the forts at -the mouth of
the Peiho River, to the dismay of the garrison and
the disquietude of the Celestial mind generally.
This must have been increased' by the arrival on
the following day of the Furious, -with Lord Elgin,
the Pique, and the Slaney (gunboats). There are
at this moment anchored inside of the river, or off
its mouth, 29 men-of-war, of which 15 are English,
10 are French, three American,- and one Russian.
Four Plenipotentiaries and two admirals have been
for more than a mouth helplessly geeing at the
miserable mud forts at the mouth of the Pritio, and
so encouraging has been this long period of inaction
on the part of the barbarians to the garrison ; that
contempt, and they now the awe which our appearance first inspired has
been converted into
in-
dulge themselves in derisive gestures, hootings,
and the defiant waving of flags, very much to the
disgust of those on board of her MsjestY's ships
Nimrod and Cormorant, which are anchored within
400 yards of the forts. Of course the general pUblic
are not fully informed as to the causes- which have
combine T to place us in this contemptible a2.titede
in the eyes of the. Chinese. Enough has transpired"
however, to enable me to describe tOyou with toles
sable accu-aci The biSt. ry 'OrThettitierffate diffl
culties which seem to have arisen in a quarter from
which they were least to be expected, It appears
that the original intention of the Four Plenipoten-
tiaries in c miug to th mouth of the Peiho to-
gether was to procsed at once direct to Tien-tsn,
as it was censidered that the nearer to the capital
negotiations were carried on the more likely they
would be to meet with success. This project
seemed the more feasible as arrangements wet e en-
tered into between the allied naval authorities and
the French and English Ambassadors to supply
them with a fleet of gunboats to be at Shanghai by
the end of last March. These gunboats, however,
did not reach the Gulf of Pechelee until the 9th of
May, so that on their first arrival here the Minis-
ters found themselves absolutely unable to move.
In the meantime mandarins of high degree, anxious
to fend off barbarian intrusion, appeared at the
mouth of the river, with proposals to open nego-
tiations, and thus, oven had the means existed, the
excuse of proceeding pacifically to Tien-t sin to find
a negotiator was no longer valid. It must ever be
regretted that so favourable an opportunity has
been lost of creating an impressiou on the minds of
the Chinese. Nor can there be auy doubt that
the representatives of the four Powers, supported
by a flu-01a of gunboats under the walls of Tien-
tsin, would have found the difficulties of negotia-
tion wonderfully diminished. An additional re-
commendation to the plan, in the eyes of the neu-
tral Powers at all events, was the fact that it did
riot involve any host le operations. Now, in the
opinion of the admirals, and, indeed, of every
officer in the squedrou, these have become absc-
lately necessary to save the allied flags from dis-
honeur. Tan, Governor-Gener 11 of the province
of Chilli, and the other mandarins who appeared as
Imperial Commissioners. were found not to be pro-
perly qualified, and it is said that the Chinese
Government has refused to confer upon them the
necessary powers. Whatever may have been the
reason, neither Lord Elgin nor Baron Gros have
ever been ashore, or sought an interview, and so
long ago as the 29th of -last mouth prepara.tlons
were made for hostilities. The Nimrod and Cor-
morant despatch gunboats, the Coromandel (admi-
ral's tender), and the Slaney (gunboat), with three
French gunboats, the only vessels of small
draught then here, were put across the bar,
after having been lightened, immedia-ely under
the guns of the fort, and in a positionirom which it
was difficult to escape. We considered this move
indicative of action, more especially when it was
followed by the signal for small arm parties to bz,
in readiness for landing ; the appearance, on the
30th, of general orders for the attack put the mat-
ter beyond a doubt. What was our aatonishmeut,
then, to find all these grand preparations end in
smoke, and when the reason for postponing hosti-
lities transpired the matter became still more in-
comprehensible. It appeared that the Ambassa-
dors had called on the naval authorities to act, and
that the latter had declined, in consequence of the
smallness of the force. To us, who bad inspected
the so-called forts ,from every point of view, with
many of their embrasures containing flags instead
of guns, and their scanty garrison, of which the
largest computation at that time amounted to only
500 men, this refusal to act seemed incredible.
There were at that time seven men-of-war inside
the bar, and upwards of 3,000 men in the fleet
then anchored off it. It is not to be wondered at
after this that on the arrival cf six more gunboats
the admirals are said to have declined to move up
the river Tien-tin, although they might have done
so accompanied by a force of 13 gunboats in all.
When we remember the achievements of the soli-
tary little Nemesis during tl.e last war, and coon•
pate the river force now here with thet which
sufficed in those days to bring the Chinese to
their senses, we are tempted to suspect the exis-
tone,' of some motives of which the public are
ignorant, as the explanation of a proceeding on
the part of the naval authorities otherwise in-
explicable. It may be that our able naval al'y
is carrying. on a little " diplomatic pigeon," not
with the Chinese, but his own colleague. He has
c:rtaiuly succeeded in playing his cards with con-
siderable skill hitherto ; with a force of only 12
ships in the China seas he has brought up 10 to
the scene of action, while the British, with a naval
squadron 54 strong, are only_ represented by 15
pennants. Two of our gunboats have gone on a
cruise to the Prate shoals, just at the time when
they were most; wanted. It is doubted whether
the Frerieli gunboats are of sufficiently light draught
of wa.er to proceed far up the Peiho. If this is
so, we do not wonder at the determined opposition
the French Admiral has shown to the propos,A
scheme of pushing up the river, affirming that he
will not consent to move on. Tien-tsin unless sup-
p rted with a land force of 4,000 Men. We very
much fear it is a repetition of the old story of Pe-
lissier and Simpson. However, it is difficult to
speculate upon the wheel within
vigorous action at this moment. We can
withinwheel policy which
only judge by appearances, and it must be can-
fessed that they do not lead us to augur favourably
for the success of an enterprise upon which such
important commercial interests depend both in
England and China, and which has been under-
taken upon a scale calculated, if properly managed,
to ensure the most brilliant results. With 25 men-
of war at the mouth of the Peiho, and a good ground
of complaint against the Chinese Government, we
should be in a position to obtain satisfaction for our
just and moderato demands, and if we fail it is to
ha hoped that the matter will be thoroughly sifted,
and the blame fall on the right shoulders.
A conference of the allied Admirals and the
French and English Ambassadors has just been
held on board the Audacieuse. The result has
raised the drooping spirits of the fleet. The attack
on the forts is to take place the day of er to-morrow.
and it is earnestly hoped that it will be immediately
followed by a move Up the dyer. If it be not we
shall have taken nothing by our motion. The same
game will have been played here which was played
with £0 little success by Admiral Seymour the year
before last if
we abandon these forts
without shall incur disgrace in
further
at Cant
action
the eyes of the Chinese and contempt in the eyes of
everybody else. The forts are being daily strength-
ents have come down
efrnoemd and
iluer..gere
jorre.inforcere
Russian missionaries from
Pekin report o.lloeTable excitement existing

here

at the capital. The wives of the Emperor pract ,ise
equestrian exercise daily in order to be prepat ed
for ever► contingency. The guns of Tien-tsin ve
been bmught down here. Raison de plus why w e
should push on to Tien-tsin without delay. Thesw
gentlem-n also report a greater depth pf water be-
yond Tien-tsin, ankin spite of the somewhat con-
trary impression conveyed in the accounts of
Macininey and Amherst, they assert there is v? ater
enough,for the gunboats to go to Tungchow, a city
only 12 miles from Pekin.

The following is a 'correct list of the British force
now in the Gulf of Pechelea and the Peiho river ;
also the names of the ships of other nations now

BRITISH.
GUNS. MEIsT. ANCHORED IN.
Calcutta 84 ... 700 Gulf of Pechelee.
Pique ... 40 ... 270 Ditto.
Furlong (paddle steamer) .8 ... 220 Ditto.
Nimrod ,(despatch gunbt.) 6 ... 120 Peiho.
Cormorant (ditto) ... 6 9 ; Peiho.
Surprise (ditto) ... ... 6 ... 98 Gulf of Pechelee.
Furs (paddle steamer) ... 8 ... !GO Ditto.
glancy Ounboat) ... 5 ... 48
Leven (3itto) ... 5 ... 4,
Buster& (ai. These go to and
Opossum (ditto) ... ... 3 ... 48 r• fro.
St., At tell' (ditto) 3 ... 48 I
Firm (iitto) ... 3 ... 48)
Coromandel (paddle stmr) 5 ... 44 Peiho.
Hesper .(store ship) ... 3 ... 54 Gulf of Pechelee.

2,052

FRENCH.

... Golf *of Pechelee.
... Ditto.
Ditto. -
Ditto.

Nemesis (frigate) ...
Audacieure (frigate) ...
rrimau uet (►team corvette) ...
(sterreriirip) •••• •••
Meurthe
Phlegethos3 (steam corvette) ...
Mitraille (gunboat) ...
Fusee (gunboat)
Avalanche (gunboat) ..
Dragonne (gunboat)
Remy (store ship) ...

Ditta.
Ditto. •

Peiho.
Ditto.
• Ditto.
• Ditto.

AMERICAN.
Minnesota (steam frigate) ..•
Mississippi (ditto)... ..• •••
Antelope (chartered steamer) „.
RUSSIAN.

Gulf of Pechelee.
Ditto.
Poiho.

America (paddle steamer) ... Peiho.
We are rejoicing in an Italian climate. It would
be impossible to conceive better weather for opera-
tions. The squadron generally are in excellent
health and at this moment in the highest spirits.
MAY 19.

The gunboats went over the bar this afternoon,
with paddlebox and ships' boats in tow, full of
seamen and marines from the fleet. Their appear-
ance as they entered the mouth of the river was
picturesque in the extreme, numbers of little tri-
colour flags, in which our allies always indulge,
waved brightly in the setting sun, while the red
coats of the marines formed a gay contrast to the
blue jackets of the sailors. The gunboats came on
in close order, puffing forth jets c f white smoke,
as though they were panting beneath the dense
masses of human beings with which their decks
were crowded. Their ssp.,ct was sufficiently im-
posing to cause no little excitement among the
valiant defenders of the batter;es on shore. Man-
darins on hors-back and on foot, followed by par-
lies of men carrying flags, visited the different bat-
teries, apparently giving orders. The men all stood
to their guns, and turned out in single line, along
the whole length of the steep glacie, so as to make
as imposing an array as possible. Any compunc.
tion we might have felt in giving the brave garri-
son a little severe treatment on the morrow was
considerably diminished by the insolent message
they sent off through Count Putiatin, and which,
condensed into the expressive slang of the pugilist,
amounted simply to a request to us to " come on."
MAY 20.
At 8 o'clock this morning Captain Hall and he
'French Flag Captain proceeded on shore with a flag
of truce and letters from the Ambassadors and
Admirals, informing Tan that it being necessary
for the safety of the former, in the prosecutii n of
their search for a properly qualified commissioner,
toat the forts at the mouth of the Peiho should
temporarily change garrisons, be, the said Tan, was
allowed two hours, at the expiration of which delay,
if they were not surrendered, they were to be
taken.

The order of the day was as follows :—The Cor-
morant, Fuse,, and MitraiPe to attack the two
forts on the north vide ; the Nimrod, Avalanche,
and Dragonue to engage the three on the south.
Upon the Admira moving up the river, they were
to be followed by the gunboats towit,g landing
parties. - Those destinel for the attack of the
northern forts, towed by the Staunch and the Bus-

tard, to ba composed of men from the Rque, the
Furious, and the Surprise, under the command of
Capt. Sir F. Nicholsen, Capt. S. Osl ern, anti Com-
mander Cresswell. The Slaney and the Firm to
lend their parties, composed of men of the Cticutta
and Fury, under command of Capt. Hall and Com-
mander Leckie, for the attack on the southern forts.
The Leven and Opossum were told off to tow the
French lauding parties, the former to the sow here,
the latter to the northern attack. Precisely at 10
o'clock the signal was given for the ships to get
into position, and the Cormorant, whose screw had
been impatiently revolving for some minutes pre-
viously, went off at full speed, like an arrow from
a bow. She had hardly steamed twice her- own
length when the southern forts opened a heavy fire
upon her ; disdaining a reply, her commander,
Saumarez, stood gallantly on, and took up his po-
sition with the utmost deliberation and greatest
precision. His conduct called forth a most glowing
eulogy from the admiral. When he did open fire
it was with tremendous effect ; bestowing one shot
upon the southern forts in return for the attention
they had honoured him with, he concentrated his
fire on the northern forts. Shot, shell, and grape
rained in upon them, and before his French sup-
ports had got into position he had very nearly suc-
ceeded in silencing their fire. Meantime the Nim-
rod, whose movements had been somewhat thrown
out by the French gunboats not coming up to time,
received the concentrated fire of the southern forts,
which Captain Dew returned with iwetest. For-
tunately, although the Chinamen stuck to their
guns with considerable pertinacity, they were so
badly aimed as to do very little damage. Netwith-
standing that the Nimrod, Avalanche, and Dra-
gonna were pretty hotly engaged for an hour, the
former only lost one killed and three wounded; four
shot struck her hull. I have not heard the loss of
any of the French force eng Ted beyond the fact
that four officers were killed. - A little before 11
o'clock the Admirals passed followed by the fleet
of gunboats. Iu the fire to which they were exposed
Mr. Prickett, second master of the Opossum, was
severely wounded by a round shot, which had
passed over the Nimrod. The landing on the north
side took place about 11, in a feet minutes more the
allied flags were floating over the forts, and our
Marines and blue-jackets were in full cry upon a
large camp of infantry and cavalry about a mile,
distant. This is the first time in. our experience of
Chinese warfare that our blue jackets have had an
opportunity of dispersing large bodies of cavalry.
It is a species of excitement they particularly ap-
preciate. At a quarter-past 11 the landing party
on the south side burst upon the astonished gaze of
the Chinamen, who precipitately evacuated the
batteries and fled across the arid plain in rear ot
the forts, all of which were rapidly ()couple i by our
men, while large parties of skirmishers fell ;wed up
and harassed. the retreating masses. As the river
at this point forms a peninsula, upon which the
forts are situate, theOpossuat, Bustard, and Staunch
were sent-round to meet the enemy on the o.leT
side. They experienced a temporary cheek, how-
ever, from a battery of heavy guns, placed at the
angle of the river en the north side, which gave
them a warm reception as they approached, killing
two and wounding three men on board the Bus-
tard. This battery was speedily silenced, and the
men of the Pique and the Furiou-, who had been
c'eating out the camp not far distaut, came up just
in time to take possession of it. 0 her gunboats
coming tip in support, they all pressed on till
they reached the opposite end of the base line

.....
0 4
kt,f..,:i 0.,•001r ;A:
0:til • 3,
~, -.
Vt5:,,4"0',,,, 4- ' • \\l/4 t1i,‘\"1,,y.fa,..41,- ~it ~,-....-"1-t., 4i..„rlire, ~ ,-.. crr, ~, .
4 ./.1,- .. , • , -.... a
v.) • '•‘ \ "4.4- _.z ,w 4
.4 ....,)
~ - ~.\ ~i, • • -_-- —-- , . ...-0,,,,/
x- s • - ''''''''\` 'ri -4f 4"k ••• ''•
•-' *- • ''''' - s:t • ~.....A.isco,‘.- _
-"' e - .ega ~ •., oi'. . ' ...- O4. -/ - ~,... A,. ti')
~,;,•
, V 1
d , 44,, i.„.......L.---iiL..l, 41,4
,if,
~
''''°ll
' 14'
1-
l'
I j ' ' ' -s".
/ ' hso 147.
cic
I)norr.,' •
- ,
' p'3o‘.."