The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-26 00:00:00

SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING

orders were to take Lin's Fort, which they gallantly
accomplished. The braves mustered from 1,500 to
2,000 men, and kept our fellows well employed,
the country offering capital cover, of which the
Chinese did not fail to take advantage. Four
Frenchmen were here wounded, and several of the
50th. The blue-jackets coming up, encamped to
the right of the fort, and were consequently ex-
posed to the fire of gingalls and rockets from the
wall, as well as to round shot from Gough Fort
Hill. Of course the sailors were engaged in the
scrimmage, and Captain Cochrane advanced with
his men further to the right, and took possession
of a small joss house. The firing from the Chinese
continued throughout the night, and many of our
fellows had very narrow escapes.
The bombardment seemed to flag towards even-
ing, but only for a time ; and at six o'clock a large
fire burst out in the extreme western suburbs,
kindled by Captain Hall and a party of men from
the gun boats, designed to clear a road up to the
wall from just below French Folly ; it raged furi-
ously for several hours, and effectually cleared
away all obstructions.

Our correspondent had the very best opportunity
of witnessing the bombardment during the night,
and describes it as " a sight never to be for-
gotten." Along the whole river line there were
fierce fires raging, houses tumbling, and timbers
crashing. At the extreme east end were the gun-
boats, pouring in rockets and shell ; next came
some French .ships ; then the Niger, Hornet,
Cruizer, Surprise, and Nimrod ; then Dutch Folly,
with its rockets and mortars ; below it, two large
French gun-boats, and last of all the Phlegethon and
Acteon. The fire from the various ships was kept
up only at intervals, but from their numbers it
appeared incessant. During the brief pauses every
thing was still as death in the city—no shouting or
screams, or sounds of confusion ; not a human
being was to be seen either on the city side or on
Honam, but it seemed as if the stern form of the
Destroying Angel were crouching over the fated
and unhappy city, and aweing its victims into
silence. The shells were whirling through the air,
their track marked by the fizzing of their fiery
fasces twinkling like stars during their revolutions,
till at last, arriving at their destinations, there was
a flash and an explosion, which told how accurately
and fearfully these engines of destruction do their
work. Some of these shells reached even to
Gough's Fort, and fragments were found there the
following day. The rockets, too, seemed to be
hissing about in every direction ; and the elliptical
shell from the French ships caused no little asto-
nishment, as they burred through the air with a
noise not unlike that of an immense humming-top.
The scene was one replete with awe, and dreadful
must have been the sufferings of the poor people,
thus made to answer for the sins of their rulers.
By midnight the fire in the city seemed nearly to
have expended itself ; but every now and then the
flames shot up with fitful glare, dying away again
nearly as rapidly. The whole of the suburbs
seemed to be on fire, but nothing was touched on
the .Honam side.

At daylight on Tuesday morning, skirmishing
parties were thrown out to drive back and also en-
gage the attention of the Chines) braves, who kept
up an incessant fire ;land a reconnoissance was m ide
close up to the city wall, exposed to a deadly fire
from giegllls on the wall. This party was protected
by the 34 company of the provisional battalion of
Royal Marines. Poor Capt. Bate was also there ; he
was crossing an open space, when shot in two pl ices ;
one through the body, and the other through the
head. He lived for half-an-hour, but was only
heard to say "It is all over." Perhaps no one be-
fore Canton was more fit than he to be hurried into
eternity. He was respected and beloved, and his
loss is deeply regretted by all. The fire was kept
up so hotly at this point that his body was carried
back with some difficulty, but fortunately a rising
bask afforded some little shelter.

Shortly after the above melancholy event, the
ladders were planted against the walls, and the
escalade commenced, the assailants covered by the
Madras Rifles and some companies of the 59th. It
is difficult to learn the real truth as to the first on
the walls, but the French are allowed to have sealed
first, though some of our fellows were on the heights
inside before the French. Very little resistance was
experienced until our troops got round to the
North Gate, where the Chinese made a stand, and
kept up a very hot fire. It was here that Lord Gil-
ford and Lieut. Butler, with many others, were
wounded, and a man named Loft, belonging to the
Sybille, was killed. The Tartars seem to have been
collected here, it being in the neighbourhood of
their quarters. They had several field pieces on the
wall, and fired with much accuracy, but were
driven back by a spirited charge.
As soon as the heights inside the city were
gained, the flags were hoisted. They were first
placed on Magazine-hill (Koon-Yum-Shan), the
French and British simultaneously at about 9.30
a.m. A rocket-tube was soon brought up, and di-
rected against Gough Fort, which the Chinese
speedily evacuated, and when the attack was made
no one was there to opposo our entrance : several
dead and wounded were lying inside. The colours
were hoisted on Gough Fort about 2 p.m. The
Red Fort behind Gough Fort was next blown up,
and through the thoughtlessne,s of the parties
engaged, nearly blew up with it a number of their
own men. A light was carelessly thrown upon the
train leading to the magazine before any of the men
had been warned off ; but fortunately no one was
killed, though several received bruises.
On Tuesday night an attack was anticipated, but
all passed over quietly. The French had possession
of the five-storied house, and our men were exposed
in the open-air all night.
Next day the Koon-Yum Shan was chosen as
head-quarters. A deputation from the Chinese
aad a message from the Tartar general waited upon
the Commander-in-Chief, but received little satis-
faction.

During the rest of the week nothing occurred of
any consequence, except the Pleuipo's march round
the city walls, and the blowing up of Gough's and
Bluejacket Forts.

Oa the following Sunday our correspondent en-
tered the city by the new road carried through that
portion of the suburbs immediatelyabove the Frenoh
Folly, and which had just been opened. No Chinese
were to be seen. You enter the city by the south-
east angle of the wall. The streets were entirely
deserted. The town had suffered very much in this
quarter; not a house scarcely that had not a hole
in the roof, indicative of the entrance of a shot or
rocket. No dead Chinese were lying about, which
may be accounted for by an order that all bodies
fallen in with should be buried ; but when the city
was first entered the walls were well covered with
dead bodies.

Next morning proved wet and rainy, but our
correspondent strolled round the walls as far as the
North Gate, and ♦isited the superb temple, Sam
Gune Koong. This temple had evidently been a
very wealthy one, but all the images and ornaments
were broken. The interior of the city and the
streets proved not at all superior to those of other
Chinese towns. There were a great number of
temples thereabout.
On Tuesday an expedition into the interior of the
city was planned and executed. Mr. Parkes had
heard of Yeh's whereabouts, and was anxious t)
catch him. His Excellency was reported to be resid-
ing at the Ut-Wa College, in the very centre of the
city ; but on arriving there it was found he had
decamped the previous Thursday to the Lieutenant
General's Yamun, in the south-west corner of the
old city. This information was given by a Chinese
officer, who refused to point out the Yamun ; but
depending on two Chinese guides whom he had
engaged by promise of reward, Mr. Parkes made his
way to the place indicated, under the protection of
about 100 blue-jackets, commanded by Commo-
dore Elliot and Captain Key. Bursting open the
doors of the Yamun, the retreating figure of the
High Commissioner was the signal for a general
rush after him, and notwithstanding the protesta-
tions of an ambitious mandarin that "Me Yeti 1"
the stout Viceroy found himself in the embrace of
Captain Key and the commodore's coxswain, who
had outrun the others, and ranged up one on each
side of him. He was brought back, and conducted
to a seat, and was soon identified by many Chinese
who were marched in singly, and asked by Mr.
Parkes who the gentleman was ; they all instantly
fell down on their knees, saying he was the chotoi

_ ...
(governor-general).
Meantime the Fu-toi (Pih-kwei) and the Tartar
general were both captured in their own Yamune,
and made prisoners without opposition ; and thus
the three principal officers of the province were
taken without bloodshed—a remarkable fact, and
proof of the faithlessness of their attendants.
Yoh was retained for some time at head-quarters.
He conducted hims,_lf with propriety, except that
he assumed to be very merry. In features he
closely resembles what Harry the Eighth is said to
have been ; and if his excellency had been attired
according to the costume of that period, and in
Royal apparel, he might have sat very well for a
likeness of the bluff monarch to adorn a new edition
of " Pinaock's Goldsmith." He seemed to enjoy
the questions put to him, if one might judge from
the peculiar laugh proceeding from the lower part
of his chest, which accompanied every answer ; but
thliigh must have been assumed, to hide the
etlotagrin he naturally felt at being obliged to reply
pretended
answers had so
wloenc,
etteota.i,iaoveedbfereThim relative to the prisoners reporterd
on the city ''tr°n
) lc? the city. Ho was finally removed
c y
e3w,.,,,iiiignu:ayrdt
30
the
e boardboat theh e Ihnafidefxui bl
full
Inflexible
p;
paonrd_
our people at the various stations
Tiv4' other iii444o,x4were det)4ll' tcl kie*
during thi:e e
tunity:
tlw pity, aka

they were fora time reported to haverefused to have
anything to do with the government of the town; but
their scruples, if they ever had any, have been over-
come ; and Pih kwei and the Tartar general, as re-
ported elsewhere, have been reinstalled in office,
under the supervision of a commission of two Bri-
tish and one French officers.

Yeh was allowed three servants to accompany
him on board ship, whom he selected from a num-
ber who seemed inclined to follow him into cap-
tivity. On the Saturday before his capture, he is
said to have beheaded a great number of Chinese,
in order to prove that, notwithstanding his straits,
he still held supreme authority over the Cantonese.
Saturday, the 9th, was fixed upon for the instal-
lation of Pih-kwei and the tartar General in their
new office under the allies. At 2 p.m. Lord Elgin,
in full dress, met Baron le Gros and the general on
shore, and proceeded to head-quarters, where the
ginlgine and about 4
about half-a-
ptw.mo dwmitirhatlshewmaiitleitdartyhefoirrnicoitrai
mile on each side, the two Chinese officials were
carried up to head-quarters in chairs. After some
palaver as to where the mandarins should sit it was
arranged they should be placed one on each side of
the plenipotentiaries. Lord Elgin thou ma le a most
appropriate speech, which wa4 interpreted by Mr.
Wade, bearing upon the present question, and in-
forming them of the intention to hold Canton until
new treaties had been made with the Court at
Pekin. It was the desire of the allies that peace
should be maintained in the meanwhile, and hence
the proposal of re-appointing them to their offices
within the city, their acts being subject to the su-
pervision of a committee of three foreign officials.
Baron le Gros likewise delivered an address to the
same effect ; but strange to say, in neither instance
did the plenipotentiaries in any manner mention or
refer to Yeh. The Tartar General signified his ap-
proval of the steps proposed by the plenipotentia-
ries, and after some shaking of hands, the parties
separated. The admiral instantly returned to the
Coromandel, and proceeded to Tiger Island with
the treasure for the Calcutta, and then returned to
Canton. _ _

The unfortunate death of Captain Bates makes
a vacancy for Commander Jenkins, of the Comus,
senior on the station ; while Lieutenant Hoskins,
of the Slaney, gets the commandership, and will
take the Comus, The Hon. J. Hare, mate of the
Calcutta, is made lieutenant, vice Bacon, dead.
Lieut. Goodenough has the acting commandership
in the Calcutta, vice Brock, invalidel. The
Syhille and all the other ola stagers, whose term
of service have expired, go home immediately ; and
Capt. Stewart, in the Nankin, proceeds to Singa-
pore, as senior officer there, prior to his departure
for England.
The correct estimate of killed and wounded in
the assault on the city is, 140 British and 30
French.

The officers of the squadron say the taking of
Canton was not for an instant to comp ire with the
Fatsham-creek affair ; still, it was gallantly done,
and extensive promotions are naturally looked for.
Such, then, is a brief history of the assault and
capture of, by a force of 6,000 men, of the provin-
cial city of Kwantung, which has ever by its in-
habitants been considered impregnable, and of the
seizure of its principal officers without bloodshed.
The nation wilt scarcely believe it, and even here,
within 100 miles from the city, the first reports
were listened to by the Chinese with credulity, as
a ruse of the foreigners to cover their defeat. What
effect it will have at Pekin it is quite vain to at-
tempt to surmise ; but the plenipotentiaries will
doubtless now avail themselves of the opportunity
to point out the necessity for a revisal of the
treaties, many points of which require readjust-
ment, as the unfortunate affair at Canton affords
but too strong evidence. They will of course de-
mand that a new Imperial commissioner be ap-
pointed and dispatched to arrange new treaties, for
we scarcely think that Lord Elgin and Baron le
Gros will venture into the interior until some
arrangement is come to ; nor would they, we be-
lieve, until they receive a reply, attempt to force
their way to the capital, even were the force at
their command adequate for that purpose, which it
is not soon likely to be. The first attempts must
be by diplomacy, and after it has failed it will be
time enough to dream of resorting to violent
measures.

Meanwhile we hear it is the intention of Admirals
Seymour and Genouilly to raise the blockade of the
Canton river immediately ; so that trade may Boon
be expected to resume its wonted ohannels ; for the
Chinese are too mercantile a people to let any
chance slip of " turning a penny." On Monday
morning last, the shops iu the city were opened for
the retail of goods, and the number rapidly in-
creased in the course of that and the following day.
No looting of any kind is permitted, and the
provost martial punishes most severely the slightest
infringement of his orders ; so that, except from
their own countrymen, the Chinese have nothing
to fear.

The two seamen of the Volcano, killed by the
braves at Collinson (not Fatsham) Creek, wore shot
through the head ; and the ,boats wain received a
dangerous wound in the clie,t. They were taken
on board the Volcano, where the boatswain had
his wound dressed by Dr. Crawford, of the Elk,
but the Poor ft,llow is since dead.
We were not aware of the fact before, but are
told that Admiral de Genouilly is a K.C.8., hat-
ing earned this honour, with other laurels, during
his services in the Crimea.

CHINA MARKETS.
(Franz the ererlaxcl China

From Shanghae our dates extend to the 7th inst., and
inform us that owing to the tenor of the last mail (that
of the 10th November) received there from Europe,
great distrust pervaded the commercial community, in
consequence of which the rate of exchange had fallen to
Os., and only very favourite paper indeed had found pur-
chasers. Such a state of things must, we conceive, lead
to heavy shipments of bulli ni homewards; and in proof
of this we understand that the two last steamers from
Sbanghae have brought down considerable quantities of
silver for remittance to both England and India—a
feature to which we have been. unaccustomed for a long
time back, but one to which the low value that silver
had reached among the Chinese (alluded to in a commu-
nication which appeared in our issue of the 15th ult.)
had been evidently tending.
Business in imports was fortunately very good, other-
wise great stagnation would have prevailed at Sbanghae.
Mainly caused by the capture of Chiog-kiang, and
the consequent reopening of long.cloaed communications
with the interior, a brisk demand for cottons and
woollens had arisen, and an advance in prices had been
established, which might have been greater, but for the
almost simultaneous arrival of the Tynemouth from
Calcutta, and the Anglo-Saxon and Tung-yu from Eng-
land. hippers of both silk and tea, we are sorry to
learn, felt assured of heavy losses upon the present sea-
son's operations ; but untoward in the extreme as was
the state of commercial affairs in Europe and America
by last account's, we see for our own part much reason
to hope that a portion at least of these apprehensions is
premature. The export of silk to Europe is 16,000, and
the settlements about 211,000 bales under the statistics of
same period last year ; business in the article was for
time at an end, and even should the Chinese ultimately
consent to sell at rates materially under those last cur-
rent, which there exist good grounds for considering
most unlikely, we do not anticipate that foreigners will
settle more than 2,000 bales per month (if so much, with
the discouraging accounts yet to come forward and in
the face of the uncertainty which exists regarding the
yield of the next European crop) for the remainder of
the season, when the exports for 1857 and 1858 would
scarcely amount to 65,000 bales,
Our remarks upon tea cannot be as comprehensive as
we c uld wish, owing to the non-arrival of the Foochow
mail, which deprives us of our usual advises from that
quarter. At Shanghae, a brisk business had been done
up to the let inst., when English news was received,
which completely paralysed the market. In consequence
of competition amongst buyers,
the unduedecl andinei unnecessaryn pricenoticed by one of our correspondents
there on the 19th ult. had been recovered by the Chi-
nese. The steak at latest accounts was not large, being
estimated at 40. chops of Congou ; and unless a consi-
derable quantity be Sooner or later sent from Canton,
in accordance with the report of stocks there set on foot
by the Chinese for menthe past, we shall have another
year of moderate shipments.
The small markets for tea and silk existing at Macao
ihiaufvaestbuereensvenroytideueallb.leThaet huttloendgemand for British ma-
departure of last mail has entireKlyocnegasepdr the
ior to
not
expected to revive again before China New Year. A
feeling similar to that existing at Shanghai pervades this
elothwritingplace,
Nv a. the above, news from Foochow
mercantile community, and only the most approved
paper has been saleable. The rate is quoted at 4s. 10d.
P.S.—Since
t 3 the ihh inst. has reached us, No further arrivals of
tea
ahaoi takentdn
and since
cmeatih. kee
tr e ch:idp t
boefetnh est Ea
gungal insth,
with a stock of 75,000 packages of Congou, and 15,000
half-chests of Oolong, The teamen, however, were dis-
playing much firmne.ls. A moderate qeantity of tonnage
they Mexican
were,dollars
however,
was wanted at 4/. The Spirit of the North was loading
for London, the Courser for New York, and the Crisis
had been circulated for Liverpool, but had not yet
arrived. ;
beinguo minatlakaetnlaot pere
ceunst-,
count
tom-house in payment of duties at 2 per cent. discount
fur the present; and we believe that all back duties were
being paid at that figure, but should not feel surprised
if the officials
Year. The capture of Canton bad apparently caused
Put up the rate again after China New
much astonishment amongst the Cantonese resident at
Foocho w.

CALCUTTA.
(Prom the Bengal Harkaru, Jan. 23.)
The events of the fortnight furnish very little
matter that will interest our readers at home. This
fact must be considered as favourable, for the great
sign of our prosperity in this country is, that we
excite no attention elsewhere, and it seems that wo
can only become an object of interest by becoming
an object of compassion.
fib© 4rit4 twoo ilve fairly brolip loc4