The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-27 00:00:00

27, it'lB.

they -v-ie—nt to fiieAffit-: Wand:ring away a little
distance from the refe,ltory, one o: the patty hip-
petted to sae below the identical tents they were in

search of.

Such is the story as it has been given to 113 by
one not an eye-witness. Whether upon this all of
then returned to the city (we expect they did)—
or, as we were first informed and reportad, a de-
tachment went back for reinforcements—we cannot
say. But it is a fact that, with three days' rations,
about sundown a large body of men left the city,
and to support the movement a Naval Brigade,
under Captain Gcenfell of the Amethyst, was orga-
nised. At this point we will let each arm of the
service speak for iteef. Says a naval friend—" The
Naval Brigade was in two divisions-210 men from
the Tribune, Amethyst, and. Bittern, 150 from the
Camilla, Hornet, and Actaeon. The last-mentioned
division was under Colville of the Camilla (she only
Commander in the Brigade), and left Canton at
midnight. In due time they fell in with the other
division near the Lancashire Witch, and a
landing was effected in good order. But after
that, whew !—Where were the roads ? How-
ever, on they went, till, when within a mile of the
Brave's camp, Grenfell called a halt." Captain
G— "would suggest that we went in at a dash"
said the lucky Colville—Commander C—'s sugges-
ion passed unheeded—again suggested—again dis-
regarded. One hour, two hours, three m,rtal hours
did that brigade remain stationary, till by and bye
the sun took its effect, and down dropped the men,
In all, throughout the day, to the number of 18
wore they floored, though none fatally. Another
suggestion by Commander Colville to go in with a
dash meets a reTonse of .' Go to the rear with your
men, sir, and bring up the sick." This was simply
to get quit of the importunacy. " More is said,
but we shall not quote it. Stare it, that by five
p.m. the Naval Brigade were back in the Eastern
Parade Ground ; they had hardly had a fair shot at
the foe!!

Now for the letter of a friend in t'ot'ter arm :

"From all accounts the first day must hive been an
exceedingly pleasant one ; the party arriving at
the point intended before the heat of the day had
fairly set in. The locality fixed upon was exceed-
ingly picturesque—a large though almost 4rLs,rted
joss house, in a well wooded and watered valley,
some few hundred feet beneith the highest
peak of the Whit e clouds.' In spite of the intense
heat of the sun, the strength of the brerzi ren-
dered the atmosphere, especially in the shade, very
refreshing to men who had fur same five mouths
been cooped up inside the walls of Canton.

" In the course of the forenoon an i u trench ed en-
campment was disc,-.)vered about five mil, s distant,
containing about 50 or 60 large ridge tents ; this the
General at once decided to attack ; exploit, how-
ever, as the result will show, easier in anticipation
than in execution.

" Dating the afternoon we beard in Canton that
Col. Holloway, with 500 marines, 50 artillerymen,
and two ti-Ad-pieces, had received orders to advance
in a direction about midway between the Grne-
ral's position and the river, while the gunboats
were to land somewhere between Canton and
Wbampoa, the 70th N. 1., and 300 men of the Naval
Brigade, it being hoped that by this arrangement
the Chinese would he surrounded and cut to pieces,

" Vain hope Gunboats grounded ; the two
field-pieces stuck fast, er were kept back by some
imp.aisable obstacle, and the vast majority of the
troops lost their way among the paddy fields. •
" A strong force of French, however, the Gene-
ral's party, and a portion of Colonel Holloway's
forcc., got into communication at last, and shortly
afterwards the Chinese opened the ball by a simul-
taneous discharge of eight or ten large jingalls from
the neighbourhood of a village on the left hand side
of the line of march ; our men thrown out in skir-
mishing order soon drove the enemy (some 300, the
Chinese themselves said) away. For the time only,
as I regret to all that Doctor Turnbull, passing the
same way on a rOny s'.l=rt ciS
captured and decapitated, though the trunk was
recovered, and received such burial as it was-in the
power of our men to give. An orderly, with a
dooley and four of the military train liliewise dii-
appeared in the same place."

SEIZURE OF THE PEIHO FORTS.
(From the long Kong Register, Jane 1.)

" We are itirlehted to an officer of the United
States frigate Mississippi for the f.,llowing inter eA-
ingt account of the capture of the fors at the mouth
of the Peino. The United States steam frigate
Mississippi reached this on Sunday evening, the
30th ult., having left the Gulf of P. chel,e on the
afternoon of the 22d. She brings news of the com-
mencement of hostilities. As negotiations had, as
was to be expected, totally failed, Lord Elgin placed
the affairs in the Admiral's hands, and he proceeded
with his usual promptitude to bring them to an
issue :

" ' The mouth of the Peiho is defended by forts on
each bank, about a mile and a ball from the upper edge
of the bar, which averages from a half to three-quarters
of a mile in width. Beyond this and about four mile,"
and a half distant lay the larger ships. On the evening
of the 19thall preparations were made for the attack by
the gun-boats and ships tying inside the bar. At 7 a.tn.
Captain Hall, of the Calcutta, pulled in and desired the
torte to
.surrender, telling them if the flage were hauled
down by 9 a.m. the forte would be taken possession of
peacidully ;—if the flags were not hauled d wn, firing
would commence and the forts be captured by force.
Nine o'clock came, but with no sign of surrender, and
another hour was given them The two admirals were on
board the gunboat Slaney, wile the English and French
pennants flying. The Cormorant, which was the leading
chip of the attack, had been lying close up to the forts
on the right banks of the river, and the people of the
forts had been observed training their guns on her.
At 10 a.rn. the flag of battle was hoisted by
all the gunboats and steamers along the line,
with the exception of the Cormorant, which
ran up the French flag almost at the same
moment running her anchor up to her boys, and
getting under weigh. On her deck were only to be seen
three solitary individuals—the Captain, Saumarez, the
master conning the ship, and the steersman, the men
lying down at their quarters. She gradually edged over
towards the fort on the tight bank, running past them
io beautiful style, fired upon as she passed each fort
without returning a gun. During her passage she got
hulleJ 10 limes ; but, owing to closing so much on the
forts, their shot for the most part passed over her with-
out doing damage. After passing them she ran over to
the left shore, and, running into the mud with her broad-
side to the forts on that side, commenced the action. She
was followed by two French gunboats and the Nienrod,
which latter ve-sel came to the assistance of her comrade,
The different gunboats took up their stations, and as they
fell into them opened fire with precision. After about an
hour's cannonading, to which the Chinese reply was quick
but ineff,ctive, the Slanty, with the Admirals on board,
ran s‘raight up through the fleet, towing the attacking
columns under Sir F. Nicholson of the Pique, and Opos-
sum towing another pry under Captain Elide The
French supplied an attacking party for the forts on the
right bank. The boats pushed off and the men were
coon on shore. Then followed the wuel scene—the
Chinese bolted, and the French attack being made vary
quick, a mine was eprueg, which caused theta coiai-
thrable loss. Tee forts en the left bank weia taken
by the Stitish whhou much I.,ee, although mine= were
also exploded on their advance, by the bursting of one
of which the carpenter of the Calcutta and two seamen
were killed. In about an heur and forty minutes
we were in possession of -all the f .its at the south of
the river. The Admiral then preceded on b ,ard the
Cormot ant, while Admiral de Genouilly went on
hoard one of his guribeWe. At this time a !nes-, of
flames from a number of fire-rafts was observed
drifting round a point of laud higher up ; by some
mhauanaeement the rafts were allowed to go too far
over to the right back, and there the leading rafts
speedily grounded, while the others were helped into a
position by the heats cf the fleet. Had they taken the
right direction, the Cormorant would have had a nar-
row squeak, as she was rather tight in the mud. Sir
Michael, leaving the Cormorant, returned to the Slaney,
but Admiral de Genouilly continued on board his gun-
boat. The Slar,ey and Cormorant, e ith other gunboats,
steamed up to attack a large fest meunting 31 guns,
situata round the bend cf the river, while the Nimrod
was left to direct her fire at the fort over the spit of
ground. le a short time this fell into cur hands, and in
ab uc two hours and a halt train the commencement of
the a..tack tee scion had stated by the capture of all
the fort,.

" We arri happy to ray t'Le loss on our side was viry
slight. Oily one officer, the master of the Opossum,
beinz severely wounded by a shot in the side and thigh.
We have no exact or reliable particulars of the loss on
the Br tsh side, but do not hear that it exccetis 25
killed and .wounded. Our allies, we are sorry to say,
owing to the explosion if a mine, stiff, r, d. mote sevenly,
15 men, it is eaid, bamg killed and 40 men wounded ;
some of the latter dreadfully burnt and torn by the
explosion. Among the kill-Al are four lieutenants,
One, the first of the Fusee, was cut in two by a shot ;
anothfr had his cap knocked cif by a shot, on which he
exclairned—'l am lucky to-day,' but immediVely fell
down dead, without the mark of any wound on his
person.
"The Chinese stuck to their guns manfully, and
there were the usual acts of self-sicnfice. One blue-
button Mandarin, was found by the French in the fort
which they had captured, dead, beside a gun, having

.
cut his throat ; and in the assault on the highest for of
31 foes, a mandarin jnowed ow and chargel the party
mingle-handed. The officers did all they coull to pre-
vent him being killed, but one of the men on the fl Inks,
at soma distance, shot hint through the neck and killed
him, to the regret of those near, who admired his brave
action. About 93 guns wore captured, 68 of which were
brass or composition metal. Seine were eight-inch guns,
but we believe they had none of the usual appliances of
sight. The louts of the Chinese is supposed to have been
very heavy, as the firing was very accurate, thu
bursting with great precision in the embrasures. The
Chinese fired grape, and even attempted shells, but, as
their lase was only a piece of common slow match, the
shell generally burst close to the gun.
"Next day, the 21st, a Mandarin went off to the
Russian Ambassador, who has been acting in cenjiinc-
tion with Mr. Reed, as a mediator between the parties.
Count Pontiatine went with him to the French Admiral,
but it was some time before they could_persuacle him to
go aed see Sir Michael ; eventually he did se, and
asked for three days' truce. Sir Michael told him he
could not give him an hour's truce, as they bad given
plenty of time, and that he certainly should at once
proceed to Tietatsin* with all his force. Tee unfor-
tunate Mandarin went away considerably crest-fallen.
We understand the Admiral intends to do much
the same as at Canton, securing he river at different
points by anchoring a steamer. The river to Tien-tie
is of sufficient depth for the largest ships now neer Abe
bar, but above Tien-tsin to Pekin, a distance of eight
miles, the water is said to be very shallow, boats draw-
ing more than five feet not being able to ascend.
"The Admiral did intend to send down the Fury
with his despatches, but as the Mississippi was compelled
to go to Hong Kong, a passage was most politely offered
to Commander Beamish, who goes home on his promo-
tion for the Canton affair, carry irg the Admiral's de-
spatchee. Lord Gnildfoed, who had also received his
promotion for Canton, also carne down in her to take
command of the Hornet—we understand. It is said
that it was Lord Elgin's intention to push on at once to
Pekin, sni only in that city negotiate, for the eff•ctive
carrying out of which idea he has sent down f it reinforce-
ments. Where they are to come from is by no means
clear, looking to the safety of the colony and the Canton
garri2on. Fier Majesty's 59 h are under orders, and
perhaps the 77th Bengal Native Infantry, or the other
native corps here, might be spared ; but it is hard to say
what the summer may produce of sickness in the Canton
gwris,,n, and few of the foreign inhabitants here wil
doubt that although we get everything we desire at
Pekin we have still a good deal of fighting to do at Can-
ton and its neighbourhood. At present we are, not te
put too mild a point on it,' besieged in Canton, and be-
yond cur lines do not hold a fo t of ground ; so much
so that even Hamm is not included in the lines, and the
people, who live there do so at their own risk, in the
hope that the Chinese owners of the properties rented
by foreigaera will give the latter due warning, which,
after all, may be found s very rotten reed to lean upon."
" * This is the city said to be about 37 miles direct over-
land from the mouth of the Peiho, but at least 65 miles by
water."

Our previous advices from the Peiho came down
to the 29th of April. At that date an Imperial
Commissioner had entered the field of negotittion,
and the result appeared problematical. Between
the 30th April andthe middle of slay, say a fori-
night, there is a hiatus in the details. In sw,stance,
however, as a friend writes us—" A point of punc-
tilio arose which neither Lord Elgin nor the Chi-
nese would yield; and quite right was the deter-
mination taken by Lord Elgin and Baron Gros,
for from one concession they would have been
led to another, until at last the nine prostrations
would have been demanded—and--what next ?"
It was about the middle of May, then, that the
ambassadors found further attempts at peace-
ful argument futile ; and so left the business of
coercion in the proper hands. By Wednesday,
the 19th, arrangements were completed, and the
following vessels inside the bar. French gunboats :
Avalanche, Dragonne, Durance, and Fusee. Eng-
lish : Bustard, Cormorant, Firm, Leven, Nimrod,
Opossum, Slaney, and Staunch ; in all a round
dozen (Coromandel as Hospital.)
A little after seven on the morning of the 20th,
Captain Hall (flag to Admiral Seymour) pulled in
to the neatest of the three forts built within the
last few years on either side of the Peiho, and de-
manded peaceable surrender. Could such a thing
be! The answer was prompt, Certainly not I
" Take time to consider," said Captain Hall—
" these bulldogs of ours are terrible fellows—you'll
rue it if you determine on fighting. Take an hour,
take two, take three—say nine o'.eleck." " CoieL
w‘,..'s tl.e answer : " Come one, come all ! "
Capt sin Hall returned dispirited. All humane
men are dispirited when they think of the probable
effuaion of blood ; and Captain Hall has now seer.
t,:•o much of the prowess of the Chinese not to know
that when once we commence our shell and rocket
practice the miserable natives have no chance ; the
old picture of a skeleton with his scythe mowin.
down all before him gives the aptest simile e,
what follows.

Nine o'clock came—no sign of Tielding—ncne
was expected—Ten ! Off ! Like a greyhound frou
the leash away stated the British de,p.itch-boai
Cormorant. It was high wat,ir, and there was depte
for her close in to the nearest, fort flying the French
colour at the fore ; on she dashed—passed tht firs
fort, receiving on the way the whoie blast of his
metal, fortunately with but slight casualty—tw,
wounded and a dozen shot-holes—and ran into tht
mud wi.h her broadside off the next. Next after
the Cormorant went the Fusee and Dragonne,
French boats, then the Opossum, and afterward
the Nimrod. The Fusee was fearfully mauled,
whilst Mr. Prickett, Master of the Opossum,
was struck by a grape shot-, which took away
parts of one side and thigh. The other gunboat,
each took up positions as directed, only the Sianey
remained behind, the flagship of the two Admirals.
One hour was given for the battering, and the pre-
cision with which the Allies threw their shell is
spoken of by American and Russian spectators as
excellent indeed. The hour up, on went the
Slauey, towing boats from the ships outside, with
landing parties from the Audaceuse, Nemesis,
Pblegethon, Primauget, Calcutta, Furious, Fury,
and Pique ; one portion of the English blue jackets
under Captain Sir F. Nicholson of the last-men-
tioned ship, the senior post captain present taking
the fort on the right bank—Captain Hall, with
another section of the boats, the fort on the left.
TLe business of driving the Chinese out was soot
over. Cunning rascals, they had laid trains fo
heavily charged mines, and direful were the con-
sequences to our intrepid allies the French, no less
than fifty-eight of whom were blown into the air ;
four Lieutenants, one of them first of the Fusee,
and eleven men, being among the killed, The Eng
lish had twenty-five killed and wounded ; the only
officer among the former being a carpenter (of the
Fury).
On the Nimrod, Slaney, Opossum, and a French
gunboat (name not mentioned) devolved the task
of capturing the fort highest up. Half an hour's
bombardment was sufficient to induce its deser-
tion. By a quarter past 12 the whole affair-was
over. Eighteen hundred Europeans had driven
out 10,00 U of the elite of the Chinese army. The
weight of metal, however, was all on our side,
&tying nothing of experience at working. The two
lower torts contaered about 70 guns, the upper
one 3u—in all 100 ; two-thirds of them being of
brass or compsition metal, valuaele as prizes.
In a letter which we have seen, the writer says--
"Tire way in whic'a Sautuaurez ran the gauntlet,
iu the mud, and played Lis
took up a posiiioe
metal, was the admiration of every one. Admiral
wild with the leading
Rigault de G— was very
man of the French gun-boats, and, when it was all
over, tubbad him up one side and down the other,
from the sianey, in an extraordinary way. Why,
the Cormorant has silenced the fort, sir, before
you got abreast of Ler,' was one of his expressions ;
and she had, too, or nearly, not only before the
French, but before any of the other boats got up
to Ler."

THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE
BRAVES.

Under date of Tluirday (says the Friend of
China, of the 7th of June), a friend writes us from
Canton :

Yesterday morning, at four o'clock, a party left it.
search of braves. Toe result is ar follows :—They found,
about flue wilea to the nor hard and eastward of the
Whitt:Cloud Mountains, a lar.re eucatnputent cf these
"inferior animals," ahol deeming it not prudent to attach
them at once with the smad force they had, despatched
a company back into the city for 2,600 more. These
lait the city last evening, at seven o'clock, with three
days' rations, with what result we shall hear by and bye.
Before we go to press we receive advice of the
result of till expedition, but have only time to
publish the following :
The Chinese, of course, never allowed us to close, pre-
ferring a game at long bowls, and in the evening, when
the ent.nry'a camp was fairly reached, the tents had been
struck and the birds flown.
About GO of our men were struck down by the sun—
two died at once. The Naval Brigade began dropping
in about the middle of the day, but the 70:h were but;

once or t dielly sena in the distance. Some 4CO
men are hlt behind in charge of the two gun., and
what's to be done next no one knows,

Toe tact upon t}.le Chinese has, of course, been bad,
susin4 some 70 men brought in sick, though of that'
numb:er but eight or ten are wounded.
The majority of the troops returned on Friday
morning.

Another correspondent says—
Dr. Turnbull, KN., attending a wounded man, wag
captured, and had his head a:-,d hands cut off in no

time. 18 of the Naval Brigade struck down by the sun.
rhe General commanded in person ; 32 of his men now
in hospital, two captives, two killed, soven wounded, a
sergeant dead with carp de soi.ei!, nod all this with no
result