The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-10 00:00:00

IN CHINA,

RUSSIAN A

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—As there seems to be a good deal of confu-
sion in the accounts which reach Europe of the new
territory acquired by Russia in the extreme east of
Asia, I beg to offer the following remarks in the
hOpe they may throw some light on the subject.
In the abstract of the new treaty framed by Gen.
Mouravief with the Chinese Government, and
copied into the columns of the Times from an Ame-
rican paper, it is. stated that the new frontier line
between Russia and China is to be the 48th parallel
of latitude east of the river Usuri, and to the west-
ward of that, the river Amoor.
From the China papers recently received, how-
ever, it appears that " the left bank of the Amoor
is ceded to Russia, as well as the coast territory on
the right bank of the UsUri, north of the 43d pa-
rallel of latitude." The two accounts, therefore,
differ most materially. If the latter statement be
correct, Russia has annexed a territory second to
nono in the world for richness of soil and mineral
wealth. You will observe, from the recently pub-
lished Admiralty chart, that this coast line includes
a series of harbours which, from actual observation,
may be stated to be most commodious and pecu-
liarly adapted for defence.
In latitude 43 deg. 5111. are two gulfs extending
some way to the northward from Victoria Bay. It
was here found that the natives were in possession
of gold to a considerable amount, which they ex-
changed for buttons, &c. From a French sailor
who had lived among the people a little to the
northward, we gathered that there are abundant
gold mines in the neighbourhood, worked during;
certain times of the year with ease, and without
any machinery.
At Sybille Bay, in 44 deg. 40m. the country is
rich beyond belief. Extensive forests of oak and
birch spread over the uplands, the soil teems with
wild fruits and flowers of every description, while
deer and wildfowl offer the strongest inducement
to the sportsman to shoulder his gun. When we
were there, in the ship which gave its name to the
bay, the natives were burning down the oaks and
other trees as fast as they could, to bring the land.
under cultivation. They were evidently Chinese
settlers, very distinct from the rude tribes a little
to the northward. We had one or two coxversa-
tions with some of them (if a correspondence car-
ried by writing Chinese characters with a stick on
the sand may be so called), from which we learnt
that they considered themselves Chinese subjects
(" chung kwoh jin"), and that there was a large
town or village a little way to the westward, whore
a Mandarin resided.

At Bullock Bay, lat. 45 deg. 5 min., we found
abundance of oxen, under charge of certain Chinese
herdsmen, who, however, willingly sold the beasts
for a pecuniary consideration.
So much for the territory between the parallels
of 43 deg. and 48 deg. Supposing Russia has ab-
sorbed this, I do not hesitate to say she has ac-
quired a territory of unequalled richness and fer-
tility, and a succession of harbours for her ships,
capable of affording them the securest shelter, and
placed at most convenient distances.
If the territory, however, is to reckon from the
48th parallel, she has not gained somuch. Between
Fish River. in 48 deg., and Low Cape, in 48 deg.
30 min., the coast is unsurveyed ; but a little to
the northward—viz., in 49 deg., is a splendid har-
bour, called 'in our chart Barracouta-harbour, but
by the Russians, I believe, Imperial Bay. It was
here we discovered, in May,lBs6,theburnt remains
of the Russian frigate Pallas. She had been burnt
in the early spring by the Russian garrison to the
edge of the ice, in hopes that before we arrived the
thaw would have begun and she would have sunk
in deep water, leaving no trace behind to tell the
story of her fate, butwe happened to arrive in time
to find her as she was, and to be able to save the
Russians the trouble of keeping a secret. The ice in
this bay did not break up in 1856 till the end of
May. The inhabitants are " fish-skin Tartars," or
Ghiliaks, who pay a sort of tribute to the Man-
' choos, and live on the fish and game which abound
in their districts. The Russians had built two
. strong forts here, and hadleft some 27 of their dead
countrymen behind them, decently buried, and with
small wooden crosses over their graves, from tke
inscriptions on which we learned that here had
been a settlement here from about 1852. The na-
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tivcs spoke of them as " Loochas," and b • their
gestures, &c., described them as having suffered
-very much from sickness and privation.
Several smaller bays exist between this and Cas-
tries, of which I need not speak. The whole of this
coast is subject to very severe winters, the ice
setting in about November, and not breaking tip
till May or June. Of " Castries Bay" enough .is
known to the public from the excellent survey of
La Perouse. I will only add that the Russians
expressed themselves very strongly as to the bad
holding ground of this anchorage, although we
never found their representations borne out by our
experience there.
Castles Bay is only a few miles from Lake Kisi,
which communicates with the. Amoor close to
Nicholovski.
Will you allow me to say a word with reference
to the annexation of the northern portion of the
island of Saghalien, effected by Count Putiatine in
his treaty with Japan ? The 2d article of that
treaty, ratified in December, 1856, declares " that
Saghalien remains, as heretofore, joint property of
Russia and Japan." We have here an instance of
a diplomatic ruse not unfrequently practised ;
Saghalien neverwas the property of Russia ; it has
always been claimed by China, and is under the
Colonial-office at Pekin, but within the immediate
jurisdiction of the authorities of Petune (in Man-
chooria). It served Russia's turn, however, to "beg
the question," and by an easy figure of speech to
cover the weakness of her cause. Suffice it, how-
ever, Russia has got the north of Saghalien, and
with it a territory abounding with coal. From
Bay d'Estaing, in lat. 4Q deg., to Jonqucre Bay,
in 51 deg. north, veins of coal crop out at
intervals, and the whole sea beach is covered
with fragments of. it. I brought home specimens-
of this coal, and have submitted them to the analysis
of Mr. Oxland, chemist, of this town, who declares
the mineral to be of excellent quality and highly
bituminous.
Thus briefly I have stated a few facts in refer-
ence to this territory, the whole of which was
visited by our ships in
.1855-56. Russia has cer-
tainly a most interesting future in store for her.
I What with the gold of Siberia, the rich pastures
of Manehooria, with its rivers and bays, and the
coal-fields. of Saghalien, we may safely speak of
the destiny of this immense empire in the East as
grand beyond our power to comprehend.
Plymouth,' Nov. 8.