The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

ENG.LISIT EXPEDITION TO CHINA.

A letter from Hong Kong says :—During the
last week every one has been anxiously
looking for
the arrival of the mail, which ought to bring an
answer to Admiral Hope's despatches and the opi-
nion at home regarding the Peiho disaster ; but, as
is the case generally when anything is particularly
desired, it has not yet arrived. Two or three ex-
tracts from English journals of a later date than
we have received here were published in
a local
paper a few days ago, which, though rather severe,
are on the whole more favourable than it was anti-
cipated they would be. Every one is pleased to
find it is not probable the Admiral will be super-
seded. Throughout the squadron there appears to
be the greatest confidence in him, and the general
feeling is that a younger or more active comman-
der-in-chief could scarcely be selected from our list
of Admirals ; that, although some of his arrange-
ments may have been injudicious last summer, he
is, from his past experience, better qualified to plan.
and direct the operations of next year than a new
could possibly be.
With the French we shall have a large force of
ships and men here next spring. It is hoped that
of the former which may be sent we shall only have
those drawing little water, as all others are useless
on this station. Batches of troops are slowly coming
in from India. The 67th Regiment, a portion of the
3d Buffs, a company of Engineers, and a few native
troops have already arrived. The remainder of
the Buffs left Calcutta in her Majesty's troopship
Adventure, but, owing to some accident to her
machinery, when about a hundred miles from the
Hooghly, she was obliged to put back. Necessary
repairs will detain her about six weeks. The
troops, it is said, were transferred to the Fier!.
Cross, and may be daily expected.
Vessels coming from Singapore and the south-
east lately have had very bad weather. There
have been three or four sad wrecks. The Inker-
man, from London, bound to Hong Kong, with Go-
vernment stores, was caught in a typhoon during
her passage up the China Sea, became leaky, and
went down off St. John's, near Macao,
where the
master and crew arrived on the 22d of October.
On receipt of this intelligence Admiral Hope de-
spatched her Majesty's ship Furious and the gun-
boat Watchful, to save what was possible. The only
thing recovered was a cask of good English draught
ale. The steamer James Hartley was totally_lost
on the Tunki Rocks, about 90 miles from Hong
Kong, on the 19th of October, with a considerable
amount of money on board. The greater portion
of this has been rescued by her Majesty's
Bustard. News arrived two days ago that a large
ship which left Macao about three weeks since
with 1,000 Chinese coolies on board, for Havannah,
went down off the coast of Cochin China, and that
seven-tenths of those on board perished. gunboat
The cap-
tain, surgeon, and some others have found their
way to Turon, the French settlement.
The temperature is beginning to get cool and
pleasant. The Ist Royals, who are in garrison here,
have lost a great number during the summer and
autumn. They look very sickly now. It is to be
hoped they will pick up a little during the winter.
It has been decided that a sanitarium shall be
erected near Victoria Peak. The Government, it
is said, will make the road, and the military autho-
rities are to erect the building.
Our China and India squadron is distributed as
follows :
At Hong Kong—The Chesapeake he
(flagship, the
Cambrian, the Magicienne, the Furious, an the
Roebuck, and the gunboats Opossum, Banterer,
Forester, Kestrel, Leven, Starling, Firm, SlaneY,
Woodcock, Drake, and Watchful.
At Shanghai—The Sampson, the Inflexible, and
the Cruiser, and the gunboats Haughty, Janus, and
Bustard.
At Amoy—The Acorn.
At Foochow—The Camilla.

At Ningpo—The Algerine.
At Whampoa and Canton—The Fury, the Assist-
ance, the Nimrod, and the Hempen
At Japan—The Highflyer and the Action.