The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-29 00:00:00

CHINA.

The advice.s from Hong Kong, by the last Over-
land Mail extended to Nov. 24. They brought
intelligence, it will he remembered, of the demo-
lition of the Barrier Forts by the Americans. The
present mail brings the news down to Dec. 16.
The general summary of the Overland Friend of
China of Dec. 15 is as follows :
"The mail packet Norna, with London dates to
Oct. 10, reached Hong Kong on the Ist inst.-52
days over all.
" We have no change in the temper of the Chinese
Government to report. Yeh, backed by the gentry
and people, is as obdurate as ever ; he will make
no sign ; and nothing hut the extremest measures
can now produce the result desired. Until we have
more men, however, little can be effected. Not
until the heights, the city, and the suburbs, are
entirely under our command—and traversed by
our soldiers—will the Cantonese be satisfied of
their inability to maintain the unsociable position
they have so long contended for. A couple more
regiments and some field pieces would be sufficient.
" The only event of importance since the des-
patch, on the 25th ult., via Calcutta, of the record
of the ten preceeding days, has been the capture
and demolition of the French Folly Fort, with
loss on our side of one marine private, shot through
the body by an iron arrow. The destruction of
the fort was most complete ; and the rapidity with
which it was performed must have had an astonish-
ing effect on the Chinese mind. In each of seven
mines a hundred pounds of powder were buried,
and at the hour of high noon the whole was ex-
ploded—so leaving hardly one stone square upon
another. Our gallant brothers in arms, the Ame-
ricans, have been less successful in their operations
on the Barrier Forts—the indiscreet use of a crow
bar on a charged mine sending three to eternity at
once, and wounding six others who were standing
by. Nevertheless, they, too, have well performed
the work of destruction ; if it can be' thought well
to destroy forts (the two southernmost especially)
that might have been easily held, and would have
proved useful.
" The destruction of a village where a sailor and
a marine of ours wore waylaid and murdered, and
the death of Captain Cowper, R.E., Acting Sur-
veyor General, Hong Kong, by the fall of a house
upon him,are also among the notabilia of the period.
"Now that the astonishment—not unmingled
with a feeling of pleasure at seeing an apparent
determination to put an end to the long continued
anomaly of our intercturse with Southern China
has passed away—and it is learnt from published
—indiscreetly published—official correspondence
that the business is the freak of a " would-be con-
sidered statesman"—determined to obtain notoriety
at the expense even of setting the world in a blaze
—the public feel a disposition to question the pro-
priety of the time chosen for effecting that which
might well have waited a reference at home;—and
fear lest the want of reflection so evident in the
commencement of the proceedings may prove the
preliminary to an indiscreet and useless conclusion.
From this, however, Sir Michael Seymour is
entirely exempt."

AA extra to the Hong Kong Register, of Dec. 16,
details the destruction of the factories at Canton.
"On Sunday night, the 14th inst., at 11 o'clock,
the factories to the west of British Factory, were
set on fire in six places, and when the steamer
Lily left on Monday at 4 p.m.- the destruction
was complete, with the exception. of two houses
facing the American garden, now or lately in
the occupation of Messrs. Russell and Co., but
as all behind were burning they were expected to
go also. Tue house built at the bottom of Hog-
lane for a parsonage was blown up to prevent the
flames spreading to the houses in the British Fac-
tory, but our informant seemed to doubt if it would
be attended with success. We have no further
particulars.

" During the conflagration the Dutch Folly Fort
was throwing shells and rockets into the city. No
attack was made—the Chinese contenting them-
selves with burning the empty houses, by which
their own people will be the greatest sufferers.
" Since writing the above we have dates two
hours later to 6 p.m. yesterday. By them we
learn that the Oriental Bank was at that time in
full blaze—the Agra and Mercantile Banks burned
down—the Consulate still standing, but expected
to go, with all the remaining buildings in the No-
' tories. The fire commenced behind the premises
of Messrs. Dent and Co., an i all the houses front-
ing the American Gardens, except those of Russell
and Co. and Westmore and Co., burned ; the two
last named were saved for the time.
"We are sorry to learn that the fire has been
accompanied with loss of life, Mr. 0. T. Lane, of
the Consulate, having been killed by the blowing
up the parsonage,uid.
and Dr. Winchester, Vice-Con-
aul, slightly
An extra of a China iato of the same date says :
Hong Kong, 16th December, 1856.
r
b
The Factories have been burnt down by the Chinese ;
and the only particulars, we have ascertained are, that—
At 10.30 or 11 o clock on Sunday night, the beating
obfurts°t outrnt'n'B sounded
the alarm, and instantly the flames
in every direction. Vigorous efforts were
made by the seamen and marines to stop their progress,
but all such attempts were fruitless, and the tire raged
thriughout the night and up to the time of the steamer
leaving. Dent and Co.'s premises were about the first
to go, and the whole of the Paoushun Hong, the Impe-
rial, French, Minqua's, `pike—ail the hongs indeed—
are de-troyed—the only houses untouched when the
steamer left being the British Consulate, Augustine
Heard and Co.'s, and J..rdine, Matheson and Co. s,
Turner and Co.'.,and one or two others in the New Eng-
lish Hong ; Russell and Co.'s in the Swedish Hong;
and whether they could ultimately escape the fate of the
others was very doubtful. The three Banks—the
Oriental, Agra, and Mercantile—were on fire, with no
hopes whatever of saving them ; and Admiral Seymour
had withdrawn his men into the garden, the only refuge
left for foreigners.
Only one fatal accident is known to have occurred.
Mr. Oiliorne T. Lane, nephew of Sir John Bowring,
basing been killed—crushed by the falling of a wall at
Fletcher and Co.';, house, which was blown up by our
people. Dr. Winchester, the acting Vice-Consul, was
with him, but received only
some slight bruises.
What steps tLe Admiral means to take are of copra('
unknown, but there is little doubt that the City of Can-
tor, will be no longer spared, and the discharge o frookets
and shell is said already to have commenced.
Au account of the occurrences at Caxton, as re-