The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-02 00:00:00

TWO DAYS LATER FROM CHINA.

We have been favoured, with a copy of the Hong
Kong Register of the 17th of February, brought by
the Fiery Cress. We extract the following :

"The Auckland, with the Eaglet in company, ran
down to outside Ling•ting on Saturday last. The steamers
found no vessels at the anchorage. They ran round out-
side Ling-ling with equally bad success, and then re-
turned to the islands south of Lantao. Commencing at
Chung-chow, they ran down both sides of the islands,
but found nothing suspicious. About 3 a.m. on Sunday
they fell in with a lorcha off the western end of Lantao,
which proved to he the armed Portuguese lorcha Ama
zona, escorting some other lorchas. They had seen
nothing. At daybreak the steamers went northward,
the Eaglet going to the western, the Auckland to the
eastern side of Inner Ling•ting. They ran rp a
little beyond Deep Bay, into which they looked without
seeing a vestige of any of the fleet. Seeing clearly the
birds had flown, they were returning, satisfied no more
was to be done. When off Toong-Chung, they sighted
four large heavily armed mandarin junks, which, it is
said, have been intercepting provision and other boats
coming to Hong Kong. The steamers saw the boats
were heavily armed and manned, and they, therefore,
ran into them. The Auckland, unfortunately, got
ashore on a bar, but the Eaglet ran in with the boats.
The junks opened fire, and continued it very briskly,
but without doing any damage ; the steamers and boats
returned the fire, and the junks were captured and
burnt, and the boats then pushed for shore. Oa land-
ing they captured a battery mounting 16 guns, which
they spiked, and as far as we could make out, set fire
to a village near it. The place is at the bottom of a
bay, of which the western side is formed by an island
called Cho 100 cok, which approaches near to the
mai❑land. There were extensive fortifications perceived
to the west, and it was not deemed prudent to attao't
on that side. The casualties were—one man shot dead
through the eye, and four wounded, belonging to the
Auckland. The Eaglet hal 20 men of the Gaol Brigade
—we are told they behaved admirably. The Eaglet ex-
pended all her ammunition, and returned yesterday
afternoon to report the state of affairs. On the 16th the
Niger got under weigh and went out, and the Eaglet is
to follow (she may have left ere this) as soon as she could
get coal and ammunition, and ,send the dead and
wounded men on shore. On her way here the Eaglet
passed a very heavily armed and manned snake boat,
and was glad to sneak past, not having a single charge
of shot to fire."

Below are extracts from the summaries of the
Mail and Register :
THE EMPEROR'S VIEWS OF AFFAIRS AT CANTON.—We
understand that a paper has been forwarded hither from
Canton as well as from the North, purporting to be a decree
of the Emperor. It directs.the high authorities of the
coast provinces to be on the alert, but not to alarm the
people ; expresses confidence in Yeh's knowledge of the
barbarian, and his consequent capacity to settle this
affair wits the British, on whom, if their loss in the en-
gagements reported, viz., of 400 men, including the
admiral, bas discouraged them sufficiently to cause a
cessation of hostilities on their part, Yeh is not be over
severs, but they are not to be met half-way, lest a con-
cession in the present case lead to a demand for other
concessions. That is to say, it must not be supposed
that the Government of China is not ready to resist bar-
barian encroachment, but, with rebellion in the land,
warlike preparations in the provinces might be turned
against it. It has enough otherwise on band now to talk
of exterminating the barbarian, and doubtless Yeh will
be able to settle this quarrel, which is as yet local, and
the Emperor desires may continue so. There will, of
course, be no sign of yielding, so long as Canton main-
tains its character as a city not to be taken.—China
Mail, Feb. 15.
ATTEMPT TO BURN THE COMUS.—On Monday night,
the 26th of January (the first night of the China New
Year, and the favoured period for their desperate but
futile efforts), an attempt was made by the Chinese to
burn her Majesty's ship Comus by means of fire-rafts.
A sharp look-out had been kept on board every ship in
the river, in anticipation of some such attack, but the
extreme darkness of the night prevented anything that
approached being seen until within •40 or 50 yards
distance. About midnight, two large junks, which had
been well prepared, crammed with fern, faggots, and
all kinds of inflammable materials, well saturated
with oil and besprinkled with gunpowder, were sailed
up Elliott Passage towards the Fatshan Creek—a
strong breeze and flood-tide in their favour. The
Comus was here moored head and stern in the main
branch of the river, one broadside commanding Elliot
Passage, the other Fatshan Creek. The guard-boat,
which had just left the ship, observed them, and im-
mediately hailed ; finding no answer, she opened- fire,
which was quicky followed by the hip, and this warn•
ing caused the Chinese to fire their junks instantly, and
escape. In a few moments they were in a blaze, and re-
taining their weigh, came up heavily on the Comus, one
taking her astern the other on the bow. The sternmost
one fortunately carried away the spanker boom, which
acoident took her clear of the ship without giving further
annoyanae ; and the other, which by this time was in a
furious blaze, was kept some little distance off the ship
by her fire boom, yet heavily pressed by the strong flood
tide. So soon as the stern raft was borne clear, the chain
cable forward was blipped, enabling the ship to swing
round to the flood, and avoid the fire raft, which they
succeeded in anchoring. I hear the Comue's forerigging
bas been damaged, and her foreyard and bows slightly
burnt. Notwithstanding the junks were perforated with
shot boles, even under water, this did not sink them, or
prevent the several explosions taking place. The Coro-
mandel was very prompt in her-assistance, having run
down from Macao Fort to tow the Comus out of nger
if necessary. The officers and men of the Comus behaved
manfully.
The following 'day the Chinese fleet shifted its moorings
well up the Fatshan Creeks, having been annoyed by the
Niger's shot, which took a mast clean out of one of the
junks ; and since then the Coromandel and Forbes were
sent down and destroyed the village in Elliot Passage,
off which the fleet of war junks had been anchored.
The Encounter arrived on the 26th, and took the place
of the Niger off Macao Fort, and the Niger has since
occupied the cruising ground in company with the Bar-
racouta, between the barrier and second bah ; but they
have not been fortunate enough as yet to have a crack at
the imperial fleet. Had either of them a chance, they
would, I doubt not, give a better account of war junks
than the Samson seems to have done. A few small
chop-boats have been stized by them for the purpose of
sinking in Hamilton Creek, near the Barrier. Macao
Fort has been rendered impregnable to any assault by
the Chinese, having 8 guns of heavy calibre mounted,
beside field pieces, ands strong small-arm party with rifle
muskets. A few days ago a shot was thrswn from one
of the guns in the Macao Fort at extreme range into the
Shameen Forts, a distance of 3,400 yards.
On the 10th Feb., H.M.S. Hornet, Capt. Forsyth,
left the barrier off Hamilton Creek, and proceeded down
the river for the purpose of visiting the vicinity of the
Second Bar ; and on approaching Escape and lezekee
Creeks, the two divisions of junks that have been for
some time annoying ships on their way up and down the
river moved to the entrance of these creeks to meet her,
numbering in all about 100, accompanied by numerous
row boats. The Hornet first approached the divi-
sion in Iszekee Creek, and, anchoring within 800
yards of them, opened a rapid fire of shot and
shell, with some charges of grape. When the
attack commenced, the junks appeared crowded
with men, but in a very short time, from the
rapidity of the Hornet's fire, the Chinamen to all ap-
pearance deserted the decks. Having silenced the divi-
sion in Iszekee Creek, she weighed, and stood in to
attack the division in Escape Creek, about 50 in number,
at about the same distance, and kept up a sharp fire of
ricochet shot, until the flood-tide made, when both the
divisions moved back in the utmost confusion, scarcely
a man being visible on their decks; and had the gun-
boats of the squadron been there, a great number might
no doubt have been destroyed. One junk, 16 guns,
principally English, grounded on a point in Escape
Creek, and was gallantly cut out by the Hornet's boats,
under command of Lieutenant Brock, notwithstanding
the pinnace and cutter had been injured by round-
shot during the action. To show how completely they
were beaten, they made no attempt to defend the
grounded junk. About 360 rounds of shot, shell, and
grape were fired by the Hornet, and, being within 800
yards, almost every shot must have told. These junks,
it will be remembered, attacked the Samson some
time back and killed her pilot ; they were the terror
of this part of . the river when the small steamers
were running to and. from Hong Kong. The Hornet
remained off Escape Creek during the night, and next
morning, with the captured junk in tow, joined the
commander-in-chief at the Barrier, Hamilton Creek.
The junks in the morning were seen three or four
miles up the creeks, but had not their usual amount of
flags and steamers flying, showing evidently that they
had had a good drubbing. This little affair will no doubt
have the best effect, and teach them to keep for the
futuro at a respectful distance. Three men were found
dead on board the captured Junk, one apparently of
rank. The Hornet escaped with small lo•s, considering
the force opposed to het at such close quarters ; she had
only one man wounded, and cue or two shots in her
hull; her boats however were rather severely injured
by round-shot. The Hong Kong, under command of
Lieut. Dent, joined during the action, and opened fire
upon the junks in Iszekee Creek.

Besides the above particulars supplied by our corre
spondents we learn that the Niger and Barraconta have
visited Whampoa. Bamboo town remains untouched,
but New Town, together with all the foreigners' houses,
workshops, &c., on shore, have been levelled. Mr.
Cowper's fine new house had been set on fire, and only
a portion of the walls left standing. Die piles of the
various docks have been burnt, and every vestige of the
immense stock of planks and spars removed. The stone-
work of the upper portion of the granite dock had been
dug up by the Chinese ; and as they could not remove
the cassion, they bad spitefully perforated it with shot-
holes. Ten thousand dollars will scarcely make good
the damage already done to this dock atone.
Sundry puny attacks have been made on the Teatotum
or Macao Passage Fort. Captain Bate commands in
this, and by common testimony maintains the character
for conduct and vigilance always accorded him i❑ China
as elsewhere. Part of his garrison, viz., GO men, under
Captain Bushe, of the 59th Regiment, have returned to
Hong Kong ; 30 of the 50th still remain. The defences
of the fort, we understand, Are in process of improve.

* Guards, 900 ; two Karragoozloo Regiments,. '1,50);
Shiraz Regiment, 200 • four regiments of Sabra', 800;
Arab Regiment, 900 : Khashkai, 800-5,100 ; SufengehePs,
I,ojo ; Cavalry of Shiraz, 300 ; Eilkhanee, 500— 800. To- i
tal, 6,900; Gins
(said to be), :F.
-I- .3d Cavalry. 243; Poonall noise, 176-119 sabres; 64th
Foot, 780 ; R,r°11,,,,T18, 093: 78th Highlanders, 73)-
2,212 European Infantry; Sappers, 118; 20th Native In-
fantry, 442 ' • 4th Rides 523 ; 26th Native Infantry, 479 ;
Belooehees,46o-2,o22'Native Infantry. Total, 4,653. 3d
Troop Horse Artillery, 6 ; 3d Light Field Battery, 6 ; sth
Light Field Battery, 6—Total, 18 guns. Camp-376 Eu-
ropeans; 1,466 Native Infantry; 1 company of European
Artillery; and 14 guns,