The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-15 00:00:00

population are drinking tat, smoking, eating almond
hardbake or pomegranates, playing dominoes, or
arranging bargains. Tiero are interstices also
of vacant land, and these are occupied by jugglers
and peepshow-men. Fron the upper room of one
of these teahouses we shal. have a view of the whole
scene, and A'Lin will order us a cup of tea and some
cakes for lunch. The jugglers and gymnasts below
are doing much the same kind of tricks which their
brethren of England anli France perform. M.
Houdin and Mr. Anderson would find their equals
among these less pretending wizards. lam told
that those peep-shows which old men are looking
into, and laughing, and vhich young boys are not
prevented from seeing, ontain representations of
the grossest obscenity. Here is a ventriloquist who,
attracted by our European costumes at the ewe-
ment, has come up to perform. " Give him a dollar,
A'Lin, and tell him to begin." That dirty, half-
clad wanderer would make another fortune for
Barnum. He unfolds his pack, and constructs out
of some curtains a small closed room. Into this
he retires, and immediately a little vaudeville is
heard in progress insi.le. Half-a-dozen voices
in rapid dialogue, sound; and movements, and
cr:es of animals, and the clatter of falling articles,
tell the action of the plot. The company from the
tea-tables, who had gathered round, wag their tails
with laughter, especially at the broadest sallies of
humour, and at the most indecorous denouements.
In truth, there is no difficulty, even to us, in com-
prehending what is supposed to be going on in
that little room. The incidents are, indeed, some-
what of the broadest—no:. so bad as the scenes in
our orthodox old English comedies, such as " The
Custom of the Country," for instance, or "The
Conscious Lovers ;" but still they are very minutely
descriptive of fact not proper to be described. The
man's talent, however, would gain him full audi-
ences in Europe without the aid of grossness.
"Ho lai"—" fire, there." Shall we light a cheroot
and stroll about ? Don't make too sure, Mr. Bull, that
the gentleman in the mandarin cap, who is holding you
by the button and grinning in you face, is saying any-
thing complimentary about you. In a journey up the
country a fat Frenchman, who had equipped himself in
an old mandarin coat, a huge pair of China boots, and a
black wide-a-wake, was leaning upon a bamboo spear,
while his boat was being drawn over one of those mud
embankments, which serve the purpose of our locks.
He also was very much flattered at the politeness of an
old man who prostrated himself three times before him,
and chin-chin-ed him. Unluckily an interpreter was
present, who explained that this old man took our
French friend for the Devil, and was worshipping him
in that capacity according to Chinese rites. It fact, the
Frenchman in his antique disguise rather resembled a
Chinese idol. But ask the French Consul at Shanghai
about this ; he can tell the story better than I can.
Some of the best shops of Shanghai city open upon
the tea-gardens ; some resound with the buzz of impr!-
soned insects and the song of caged birds ; there are
" curio" shops, where are to be seen antiquities of
dynasties long anterior to the Christian era, carefully
wrought by living hands; there are caricatures of the
English barbarians, one of which I cannot refrain from
buying ; there are carvings ing bamboo, very inferior to
Canton ; there are shops fcr fane, and embroideries and
silke, decidedly inferior to Ningpo. There is also the
studio of a portrait painter, not probably a dangerous
rival to Lamqua, of Macao. There is loud talking in
that studio. A Yankee captain is inspecting a portrait
of himself, which has been painted at a contract price of
some 20 dole. The Yankee is a man about 40, with
streaks of gray in his busby hair and beard, with a slight
defect in one eye, a large nose, and a pock-marked face.
Yet, withal, thanks to his affluence of hair and an ex-
pression of jaunty determination and devil-may-care
go-aheadness, he is a manly-looking fellow. He is
looking ruefully, however, at this counterfeit present-
ment of himself which is to go to the girl of his heart at
New York. It is a most laughter-moving caricature of
all the salient points of his physiognomy. The Yankee
swears that it is no more like him than hickory nuts are
like thunder. The artist has produced a small looking-
glass, which he places beside the portrait, and, pointing
to the gray hair, and the squinting eye, and the pock-
marks of the portrait, and then to the present originals
from which they were copied, says triumphantly at each
verification, " Hab got ? Hab got ! Hab got ? How
can make handsome xian 'spose no got handsome face ? "
Let us leave these parties, for there seems a likelihood of
a dispute, and, arming ourselves with another cheroot as
a defence against bad smell, retrace our steps through
the city, and out at the east gate.
We are again upon the Band. The sun is down and
the Earopean population are taking exercise in the
short twilight. The merchants and their wives are re-
turning in carriages or on horseback from their ride
round the racecourse, or are walking ; the missionaries
and their wives are riding up and down on their parties.
The shadows grow deeper, and you can scarce recognise
your acquaintances as they pass.

- And now, Mr. Bill, it is time to go in and dress for
dinner. I hope during onr day's stroll I have given
you some notion of the city and settlement of Shang-
be', which, if you are a wise man, and open up the
Yang-tae-Kiang, will be a most important place both to
you and to your descendants for many a long genera.

HONG KONG, OCT. 30.
After a rapid and most comfortable passage of four
;days I am back " home" in Hong Kong, just in time to
;keep you informed of the only matters having the least
;importance which have occurred since my departure for
,'the North.

I You will have heard last mail by the news from Siege.
pore that the Audaciease and the French Plenipo had
at last arrived. The day after the departure of the mail
Baron Gros steamed iato harbour, and with polite or
kindly haste immediately proceeded unaccompanied to
notice of his coming. The
dpionsghad the cordiality of the
mt the
tAi
nvga ,owf itt
hh
eo uttweov ern seenni
non-official and uncereaaonious meeting of two private
gentlemen, one of whom had been accidentally kept
waiting and the other anxioue to expreis by his manner
and onpressenzent that he regretted the delay. Next
day the harbour resounded with salutes, and the two
Minister met at dinner at Government House. The
Andacieuse returned to her anchorage off Liutin, and
diplomatic communications have since then been fre-
quent and, as it is said, most amicable.
The gunboats are arriving daily, but Captain Sherard
Osborne, who has to keep his chicken together, is not
yet come in. It is neceivary to tow these craft up against
the north-east monsoon, but it is scarcely worth while
enumerating the actual arrivals for they will probably
be all reported a short distance off by the steamer which
takes this letter.
It is a pleasure to be able to congratulate our Admi-
ralty. They may be honestly pond of the achievement
of the Itnperador. On the morning of the 28th that fine
ship steamed into harbour in admirable time after a
a llehde
bringsof 61
500da marines (at sea) from
paes
Englandage atlomSingapore.
s brings them out in the fret-rate condition. ' and she
Only 15
men in all were on the sick list. Yesterday she pro•
ceeded np the Canton river to the Wantung, where
barracks have been provided, and where, it is to be
hoped, the men will retain their present health and
efficiency.
We are now in eager expectation of the arrival of the
sister ship the Imperatrix, supposed to be about three
days behind her. This mail will probably bring you
more certain tidings of her.
It is no secret that something is now about to be un-
dertaken, We shall probably wait the arrival of the
whole of the slender force allotted to us. 3,000 redcoats
are not a too numerous army to bring to reason an
empire of 300,000,000 of people ; but so soon as we have
all we are to expect we hope to be able to tell you that
Canton is in our hande.

A l our superfluous doctors and Commissariat officers
are off for India. It is understood that General Ash•
burnham and staff, and Colonels Wetherell and Pakon-
ham go by the next mail. General Straubenzae remains
with us, and I hear but one sentiment with respect to
this officer. Ile has impressed all hero with full confi-
dence in him as a leafier of energy and conduct.

SPORTINV INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSILL'S—NrONDAY.
The following were the only bete laid :

TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES.
dto 1 agst Clydesdale
100 to 15 agst Brother to Marchioness
9 to 1 apt Lord of Lora
10 to 1 agst Happy Land
SLUNTEEER.—Mr. Jacksm has sold this horse to Mr
J. Merry, for 2,100 guineas.

READING ST
The Calcot Steeplechase P 1
Two miles
Age st lb Age st lb
Tom Gurney
Lilford
Theodine a 11 6 Kettleby
Morgan Rattler ... 6 11 5 Vestige 6 10 11
Shylock (late Break- (Zane lO 11
o'-day Boy) 3 11 3 Sunset
Warwick 5 11 3 Noctis
Cotton Lord . all 3 Earthstopper
Scrimmage (late The Don
Lord John)
Longfori
Edogton La 55...... a 11 2 Glautius
Columbine
Banjo
Nicholas
Comet
1122, The Scamp ......... 3 9. 5

:EPLECHASES.
late (Handicap) of 40 soli.
and a-half.

BERKSHIRE OPEN STEXPLECHISE —The following
horses have declared forfeit, and pay 2 sovs each :
E.cape, Lilford, Humboldt, Tneodine, Evington Lass,
Forest Queen, and Dayton.

IMPORTATION OP CORN.—resterday a return was issued
showing that In the year enled last March the duty on
corn imported was 483,8021.
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Y, dated September G, 1865, that
Mrs. Catherine Hudson, of Cavendish-place, in that
l Welch, chemist,
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