The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-20 00:00:00

LATEST FROM CHINA.

We have received by the overfa;id--11;i1 letters from an in-
telligent friend at Hong-Kong, dated Sept. 26, from which we.
make the following extracts:—
The Driver steamer, Commander C,. Hayes, arrived here
from Chusan, on the 3d of September, and sailed again
directly for Macao. Chusan is considered much more healthy
than Hong-Kong for a settlement, but it is toe late now unless
the Chinese refuse to pay the ransom, which I apprehend they
will not do, for they know the penalty-5,000,000 dollars are
to be paid next week at Canton. The Admiral, Sir W.
Parker, it is said is going there to see it paid, and then re-
turns here, and shortly after leaves for India. Two gentle-
men were upset in a small boat—fortunately the Minden's
jolly-boat picked them up ; neither of them could swim. Next
day they sent off fifty dollars to be divided between six
men, which gives eight to each. man, and two additional
to the coxswain. Assistant-Commissary General Foote, who
had just arrived from England, died on the 2d of September
—the Commissariat only commenced business on the pre-
vious day. Orders have just been issued that no more of
the 55th are to be received On board the Minden. The
medical men have declared the fever of Hong- Kong, to
be the jungle fever of India, and the yellow fever of the
West Indies combined. Her Majesty's ship Spiteful arrived
here on the 7th Sept.. The Cornwallis has lost upwards of
100 men since she left England. 'There had been received on
board the Minden, hospital ship, about 600 patients in the
year ending 30th Sept., 1843, -180 of this number have died.
There have also been received on beard 270 soldiers, 88 have
died—remaining 35. The soldiers were buried by the Min-
den's boats at sea, without any medical or military officers, and
it is a notorious fact, that since the Minden arrived at Hong-
Kong, four months, not more than two visits have been made
by military officers to their sick soldiers. The last, I think,
was Captain Young, the new Commandant, who died two days
afterwards, so that the whole responsibility has devolved upon
the naval Surgeons, who have well and faithfully 'performed
their duty to these poor forlorn and otherwise neglected men.
Lieut. Hayes; of the '4lst Native Infantry, whilst in a state
of delirium and fever, put a pistol into his mouth and fired it
off; he is still alive, but in a most wretched and mutilated
condition. Mr. Hancorn, the Master of the Minden, died
on the 12th of September, after a few hours illness, and was
buried on the 13th, at twelve o'clock, by candle light, in the
burying ground at Hong-Kong. There was a procession of
ten or twelve boats; Captain Quin, of the Minden, attended
and all the officers that could be spared. They are about to
erect a tomb or stone to his memory, as he died universally
regretted. H.M.S. Thalia; sailed for India on the 13th
September. There are two Admiral's flags flying here, with
the Minden, Samarang, Childers, Rattlesnake, Sapphire,
Spiteful, Vixen, and two steamers. Every thing is exceed-
ingly dear, consequently, the merchants at Hong-Kong are
dissatisfied with the state of trade. A report is in circulation
that every patient on board the Minden cost 20s. per day, and
as half are soldiers who are to pay the Government but Hid.,
thereby making an actual loss of 19s. 2d. per day each, or
about 1001. per day in all, the Admiral has determined to send
that ship to England. There are not more at present than
sixty seamen and marines on board the Minden, and many of
them are in a convalescent state ' • twenty of these belong to
the ship, reducing the casual sick to forty. These if neces-
sary might be accommodated on shore at a very trifling expense,
when compared to the present expenditure. A court-martial
was held on the 18th September onboard the Spiteful steamer,
and the first engineer has been dismissed the service. The
men of the 55th Regiment are still dying off with fever, and I
regret to say the regiment is now reduced from 1,000 strong
to 150. Property at Hong-Kong, is becoming of less value
every day, in consequence of the unhealthy state of the place."