The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-06 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

CHINA AND INDIA.
(From the Times.) _
__

By an Extraordinary Express from Marseilles,
we have received our despatches from China and
India, conveyed to that port by the steamer from
Malta bearing the Overland Mail from India, the
arrival of which we are thus enabled to antici-
pate.

Our advices are dated from Canton, Oct. 10;
and from Bombay Nov. 30.
The chief intelligence of interest which this
mail has brought to—lttrope relates to China,
Burmah, and Cabul. The news from China
reaches to the 10th of October, and brings the
account of the taking of the great Chinese
fortress of Amoy on the 27th of August,
after considerable firing, but without the
loss of a man on the side of the British. Several
hundred cannons were taken, and some Manda-
rins were so horrified that they killed themselves
within sight of the invaders. In the Proclama-
tion issued by Sir Henry Pottinger, the official
account of the capture is given. The expedi-
tion, having left a force at Koolangsee, a small
island close to Amoy, proceeded subsequently to
the northward. The Chinese accounts at Can-
ton in the beginning of October stated that the
British had in the month of September taken
Chusan and Ningpo, and had established a
blockade at the mouths of the Grand Canal.
But no intelligence of those facts had reached
Hong-Kong or Macao when the Mor clipper left
the latter port.
From Burmah the news is, that the extraor-
dinary activity of the Calcutta Government had
surprised Tharawaddie; for within almost to
him an incredibly short space of time a consider-
able force appeared ready to resist his contem-
plated attacks on the British possessions. 8,000
men, several vessels of war, and some steamers,
have proved that the British were not to be taken
unawares. The chances of his beginning a war
are therefore not great, particularly as he is now
aware of the British successes in China. The
peaceful return of Tharawaddie to his capital
will place at the disposal of the Indian Govern-
ment several vessels of war, which in case of
necessity may be sent to reinforce the expedition
in China. There are, it appears, two American
frigates now near China, in order to protect the
interests of the United States there.

There has been some fighting between the
Ghilzies, a tribe of hardy mountaineers, who
hold the mastery over the passes leading from
Cabul to Jellalabad and Peshawar. It appears
that a tribute, or blackmail, paid to them for
.liberty to pass through their defiles having been
reduced or not paid by Shah Soojah, they stop-
ped the mails coming from Calcutta and through
the Sikh country. There were orders issued to
clear the passes, and a force under Sir Ro-
bert Sale proceeded from Cabul for the pur-
pose. This force encountered considerable ob-
stacles: the mbuntaineers, being fully acquainted
with the ground, chose such positions as ena-
bled them with their long matchlocks to do
great execution among the British. Of the ofk
cers, three were killed—viz. Captain Wynd-
ham, 35th Bengal Native Infantry; Lieutenant
Jenkins, ditto; and Lieutenant Edward King, of
her Majesty's 13th Light Infantry. Among the
ten officers wounded is Sir Robert Sale. <This
fighting in the defiles, with an enemy almost un-
seen, is much commented on. The utility of
forming an effective Rifle Corps is also urged.
Sir William = Hay M'Naghten is expected to
arrive in Bombay some time in January, but
the date is not positively known. He is coming,
as it is said, by the Bolan pass, which through
the judicious management of the new political
agent, Major Outram, is now in a fair state of be-
coming a safe communication, for the conciliatory
arrangements adopted by this political agent are
highly acceptable to the neighbouring tribes.
In the Sikh districts tranquillity is stated to
prevail. Nothing is said of their expedition. in
Thibet.

The steamer Madagascar has been lost on the
coast of China, and several officers and Lasears
have fallen into the power of the Chinese.

The passengers and crew of the brig Sultana,
which was burnt by lightning near the coast of
Borneo in January last, have arrived at Singa-
pore, after sufferings of the severest kind from
the petty rajahs and pirates.
Some travellers, lately arrived from the islands
in the Pacific, describe the enormities committed
by some captains under British and American
colours as unworthy of the protection of both
those civilized countries.

The trials of the Arab revolters on the frontiers
of the Nizam's country are over. One of them
has been executed, and several ordered to be
transported. Tranquillity prevails now in those
districts.

There are apprehensions of a famine in some
districts oenengal, where the rice crop has failed.

AMO Y.

We (The Sun), supply the following account.
of Amoy :—Amoy Fort, now in possession of the
British, lies at the back of. the town of the same •
name, about '4OO yards from the shore, upon an
eminence-of small size. The front of the village
is composed of a cluster of small houses, behind
which the principal fort rises. The position of
the fort is badly chosen, as several hills acclive
hi 'the back ground, much resembling, in height
and conformation, that of Primrose Hill, from
which the Viceroy of the provinces of Chekeang
and Fokien beheld the cannonading, and the
landing of our troops. A long battery runs
all along the shore, forming a frontage
to the line of houses, and much resembles.
at this point the appearance of Algiers
from the sea. Immediately opposite the town of
Amoy is a harbour, and the channel itself is
about three-quarters of a mile in width, separating
A moyfrom the island of Koolangsee,which has also
its battery. The channel is about twelve fa-
thoms in depth, and affords very excellent an-
chorage on the north part of the town, imme-
diately facing the battery.
• Amoy, which is variously called Emouy, or
Hiamen, is situated near the south-east coast of
China, annexing the province of Fokien. In
circuit it has a compass of about 15 miles, and
the great fort which British prowess has just
taken was resorted to formerly by Europeans,
but abandoned when foreign commerce was re-
stricted to Canton. There are to be met with
in its interior and on the coast several
very large temples, particularly one of great ce-
lebrity, dedicated to the God Fo, whose
statue, of colossal size, towers to a great
height, and is much frequented by throngs of
worshippers. The images of numerous other
divinities are also seen, together with a host of
strange allegorical paintings; and incense is
burned perpetually on the altars.
Amoy is the residence of numerous merchants,
who are the owners of more than 300 large junks,
and who carry on an extensive commerce, not
only to all the ports of China, but to many
also in the Indian Archipelago, and to
Japan. It is considered as the. grand
emporium of the Fukkeen provlnce. Notwith-
standing the heavy duties levied on exports and
imports, these merchants maintain their trade,
and bathe the efforts •of the Mandarins. They
have long looked forward with desire to an op..
portunity of opening a trade with Europeans,
and it is considered that they would greatly
improve upon that of Canton. Most of the
Formosa trade, which is extensive, is car-
ried . on by the junks appertaining to Amoy ;
they go to all the western ports of the island,
and either return loaded with lice, or go up to
the north of China loaded with sugar. The trade
of Amoy has always been regarded with a jealous
eye by the Emperor and authorities of China.
The revenue of the Emperor chiefly arising out
of the payment of transit dues, t he poss?.Esion of
any ports or points on the sea coast, which should
at all interfere with the inland trade of the coun-
try, has been always most jealously guarded
against. Amoy lies in long. 118. 22. E., lat. '24.
30. N.