The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-27 00:00:00

THE WAR IN CHINA.

Extract of a letter dated Chusan, Jan. 30, 1842 :
" The troops continue very healthy, the diseases
being chiefly those induced by intemperance. The
winter has been very grateful, and more mild than
the previous one. During December we had a
heavy fall of snow for some days, and for about
three weeks keen, biting, frosty weather, the ther-
mometer being often as low as 20 deg. and 24 deg.
The people of this island, and those in the other
parts of China which have come under my observa-
tion, are a fine class of men, well formed, intelli-
gent, and in many points highly civilized ; the
lower orders muscular, healthy, and to all appear-
ance happy under their Government, which is not
certainly so oppressive as is generally supposed in
Europe. In agriculture and in native manufactures
they are far advanced, and in most of the mechani-
cal sciences they possess great genius; but of the
art of war, as practised amongst Europeans, they
know nothing, and they are at once appalled with the
effective power of the mighty engines of death which
we bring against them. There has, indeed, been
nothing like fighting upon this expedition, and those
who have mingled in the various actions would scarce
recognize them in the flaming despatches in which
they are described. The Chinese Govern-
ment seem to have adopted a new policy in keep-
ing aloof from all negotiation, and deserting their
posts of defence as we advance. Reinforcements of
European troops are expected here daily, and it is
then contemplated to attack Hong-chou-foo and
Nankin ; then to move to the northward about the
middle of April, land at the mouth of the Peiho,
and march upon Pekin. I am afraid this will be a
sad failure; and, from the knowledge we possess of
that part of the country—its great flatness and un-
healthiness—there cannot be a doubt but the loss of
life from disease will be most serious. Even if Pekin
is reached, the Emperor has still Tartary open to re-
treat upon, and to follow him is an impOssibility; thus
the object of our taking a city which we cannot keep
will be frustrated, andour force weakened and dis-
pirited.
" The people here come freely with bullocks and
pigs for sale, and our market is plentifully supplied
with fowls, ducks, great varieties of fish, and all sorts
of vegetables and fruits, at moderate prices. Phea-
sants, woodcocks, snipe, and teal, have been plentiful.
China, indee.l, is rich in every production, both in the
animal and vegetable kingdom.
"After the taking of Chusan I collected all the
wounded, placed them in a house near to my quar-
ters, amputated their limbs, and dressed their sores.
Many of them have recovered, and have been sent
to their homes ; only two now remain ; they have
each had a leg amputated, and are now quite well.
One is a fine Tartar soldier, about 6 feet 2 inches
in height, who had his leg shattered while fighting
bravely at the beach battery. At first he considered
my object was to torture him, but he is now the most
grateful and pleased being in the city. lam now
getting up a subscription for them amongst the officers
in the garrison to pay their passage, and enable them
to reach their homes, where they must carry with them
some remembrance of our humanity."

The appointment of chief constable of Manchester
has been conferred upon Capt. Willis.
BREAKFAST TO MR. GEORGE TLIONIPSON.—Yester-
day morning, the friends of Mr. Thompson enter-
tained him at breakfast in Gibb's Hotel, Prince's-
street, previous to his departure for India, to
which he is about to proceed under the auspices of
Dwarkanauth Tagore. John Wigham, Esq., pre-
sided, supported on his right by Mr. Thompson, and
on his left by Mr. George M'Callum, W.S., Rev.
Christopher Anderson, Rev. G. D. Cullen, Mr. D.
M'Laren, Mr. John Anderson, jun., Bailie
Alexander of Leith, &C. &c. A resolution, com-
plimentary to Mr. Thompson, was moved by
Dr. John Ritchie, seconded by Mr. M‘Laren,
and carried by acclamation. In the course
of his speech Mr. Thompson stated, that her
Majesty's reception of Dwarkanauth Tagore
had been most gracious ; her Majesty ur-
gently pressing upon him the importance of his lay-
ing before Sir Robert Peel and Lord Fitzgerald all
the information which he could give relative to the
condition of India, so that Sir Robert Peel might
be enabled to judge of the steps necessary to be
taken for the improvement of its condition, and the
better development of its immense commercial re-
sources.—Edinburgh Advertiser, Oct. 25.
The noblemen and gentlemen connected with the
county of Stafford have come forward with liberal
subscriptions to liquidate the expenses incurred by
the Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry, during the
recent extraordinary duties they were called upon to
perform when the disturbances took place in that
county, above4the allowance made for the maintenance
of that corps by the Government. Sir R. Peel,
Bart., has headed the subscription list with a dona-
tion of 1001., and the Duke of Sutherland, Marquis
of Anglesey, Earl Talbot, Earl of Harrowbv, Earl of
Dartmouth, Earl of Bradford, Lord Hatherton' and
Lord Wriothesley have respectively subscribed 501.
The Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Viscount San-
don, Viscount Ingestre, and the Right Hon. W. Y.
Peel have each contributed towards this fund
FATAL ACClDENT.—Yesterdav evening an inques
was held by Mr. Payne in St. Thomas's Hospital,t
upon the body of James Williams, whose case was
noticed in yesterday's paper. James Thomas, a clerk
at Hulbert, Layton, and Co.'s, 14, Mincing-lane,
knew the deceased James Williams; was down at Ni-
cholson's Wharf, on Tuesday evening, at twenty mi-
nutes past three, and while waiting on the ground
floor, heard a dull noise as of a body falling, turned
round, and saw the boy upon the pavement ; assisted
him up, and finding some life remaining, ordered the
porter to drive him in a cab to the hospital. Wm.
Walker, Hospital Surgeon, said that deceased when
brought to the hospital was labouring under severe
concussion of the brain, and died almost immediately
after. Verdict—Accidental Death.
BURIAL OF PAUPERS.—The Poor-law
Commission-
ers, in their general workhouse rules, advise,
view, they. say, to consult the prevalent wishes of the
poor on this subject, that the body of every pauper of
the Union dying in the workhouse, should
be interred in the churchyard of his own parish, un-
less the incumbent should object. An aged female,
named Frances Frances, belonging to the parish of
Great Leighs, died last week in Chelmsford Uniont;
house, when the Governor, as he is directed, wrote
~
the church clerk, to know when_ it would be conveni-
ent_ to inter the body ; the reply was written by the
rector himself ; it
contained a perenaptory notice,
without any reason being assigned, that the corpse
should not be admitted into his churchyard. Tbe,,bll-
• rial fees W 7 e invariabl been la ite"w*
841 a