The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-05 00:00:00

CHINA.

The latest intelligence is to the 14tii. of February from
Macao. The Chinese Government having garrisoned the
cities and forts of Yuyao, Tsikee, and Funghwa, which
are situate 40,20. and 30 miles from Ningpo, with a view
of awing all those who had submitted to the British, a
force consisting of three'steamers with about 700 men was
despatched against them. They were soon occupied ; the
only opposition being an attempt at one place on
the part of the Tartars to defend the town from without
the walls ; but although they opened fire, the Tartars
fled as soon as attacked ; they were pursued, and lost
about 150 men. The snow which covered the country
silted the others, as their pursuers did not know the safe
paths. The ammunition, arms, clothing, and other war-
stores, were destroyed, and the public granaries sur-
rendered to the populace. The expedition returned to
Ningpo on the 12th of January.
Hang-chow-foo is the chief city of the populous
province of Che-Keang, and was, it is said, about
to be occupied during February. It had a garrison
of 10,000 raw recruits. The division of the English
troops into detachments at Hong Kong, Amoy,
Chusan, Chinhae, and Ningpo, was likely to prevent
an immediate attack, but on the anival of the ex-
pected reinforcements from India and England,
the campaign would, it is said, begin by the cap-
ture of that important position at the south point of the
Great Canal. The utility of this proceeding is much
canvassed, for many contend, that instead of wasting
itrees at isolated points, the British expedition ought
to proceed at once to the attack of the Imperial
province of Pekin, which beitig by the constitu-
tion of the Chinese empire, placed under the im-
mediate Government of his Celestial Majesty, any
attack on it would oblige the Emperor in per-
son to examine the causes of the war, and to come to a
speedy decision. The great blunder of the late Plenipo-
tentiaries was their not persisting in 1840 to
demand a settlement of all disputes, when Ke-
ehen hoaxed them back to Canton. Sir Henry
Pottinger must go to Pekin in order to bring
the war to a termination ; for the manda-
rins at Hang-chow-tiro seem resolved rather to
carry on their operations in their own fashion,
although they appeared to make an offer of negocia-
tions. The sacred province of Pekin must be assailed,
and even the British troops may have to march towards
the capital, before the obstinacy of the Emperor will
yield. The possession of the imperial province is, be-
sides, to be considered as an occupation of the Govern-
ment, and then the Emperor will have either to abdicate
or submit to proper terms.
Having issued a circular to her Britannic Majesty's
subjects announcing the capture of those three cities, Sir
Henry Pottinger sailed for Hong Kong where he arrived
on the Ist of February. He immediately put a stop to
the wretched system of seizing the Chinese commercial
junks. Trade was carried on successfully with the
southern ports, and opium was selling freely along the
coast, for the powers of the Government to control
the use of that narcotic appear now to be in a great mea-
sure paralyzed. The sale of this article is such, and
the prices so remunerating, that it has been proposed to
station vessels in different places to serve as depots for
the cargoes. The profits are such as will enable the
Hon. Company to defray at least one-half of the expenses
of the expedition to China.

•
In the meantime the Mandarins at Canton and
their Dutch engineers are busy in erecting fortifi,:a-
tions along the banks of their river ; they have al-
ready erected twelve stone or earth batteries along the
Macao passage and the Salt Junk river, in which they
have placed nearly 400 guns of large calibre. As the
export trade from Canton continued, Sir Henry.Pottinger
had decided, while trade is allowed, and the river below
Whainpoa is left unobstructed, upon not attacking that
place again, for, as he declared to some mandarins, who
came commissioned, as they said, by their Celestial Mo-
narch to treat with the British Plenipot.-ntiary, " I will
not now enter into treaty : I will negotiate with the
Emperor personally at Pekin."
Reinforcements are new preparing in different places.
The 2d and 41st Madras Native Infantry embarked on
the 13th of March from Madras, and the 14th, which was
at Moulmein, and the 39th Madras Native Infantry,
which was at Penang, have, as it is asserted, received or-
ders to get ready-for prdceeding to join the China expe-
dition.

It is reported that Chusan, Amoy, and Hong Kong,
are to be free ports ; buildings of various kinds are
springing up fast in the last named.

AP PG KAN 'STAN .
It is scarcely possible to'rerriove the Mist which prejud
dices and party madness have already thrown around
the accounts from Caubul and its neighbourhood, since
the disastrous retreat in the beginning of January. The
Bombay Times and the Bengal Hurharu, notwithstand-
ing protests from all parts of India, continue to exagge.
rate every statement which is unfavourable to the
British, and to palliateall the atrocities of the Affghans ;
although, as yet, nothing positive is known of the
fate of many of the officers, these are marked down as
killed, and every means -is used to Magnify the loss
during that unfortunate retreat.
The Bombay Times iri its overland despatch of this day
paints everything in most gloomy colours, although there
is not sufficient reason for such clamour and horrifying
statements. The truth of the affair is now breaking out,
and I am very sorry to state, that the disasters of Caubul
and of the mountain passes appear now attributable to
disunited councils in the - British camp, and to
the total inefficiency of the military leaders.
A private letter from Sir W. H. Macnaghteu
to his friend the Hon. Mr. Erskine, dated Caubul, the
9th of December, 1841, has been published by the
"Friend of India." It is as follows, and speaks fearful
tales :

We have now been besieged 38 days by a con-
temptible enemy, whom the cowardice of our troops and
certain other circumstances, which I will not mention,
have emboldened to assume an attitude of superiority.
Our provisions will be out in two or three days more
and the military authorities have strongly urged me to
capitulate. This I will not do till the last
moment. We have rumours that a force is coming to
our assistance from Candahar, and I sincerely trust it
may, for we have no energy or spirit among those here."
A letter, dated the 30th of January last, has arrived
from Major Pottinger, from which it appears that
" General Elphinstone, at the time after the murder of
Sir W. 11. M‘Naghten, when the evacuation of Caubul
and its neighbourhood was under discussion in the
British Cantonments, was so ill from gout and a
wound, that all active measures had devolved on Bri-
outlier- Shelton ; that Major Pottinger proposed
marching from the cantonment to. the Bala
Hissar, or evacuating Caubul, with the sacrifice of
their baggage, and fighting their way to the nearest
British station. Brigadier Shelton declared the first
proposition impracticable, and the council of war would
nut agree to the second ; consequently, General Elphin-
stone acquiesced in the vote of the council of war, which
was for the disastrous course adopted."
Thus, instead of regarding the disasters of Caubul as a
proof of Affghan prowess, they must be looked upon as
demonstrations of the incapacity ~f the British Generals.
This view is corroborated by the fact of Shah Sooja
being enabled still to maintain himself in the Bala His-
sax • and by the gallant defence of Jellalabad by Sir
Robert Sale, where he, notwithstanding every difficulty,
has maintained his position since last. October. General
N ott is still master at Candahar and its environs, from
whence the Affghans have not being able to expel him.
The fact seems, therefore, clear that if the British troops
had been well commanded at Caubul, neither the evacua-
tion of that place, nor the wretched retreat would have
been necessary, and then the fatalities of that miserable
proceeding would have been spared.
The newspapers publish the names of various officers
who are not found to be prisoners, and not killed as pub-
lished in the first exaggerated statements of the Phil-
Affghan journal*. The Agra Akhbar of the 24th ult.
states, that the. Affghans have adopted •••• the horrible
practice of mutilating the sepoys, and sending them back
to Hindostan to scare .their countrymen from further
trips to Caubul."

6'ir Robert Sale was safe in Jellalabad up to the 4th of
last month ; he had secured provisions for himself and
his troops, and was determined to resist to the last. An
earthquake on the 19th of February had done great
damage to the fortifications and buildings of the town, but
the resolution of the General and his troops, had not
only repaired the damage, but routed a party of Affghans
under Akhbar Khan, who endeavoured to profit of the
occasion, and to attack the British position.
The troops sent to the relief of Jellalabad have met
with various discouragements. The want of cannon
caused the failure of Colonel Wilde's movement into the
Khyber Pass. Great sickness, but luckily no heavy
mortality, attacked those that arrived near Peshawar be-
fore General Pollock. The attempt made to buy over
the Khybers did not succeed, although a quarrel had
taken place between two of their tribes about the
spoil they had previously acquired. On the 25th
of February General Pollock issued an order to
prepare for a march into the Khyber pass, in order to
relieve Jellalabad. This order is described as giving
dissatisfaction to several of the officers, inasmuch as it
limited the quantity of baggage they were allowed to
carry. • It has, as it appears, been since found, that as
Jelalabad was not in immediate danger, it would be best
to await the 'arrival of the 3d Dragoons before the at-
tempt should be made on the Khyber pass. The Ifincloo
soldiers, independent of their dislike to cross the Indus,
entertain a strong aversion to the barbarity and
treachery of the Affghans.
The brigade from Ferozepore, under the command of
Brigadier White, was on the banks of the Chenaub on
the 9th of March, and expected to cross the Jeetum on
the 12th• or 13th, and would therefore reach Peshawar
in the beginning of this month. The force under Ge-
neral Pollock would then be respectable, and fully ca-
pable of effecting the passage. The Sikhs continue to
afford the British troops every facility in passing through
their territories, and it is even said that a strong body is
ready to co-operate with Gcneral Pollock in attacking
the .Khyberees and Affghans. There have, however,
been some desertions from the Sepoy regiments.
The letters.from the prisoners in the hands of the
Alfghan chiefs are very short, and generally requesting
money to relieve various of their pressing wants.
Another proof of the weakness of the Affghan leaders

is, that Colonel Palmer ha been able, with his ma
:lie detachment, to iliaint,,a ttiinsela in Ghuznes
during four months, from the b,girining of November.
The last intelligence from Candahar is to the 10th of
March. All was safe there. There was a large body of
Affghans within 20 miles of that city ; but their leader,
Sutler Jung, a son of Shah Soo;a, appeared to dread a
rencontre with the British troops. There were upwar4s
of 7,000 troops in Candahar, and a reinforcement Of
1,500, with money and ammunition, has been sent
to General Nott from Sukkur. Khelat y Ghilzie was,
with its garrison of 1,000 men, also safe, although it :is
situate 80 miles from Candahar.
The decision of Lord Ellenborough being now taken
to uphold the reputation of the British troops in
Affghanistan, one may hope that in a short time the re-
lief of Jellalabad will open the campaign with a brilliant
exploit.
In Khelat and Scinde apparent tranquility prevails,
the inhabitants have already begun to know the benefit
of the British rule, in the security of their persons and
propPrties. The rumour of the seizure of an iron steamer
in the Indus has not been confirmed.