The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-22 00:00:00

CIRCULAR.

TO HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SUBJECTS IN CUINA.
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c. &c., in China has
high satisfaction in promulgating for the information of
her Majesty's subjects in China, the important progres4
and success of the expedition, since the date of the hot
circular on the 24th of June.
The expedition was detained by bad weather and other
circumstances at Woosung until the 6th July, en which
day it advanced up the river Yangtse-kiang, and onri is
14th reached a military position, built on a range of
commanding the stream, where two small recently ereete
batteries, mounting thirteen guns, opened the first rj.ce
since leaving Woosung, on the leading ships, hut,„-of
instantly silenced, and the guns, batteries, and raii'p'n
buildings connected with them destroyed as soon 1111—
could be put on shore.
sboymaed voefrst
he
e windsships nearlyofofrwar,
a
ssiastwedeebk;
At this point the main body of the fleet was retarded
to " Kinshan" or " Golden Island," where the whole ,
ar-
mament, amounting to seventy sail of vessels, assemble
on the 20th instant and anchored abreast of the city e`
the steamers, gotuP
during Which perre'
Chin-keang-foo.
eil
A reconraisance having been obtained the same eilb;
ing, the troops were disembarked as early to Pssthal
the next morning. It was at this time believe"'
vthe majority of the Chinese troops, which had been 11,:
riously reported at from fifteen hundred to three 0°-
sand men, were in a camp, which was visible from hills
overhanging the river, at a distance of about three miles;
Against this camp the right brigade moved and
Major-General Lord Saltoun. The centre brigade'
by Major-General Bartley, was directed in the firs;
stance to co-operate with the right one, in cutting 011
the
anticipated retreat of the fugitives from the eateP,hl
direction of the city, and the left brigade, befoe''A-
Major-General Scheodde, landed on she river face
thecity opposite the fleet, where it was instructed to ess
calade the northern wall, which the centre brigade 21,1
likewise appointed to do on the southern side, after 4
performed the other duty assigned to it.
The Chinese troops in the camp did not veatore t°
stand the near approach of our men, but
three or four distant volleys from their „trT
matchlocks, broke and dispersed all over the C,C)B,-ii'
which was hilly and covered with the jungle. By ri 4
time the left brigade had got on sb ore, when it beeatii:
obvious that the Tartar garrison intended to defend
city, from the walls of which they opened a heavy
an
incessant fire of cannon, jinjalls, rockets, and matchleetnbe
As the left .brigade moved from the landing Place' no
Auckland (steam frigate), which had been placed irl,rth;
sition for the purpose, threw some shells amongst
_s
after firing,
enemy on the works with admirable precision, but- vohae
obliged to cease firing, owing to the rapid advance of t
brigade to the bottom of the wall which was most
lantly escaladed under a heavy fire from the Tartar'a
troops, who behaved with great spirit, and disPute,,
every inch of the ramparts, availing themselves vi`
great tact, of their knowledge of the localities, to gal
our, and screen their own troops.
The centre brigade got into the city (after some delay
in finding a bridge to cross the Grand Canal, which runs
along the western side of Chin-keang-foo, and separates
the walled city from very extensive suburbs) by blowing
open one of the gates ; but even after the left brigade,
had received this large reinforcement, besides parties of
marines and seamen who were landed the moment the
opposition promised to be so stubborn, the Tartars man-
fully prolonged the contest for some 'hours, and it W
late in the afternoon before they entirely disappeared,
which it is surmised the survivors did, by throwingasvai
their arms and uniform, and either hiding themselves till
night enabled them to escape, or' else mingling with the
other inhabitants.
The city of Cbin-keang-foo is rather more than foar
miles in circumference, the works .are in excellent re -
pair, and the parapet, which is so thick and solid that
nothing but cannon shot could have -made any impres-
sion on it, is pierced with narrow embrasures, and
loopholes, and flanked at a variety of spots with trans-

verse walls.
It has hitherto been impossible to obtain anything liire
a precise return of the strength -of the garrison. but
from calculations made with reference to the extent of
the works, and the Tartar troops :seen on them at the
same moment, it is thought there, could not hale been
less than three thousand men. Of these it is said, that
forty Mandarin's .officers and one thousand men, were.
killed and wounded. The Tartar-General Command-
ing-in-chief, retired to his house when be saw that all
was lost, made his servants set it on fire, and sat in biz
chair till he was burned to death. I/ is private see"'