Star.
London, England, 1817-03-10 00:00:00

MISSION Ttl CHINA.

Advtees have been received from Canton of so
recent a date as the 17th of November. We regret
to learn that Lord Amherst was on his return to
Canton, without accomplishing the object of his
enission. During his stay at Pekin* which was about
a fortnight, he made every exertion to procure au in.
terview with the Emperor, _without submitting to the
degrading promotions which are imposed by the
Court etiquette of China upon those who are suitors
for an introduction to the Imperial presence. Finding
the Emperor, however, inflexible upon this point,
from the intrigues of the Mandarins, he left Pekin on
the 7th September, and was expected to reach Canton
about the end of kovember. Presents were exchang-
ed, and his Lordship is said to be the bearer of a
letter from the Emperor to the Prince Regent, though
the Prince Regent's letter to him bad not been R.
calved. In addition to the above intelligence, the
letters from Canton contain the particulars of an
unpleasant affair, in which the Alceste was involved.
It swan that the Chinese had taken some offence
against Captain Maxwell, in consequence of which a
number of war boats were stationed round the Alceste,
and attempts were made to intercept her supplies
hum the shore. No answer having been made to his
endeavours to procure an explanation of the cause of
his having been placed under this insulting sort of
quarantine, Captain Maxwell resolved upon changing
hie anchorage, with the intention of more clearly ascer-
taining the views of the Chinese, before be should resort
to extremities. The Alcestis accordingly weighed an-
chor, and proceeded tip she river to the second bar.—
The war boats, however, soon followed ; and as the
frigate approached Cbua Pee they fired at her, first
with blank Cartridge, and next with shot. Captain
Maxwell returned their fire, in the first instance, with
powder only, but finding that bad not the effect of
preventing them from following him, be sent a single
shot over the Admiral's boat merely to intimidate
them—this had the defrired effect. Upon a signal
from the Chinese Admiral, the flotilla ceased firing..
and stood off. At this period Captain Maxwell
brought the Alceste to an anchor, in expectation of
some communication from the Governor ; but having
waited without receiving any, Until the evening, he'
weighed again, add stood toward! the Bogue. The
boats, which iolkned him at a respectful distance,
now began to Wl* up rockets, and to make other
signals, which wen promptly answered froth the forts
is she Bogue. As the frigate advanced, lanterns
continued to be hoisted at the different forts until
they became an 'Attire blase of light, and the tam.
parts were Ken etowded with people. Two lons,
ire on the right, ttss other on the left, suddenly
felted a tremeadolli cross-fin on the Alcette, with.

out, however, any other damage than that of her re-
ceiving three or four shots in the hull, where they
stuck. The wind heading
.the frigate in she narrow
part -of the Bogne. Captain Maxwell was obliged
to make a tack, which brought him within pistol-
shot of the principal fort, mounting kitty guns. He
resolved to avail himself of this circumstance, in
order to chastise the insolence of the Chinese.' He
took a station which enabled him to bring his guns
to bear on both forts, and gave orders for action.—
His command was received' with three cheers by
the crew, who. with a rapidity which overwhelmed
the Chinese with astonishment, discharged two suc-
cessive broadsides, starboard and larboard. The fife
of the forts instantly ceased, the innumerable lanterns
disappeared, as if by magic, and all was suddenly in-
volved in total darkness and silence. The Alceste
was quietly suffered to proceed to her destination;
and, what is most singular, up to the 17th of Novem-
ber, not the slightest notice had been taken of the
affair by the Governor of Canton : he neither gave
nor demanded an explanation, but continued to grant
permission for the British vessels to enter the river,
as it nothing had occurred to interrupt the harmony
between the two nations. It remained to be ascer-
tained in what light he may have represented the affair
to the Court of Pekin. We are happy to learn that
none were killed or wounded on board the Alceste.
A letter from Portsmouth, dated March 8, says,
"Thursday the Cornwall East Indiaman passed by
Portsmouth for the River, after having landed Mr.
HRNRY BAUBU, her Purser, with dispatches. She
is only 112 days from Canton. At her departure, it'
was generally understood that the Emperor of CHINA
had declined to accept the presents sent out with
Lord AMHERST, and that his Lordship and suite
were on their way to Canton, to embark in the
Alceste, and return home. The Alceste had come
down the Yellow Sea, and was lying at Canton.—
The EMPEROR received the Embassy with every de-
gree of courtly civility ; but apprehending, it was
imagined, that the acceptance of such presents
would be followed by our demanding commercial
advantages greater than other nations enjoy, and
that we bad other designs by so much expense and
trouble, beside those of merely maintaining rela-
tions of mutual good will—a jealousy not. it was
thought, to be subdued, WA) entertained by the
Estentua and his Court upon the subject ; aid,
under that feeling, he had come to the determi-
nation of relusing the presents. Tile Embassy
was to return from Pekin through the country to
Canton ; a journey of vast .magnitude and toil—it
being twelve hundred miles. The Previdence,
Lynn, which ship was sent out to convoy home the
curiosities and Naturalists' specimens, expected to be.
collected by the suite, had passed Banda, on her way
to Canton, in the early part of November. The
Cornwall touched only at St. Helena; left that Island
on the 23d of January. She left at Canton the
Atcasia, frigate; General Hewitt, ex t.* ship ;
and the regular ships Windham, Surat Castle,
Hugh Inglis, Lord Lynedock, Marchioness of Exeter,
Coldstream, Lady Castlereagh, Cambridge, Regent,
Marquis of Ely, Fort William, Scaleby Castle, Earl
of Baicarras, Buckinghamshire, Maruis of Huntly,
Castle Handy. Lady .Melville, and Cumberland."

FLANDERS MAIL.
ST. PEVERSBURGH, FEBRUARY 4.

Some persops have endeavoured to spread in the
Public Journals at report of an approaching war be-
tween Russia and another Power. If these cameleons
have reckoned upon new troubles to favour their pro-
ject', a measure proposed by the Emperor is soon
going to be put into execution, which will deprive
them of all hopes. This measure consists in a new
dislocation of the Russian armies, such as will ensure
tor a long time the peace which Europe enjoys at
this moment.

BRUSSELS, MARCH 3.
On the 2d Ye Dell= was celebrated in the Cathedral
Church of St. Gudule, on account of the happy deli-
verance of her Imperial Highness the Princess of
Orange, and fur the birth of the young Prince bee
son. The same ceremony took place the same day
in the other provinces of the kingdom, 'wefts is Floe-
Jere. the Bishop of Ghent finding that his conscience
did not permit him to have Ts Desna performed; that
is, thanks returned to Gon for an event which is most
happy, important, and interesting to the kingdom of
the Netherlands. The Bishops of Ruremonde, Na-
mur, Touraay, Cambray, and Metz, as well as the
Vicars-General of Mahnes, Liege, and Aiz.la-Cha-
pelle, have seen the affair in a different light. The
Princess of Orange is rapidly recovering, and the
young Prince is perfectly well.
VIENNA, FEBRUARY
Since the Ist of July last year, there have been de-
stroyed 100,000,000 of florins of our paper currency,
of which 50,000,000 were bought in in consequence
of the operations of the Bank, and 50,000,000 by the
voluntary loan opened by the Imperial Patent of the
29th October, 1816.
DRESDEN, FEBRUARY 30.
An order has been published for the organization
of a kind of Landsturm, under the name cf Land-
reserve. All yowls men of from 18 to S 2 belong to it.