The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-07 00:00:00

CALCUTTA

By the arrivals of the Charles Forbes and Caledonia on
the Bth and 9th instant, we have advices from Macao to 25th
ult. The Red Rover, with the December overland mail,
had arrived, and in consequence of the intelligence of war-
like preparations by the Bengal government, the Americans
had all given notice that they would receive no more con-
signments of English goods, nor orders for produce, being
desirous of winding up their affairs, and leaving Canton
without delay. The Chinese were threatening to renew their
attempt to destroy the English shipping at Toonkoo, by
means of fire-rafts. H. M. S. Druid, from Sydney 18th
January, arrived at Macao on the evening of the 24th ult.
and sailed the following morning for Toonkoo.b Reports had
reached Macao that the Water Witch had been cut off on
the coast, at Chimoo, by mandarin boats, but it was not
generally believed at Macao, from which place it is said
Chimoo is only two days' sail. A letter of the 25th ult.
says—" No further accounts of .the Water Witch ; the
Chinese again report her being taken on the coast." She
had little or no opium left, but a large amount of treasure
on board.

The export of teas to Great Britain from Ist October to
24th ult. only amounted to 15,000,0001b5, but were expected
to reach 22,000,0001bs by the end of April. The following
vessels were loading and engaged to load for Great Britain :
The General Kyd, Royal Saxon, Mangalore, Frances Ann,
Asia, Eliza Stewart, and Glenelg, for London, the Penang
for Liverpool, the Tyrer for the Clyde, and the Susan, for
Leith.
Our latest dates from Batavia are to the 4th instant. The
government sale of 1,185 tubs of Japan camphor took place
on the 31st ult., and averaged 87f 81 per half tub. The last
tin sale averaged 47f 32. Coffee was in great demand, and
Padang had been bought as high as 29if and Java at 36f for
shipment to England via Singapore. Exchange on London
131 f, and not likely to decline. An arrival from Ternate, at
Batavia, reports the total destruction of that island by an
earthquake on the 14th of February. All descaiptions of
property had been annihilated, and the island was to be
totally abandoned.—Calcutta Courier, May 5.

AGRAUKHBAR.

The following extract from a letter from Cabul, dated 14th
April, contains the latest intelligence from that quarter ;
‘ I have no items of interesting news to offer you. The
king and minister return here at the end of the present month,
and a cantonment is being laid out for three regiments of in-
fantry, one of cavalry, and a battery. Whether the regulars
will occupy them or not is a matter of conjecture. Dost
Mohamed has, no doubt, been handsomely treated at Bokhara,
and the Russian envoy has arrived there, and will as certainly
effect a treaty with the King in their favour. Their army is
powerful, and as they advance every good position is .un-
touched. What they acquire they secure, unlike ourselves
who have done nothing to enable us to resist contingencies
which may, but I do- not say will, happen. The best thing
that could happen to our cause would be the death of the
present king and the elevation of his son Titnour. The
former is thoroughly hated anti despised ; the latter is, I have
reason to think, liked, and is certainly a gentleman in address
and behaviour.

The position of affairs at Herat is decidedly bad, and
they have been mismanaged. Thousands have been thrown
away, and no equivalent received. Indeed we pay first, and
ask afterwards. • If, this system were revised, it might be
conducive of good, Yar system were revised, it might be
conducive of good, 'Yar Mahomed, the minister, indeed
king there, the man whose vigour defended the place against
Persia, has no idea of tasting of ' British moderation and
forbearance.' We have had a noble season, and a full harvest
must ensue ; but at present grain is' dear, and much misery
has been induced, which, of course, the people must have
contrasted in his favour with the time of Dost Mahomed.
That than was certainly a just, good ruler, and highly popular.
A disgraceful event has taken place at Bamsean, in my idea.
A villager refused to sell grass, and after some altercation
fired upon a political party. In consequence a detachment
was ordered out, who stormed the place, put every man to
death, thirteen in number, who killed and wounded eighteen.
of the assailants. Contrasted .with the .cool way in which
Lieutenant Inverarity's murderers were treated this looks
more like butchery at political shrines than fair play. They
were his Majesty's subjects, and thus we render him popular
indeed."—En•Utishman, May 7.
MAX 9.—The following contains the latest intelligence
from Caboul, and may be relied on as the most authentic in-
formation there current :

The latest intelligence from Abbot reaches up to the sth
of March, being less than two months, which may be con-
sidered quick, as owing to the hostility of the King of Bok-
hara, his letters come round by Herat. The Russians, in
consequence of the great depth of snow upon the ground,
were still in their entrenched camp, and were not expected
to resume their march before April, so that we shall not
hear of their arriwil at Khiva till June. Some 30,000
Usbecks, who attempted to carry off camels and even attack
the camp, were so severely handled, that Abbot thinks
they will not attempt to offer further opposition to the
Russian advance. The Russiam force, to be able to halt so
long, must have a very large commissariat with them,
as from Orenburgh to Khiva is a good two months' march,
the distance being about 700 miles, and from Orenburgh to
Bokhara is nearly the same distance as it is from Loodinah
to Candahar. The British made a much longer march than
that—cannot the Russians do the same ? And a Russian
army of 12,000 men does not march with six times that num-
ber of camp followers. Sir A. Burnes positively asserts,
that the Russian army amounts to nearly 30,000 fighting
men, and 72 guns, and that they will be at Bokhara before
the summer is over. Shortly after our arrival at Caboul, this
talented officer declared that a Russian army would be some-
where in Central Asia, either at Herat or Bokhara, before a
year was over. Lord A.'s account also tallies with Burnes,
that besides Cossacks, there are 12,000 of the elite of their
infantry."