The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-06 00:00:00

CHINA, AFFGHANISTAN, AND INDIA

(BY THE OVERLAND MAIL.)
H A.
The latest intelligence Cis to the 14th 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 respectively 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, al-
though they opened fire, the Tartars fled as soon as attacked ;
they were pursued, and lost about 150 men. The snow which
covered the country saved 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
surrendered 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 by
our troops during February. It had a garrison of 10,000 raw
recruits. The division of the English troops into detachments
at Hongkong, Amoy, Chusan, Chinhae, and Ningpo, was
likely to prevent an immediate attack, but on the arrival of
the expected reinforcements from India and England, the
campaign would, it is said, begin by the capture of that im-
portant position at the south point of the Great Canal. The
utility of this proceeding is much canvassed, for many con-
tend, that instead of wasting forces at isolated points, the
British expedition ought to proceed at once to the attack of
the Imperial province of Pekin, which, being by the consti-
tution of the Chinese empire, placed under the immediate
government of his Celestial Majesty, any attack on it would
oblige the Emperor in person to examine the causes of the
war, and to come to a speedy decision.
Having issued a circular to Her Britannic Majesty's sub-
jects announcing the capture of these 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 Go-
vernment to control the use of that narcotic appear now to
be in a great measure paralyzed. The sale of this article is
such, and the prices so remunerating, that it has been pro-
posed to station vessels in different places to serve as deplits
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 mean time the mandarins at Canton and their Dutch
engineers are busy erecting fortifications along the banks of
their river ; they have already erected 12 stone or earth bat-
teries along the Macao passage and the Salt Jnnk river, in
which they have placed nearly 400 guns of large calibre. As
the export trade from Canton continued, Sir Henry Pottinger
has decided, while trade is allowed, and the river below
Whampon is left unobstructed, upon not attacking that place
again, for, as he declared to some mandarins, who came com-
missioned, as they said, by jheir celestial monarch to treat
with the British Plenipotentiary, " I will not now enter into
treaty : I will negociate with the Emperor personally at
Pekin."

Reinforcements are now 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 Moul-
mein: and the 39th Madras Native Infantry, which was at
Penang, have, it is asserted, received orders to get ready for
proceeding to join the China expedition.
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 island.