The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-08
FOREIGN ITEMS BY THE GREAT
WESTERN.

BOMBAY, Feb 23.-AdViceS have been re-
ceiVed from Canton to Jan. 18th. AT Calcutta,
troop-ships were preparing TO convey 10000
men to China. The prevailing impression
was that, on the arrival of the troops, imme-
diate possession would be taken of the Island
of Formosa; which would be held till the
Emperor should pay an indemnity in full for
the whole Of the illegally seized opium
The Island of Formosa is one of the most
salubrious and fertile on the Chinese coast,
and has long served for rice granary TO the
province of Quang Tong, or Canton.
The trade with China continued suspend
ed on the 4th of Jan'y. Capt. Elliott had in
vain made overtureS to the High Commits
sioner for fe-opening the trade as before
Inns answer was that the Emperor had
commanded the trade with England to be for
ever stopped, and an edict had appeared, adj
dressed chiefly to the American and Dutch
merchants, commanding them to sign bond
not to bring British goods Of any description
into that country: In fact our cottons are now
as much an article of contraband as our
opium.
Another seizure of the person of British
subject by the Chinese, has been made under
circumstances scarcely more creditable 10
this country than the seizure of the opium.
II appears from the Canton Free Press, of
Jan. 4, that ON the Thursday before Christ
mas day, Mr.. Gribble, Of the firm of Crib
Bile, Hughes & Co. wishing TO send one of
his establishment 10 Whampoa, left the an
chorage at Tongkoo in a smuggling boat,
which was pursued and overtaken by a Man.
DARN boat of great swiftness. In the con-
fict which ensued, MI. Gribbe discharged
his pistols at the Chinese boatmen, happily
without effect. He was then secured and
carried off prisoner. Upon this event being
known, sixteen English boats started the next
morning in pursuit of the Mandarin boat,
but she had then got SO far ahead as to reach
harbor called Numtoan or Lamtoan, in
safely. negotiations, which are expected to
be successful, were in progress for the re-
lease of MIR. Gribble, who seems to us richly
TO deserve rough usage.
TIE CHINESE ADMIRAL.-The old admiral,
who traces his ancestry 1000 years back, and
who is connected with the Han dynasty and
Confucus in mothers line, lost his leg in the
late affair of the war iunks with the Hya-
cinth and Voltage. He behaved well before
the action, gallantly in it, and has gained the
respect of all the English officers. But Lin
has degraded him, and taken away his button.
The trade is still going on between China
and Singapore.
The Portuguese at Macao, finding their
city altogether ruled by the Chinese, who
claim and exercise the sovereignty there, are
loud in expressing their dread of having 1t
attacked by the British. 1t is described as
good position, being defended by fortifca-
tons on the isthmus, and as having excellent
anchorage on both sides. Smuggling was
carried on along the coast, and opium sold
we'll
The OPIUM TRADE.-Mr. Crawford, men,
Der of the British House of Commons has
given the following brief historical statement
of this trade:
From the earliest period the trade In opium
had existed between Bengal and China, and
in the province of Babar the article had been
grown long before the British sovereignty
had been established. So long agoas 1856,
when Lord CORVALLIS was Governor Gene.
raj of India, the subject had been brought
under the peculiar attention Of the Govern
ment, and the trade was regulated in the way
in which it now existed; and up to 1876 the
commodity was introduced into China on
payment of fixed duty. But in that year
an edict appeared in China against the inn
portation Of opium into that country. That
edict, however, proved utterly imperative
The quantity Of opium exported from Ben
gal never did decrease.
Il then consisted of about 4, 600 chests the
ships entered the port of Canton, having al
all times the opium on board, where II was
delivered for the convenience of the Chinese
authori,ies---shs whols Of this being done BY