The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-12


there /; but in China an instruction of serious
character has broken out in the southern PROV
inces. A pretender to the throne has collected
an army of fifty thousand men, plundered sew
eral of the towns, and boldly aims at overthrow
ing the present Tartar Emperor, and restoring
the ancient native or Ming dynasty Great
alarm exists at Pekin end serious steps have
been taken to suppress the rebellion. There is
a vague report that the imperial troops have
hitherto had the worst Of it. Tl5t
The China Mail of August "a, has the fol
| lowing remarks on the outbreak:
The province OF Kwangsi is at present the
theatre Of serious outbreak, but, whether on
the part of the unsubdued tribes, or of the ban
ditt who infest its borders, is not clearly ascer-
tanned. There is no doubt, however, that large
body of men are in actual rebellion against the
imperial authorities, over whom they have OBJ
tanned some important advantages. Recently
they have taken the chief city Of the Ho dis
trict place of great commercial Importance,
bordering the province of Kwangtung on the
northwest, the city being situated on naviga-
| bic branch of the Cantonriyer. tits even stated
on good authority that the rebels, 1000 strong,
have penetrated into Kwangtung, and are within
one hundred miles of Canton city '5 a
The leader who is named Li-ting-pang, has
assumed The title borne by the highest Tartar
generals, and displays banners inscribed, Com
IiissioHeu ny f1eaySu 10 e<leruliIllte the L slug
! 1.-THE present Manchu,) and restore the Ming (the
former Chinese,) dynasty" lie is said 10 have
under his command $4,000 men in ALL which is
probably an exaggeration. He and his fellow
chief, Tsau, are said to assume great state, and
! move about in chairs with four bearers After
a successful attack on Kong -mung in the district
| OF SZhwui, the pawnshops were rifled, and 90
600 taels of silver extorted from a rich inhabi-
| tant; after which about hundred cookshops
were set up to provide for tie band. II is fur
ther reported, besides some persons of import
ance having fallen in the fight, that the governor
or the province, and the chief magistrate of Woo
chau, have committed suicide in despair but
these reports also require confirmation The
province contains many independent tribes who
have never owned subsection to the present dy-
nasty. .. .....
A correspondent of the London papers, writing
from Canton, is disposed to give great Importance
| to this movement He says:
"Ihe Chinese authorities have attempted to
grapple with the rebellion in vain !; it makes way
despite all their efforts, and several officers of
moderate distinction have fallen in the conflicts.
The progress of the insurgents is marked by
pfinder. This movement has been foreseen for
months; it was first outwardly displayed at the
| new year in February last, and for not having
| successfully checked it in the bud, Sue, the I'M
perial Commissioner at Canton, has been de-
graded by the loss of four steps. TO stem the
current is almost impossible; it is daily acquir-
ing strength, and the Tartar monarch must either
yield reform or descendfrom hisimperial dignity"
SUNSET ON MOUNT BLANc.-Soon after had
thus "set up my rest" the grand process of sun
| setting began; and solemn as have been many
sunsets to Inc, never saw one-I will not say
merely equal to this-but one resembling it for
the difference was not in degree, but in kind
hnya and md f,nra 81 Il
speck to dim the deepening azure of the sky,
nor fleecy breath Of mist waited or fingered
about the towers or dome of the mountain
These glowed for few minutes in deeper rose
color than that which appeared to clothe them
at this hour from below; the summit as usual
retained it last, and when it faded left them in
the cold wilderness of the dawn. Thus far-with
the grandeur above us-all passed in its usual
procession of glory; but while watched those
receding tints, fiocks of clouds arose below, and
filled up the valley of Chamouni to the brim
with tissues waving gaiy, like floating shrouds
They We're then seen creeping up within tho
folds of the valley beyond, till that also assumed,
as far rs it was revealed, the same spectral veil
while the top of the Brewer, the Aigulle Varens,
and the head of the Buet stood out like islands
in that solemn sea- But beyond-in the expanse
to the right of the Breven top-what glory was
disclosed "a heaven-tinged uoudland not to be
gazed at from below by subject mortal, but to
be looked down into as from purer seat
subjected enchantment spread beneath us-as
from some pinnacle of heaven the eye were per-
mitted to gaze upon its lower glories, the habi
tations and the array of angels The first ap-
pearance of this vision was that Of n celestial
city, all of sapphire. circling a lake of azure,
while far away in measureless distance leoons
of angelic hosts, shapeess as those of Rembrandt,
descending on Jacobs slumbers, but giving like
them, the sense of winged glores, were ranged,
while tents and payions of violet and gold be-
hind them seemed to bespeak martial army
Presently, these splendors became all confused;
and then Il sterner grandeur reigned; n scene of
huge purple caverns and golden rocks, but, be-
sides a sapphire sea studded with islands of
deeper gold and then the colors blended. and
faded, and nothing but one heap of purple clouds
filled the place of the gorgeous vision; and [
was alone with the rock, the snow, and the stars.
-Iayourd
The WEST INDIA MAIL CoyTRAcT.-The mr..
tlculars of the mail contract, recently enter,d
into between the Admiralty and the West Ind a
Steam Packet Company, have just been print,d
and published by the Government. According
to this document the West India ard Brazili n
form one contract, which is to commence on the
lst of January next, and to last eleven wears -
The company are to provide fifteen wooden
steam vessels; ten of them are to be of 400,
four of $50, and one of 60 horse power They
are to provide also sailing vessel of 100 tons
burthen. All these vessels are to have light
ming conductors and the commanders, and chief,
and second officers, must have certificate of fit
ness from the Board of Examiners appointed bv
act of Parliament. None Of the small vessels are
to perform the Atlantic service. The company
are to receive E27oO00 year from Govern
ment, and the penalties to which they are liable
are 100000 for non-perfornance of the con-
tract; f5O0 for not starting from Southampton
at the proper time; and G2OO for not start
ing from any other port. They are bound to
vary. il required the route of their yesseIs ON,