Butte record., 1853-12-03
THE CIVIL WAR IN CHINA.

The London Times contains a letter
from Shanghai, July 9th, from which we
make the following extracts:
Many have been inclined to say that
the rebels were losing all their moral eff
feet of the capture of Nankin, and that
they showed themselves unequal to an
emergency; but it appears to me that
their plans have been and are admira-
BILE. They brought away quantity of
children, and, | suppose, women from
Quang-si, whom it would have embar
rassed exceedingly to have carried on at
present; SO they fortified and provis-
ioned Nankin for their reception and
then, or rather at the same time, COM
menced fortifying Ching-kiang-foo, as
the key to the Grand Canal, leaving force
enough in them to defend them, and, by
occasional sallies, to keep the Imperial
lists under the impression that their for
ces were greater, and so draw off attcn-
lion from what was their real object all
along, viz: the capture of Pekin. |
had no doubt that their attention, when
we were up in the Hermes, was to pro-
ceed thither with all convenient haste.
but they evaded our question by saying,
eve are waiting orders from the Tae-
ping-wang," or, awaiting revelation as
to where we shall go''
The effect has been to keep $4,000
men at Ching-kiang-foo, and fancy the
whole of the army of Gen. Heang--he
that was lately made Viceroy of seven
provinces, poor man, though seventy
FIVE, and is now ordered up to Pckin to
loose his head. Soon they will not get
any one to undertake the charge.
They still keep up their stoutness. I
have it from very intelligent Chinese
Scripture reader, who has been in Eng
land and speaks English very well, that
he was told by soldier near Nankin,
where he had been, that 900 soldiers
offered to join the insurgent ranks, but
would not be accepted unless they en-
braced Christianity, which they refused
to DO.
The gates of Nankin remain open,
but it is said the ground in their vicinity
is mined. | was much amused by the
Toutar here, who, when enlarging upon
the numbers of the Imperial army, and
depreciatirg the number of the insur-
gents, being asked why they did not re-
take Nankin, said, "Why, it is all full
of holes the Imperialists drove a lot of
bufaloes in, and they all disappeared,
so they were afraid to follow lest they
should tumble in.'
The whole country seems hostile to
the Manchoos, and will turn instantly
the insurgents arrive at Pekin and issue
their mandates. They have excellent
information from all parts Thus, there
was large sum of money coming up
from Canton for the Imperialists they
sent a party of 1000 from Nankin, who
made sweep round to the south, and
cut off the party escorting the treasure,
and returned to Nankin in safety, pass
ing through the Imperialist army each
time.
They received our officers and the
Consular interpreter most gracefully, but
Ca pACoStu ii WISH tldU LuIOpedUS S0culQ
not visit them unless they intended stay
ing, as the Imperialists would take their
heads and say the insurgents had done
it. They were evidently unwilling that
we should know their movements, lest
they should transpire, and the Imperi-
alists become aware of them; but | think
the latter are getting apprehensive, and
are drawing their forces by degrees away
from Chink-kiang-foo They admitted
to our officers that they had no expecta-
ton of retaking any of the places, and
are, indeed, getting quite reckless as to
consequences, seeming more concerned
to know where opium was to be had than
any thing else. Strange to say, the first
question they asked was, 'Have you any
opium to sell - and on our people visi-
ting their junks to the number Of sew
enty, they found nearly all we're opium
smokers, certainly all the Mandarins.
The Admiral of the feet was so much
under its influence that two or three
minutes after having entered our boat to
90 round the fleet he fell asleep, and
very shortly begged off, as quite unable
to 60 further These fellows never 90
into action, and seem quite content if