Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-15
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Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
Affairs I'm China.

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HoNGKoSG, Non. 20, lS53-By the mail which
brings you this you will receive China Mail
| dated nth instant, which will give you an account
of the evacuation of Annoy by the rebels on the
18th instant, with history Of the terrible slaughter
of the same by the imperialists, which stopped
i by the interference of the British men-of-war living
in the harbor, after soaae seven or eight hundred
had been butchered in cold blood.
On or about the 18th instant, the crew Of the Eng
lsh frgate Winchester dhe flagship of Admiral
| Pellew) applied for liberty 10 go on shore for
twenty four hours, which il is the general custom
TO give sailors every four or five months; but they
had not been allowed that indulgence previously
] for twelve or fifteen months. The admiral refused
TO grant il, and ordered the ship to be got under
weigh and proceed to sea. The crew refused 10
/ perform the duty, and this being reported TO the
admiral, he Immediately ordered the beat TO
| quarters customary on such occasions. They dis
obeyed again, and the officers were compelled 10
| cut and slash among them, which resulted in a
| large number being seriously and some MORALLY
] wounded. eAl H8asefi "a
/ The news relative to the American naval forces
/ in China is rather unimportant at present. Com
modore Perry has chartered small river steam
/ boat about the size of the old East river steam
boat called the American Eagle. She has a couple
| of small guns mounted, with crew of twenty-five
| men, made up from the different ships of the
/ squadron Her cruising ground is in front OF
Canton with good anchor ground, and her duty
is to protect American interests, should the rebels
| attack and capture Canton. Five hundred dollars
per month is the charter money. She is TO remain
| in the capacity of an American man-of-war, while
| the other vessels of the squadron astonish Japan
| about April next. The Queen is commanded by
Lieutenant Taylor, formerly first lieutenant Of the
i Mississippi.
The Powhatan is at present at Whampoa, and
will leave for Macao the 9th instant, with
Com. Perry on board, who is in Canton at present.
| The following is the position Of the various ships
1 of the squadron, as near as could ascertain !;
| Sloop-ofofwar Saratoga, at Shanghai sloop Van
/ = H.. AT.-~ l-~..
kong, shortly to sail for. Loo Choo; sloop Ply
mouth, daily expected at Hongkong from the
| BONN Isles !; steamer Powhatan, at Whampoa, 10
| leave day or two for Macao; steamer Mlssis-
| sippi at Macao steamer Susquehana, at Hong
kong store-ship Southampton, at Shanghai; store
| ship Supply, at Macao and storeshp Lexington
| not vet arrived Orders have been received by
r. p. De Silver, esq, us. naval storekeeper at
| Macao to remove all the stores, &c, 10 Hong
| kong. II is to be our naval depot The objec-
ton TO its present location is the very great dis
! lance that the nien-ofwer are compelled TO anchor
| from the shore in consequence Of the shallowness
of the water and the exposure and danger OF the
| same in heavy weather. The removal of the Uni
| ted States naval depot from Macao will be its
| death-blow. Its commerce has even now dwin-
| died down to the smallest possible amount. The
| place is nearly deserted by the Portuguese Nine
or ten years ago they kept force Of nearly thou
| sand men there. Its gates were closed at night
and guarded during the day. Now they have no
gates, and very few soldiers say aboutone hundred
ndtwenty; and the latter look as they had been
fed pine knots and grouse for the last five years,
| and seem as little able to shoulder musket as a
/ child of six months old. As an evidence of the
deterioration Of the place, will state that houses
| which ought to rent for one thousand dollars can
now be had for one hundred.
The Darien Exploring objectionable
| Panama Star gives the following as the substance
ofthe report ofthe Darien expedition, which went
| out by the British steamer Virago to explore the
canal route. Er
| The party crossed the country until they got
| within about eight miles of the Atlantic Of which
| ocean they had an excellent view. They encoun-
| tered plain of some twenty-five miles in length,
and in no part it was the elevation greater than
fftyfeet above the level of the sea- The party
did not go fully across, as their provisions gave
out, and they were satisfied as to the route.
We learn that official despatch has been re-
ceived by Governor Urrutia from Lieut.. G.
Strain in charge ofthe United States Daren xplor
ing expedition, in which this officer reports to his
exceency that he had arrived at Car,hagena in
I the United States sloop-of-war Cyane, Commander
Hollins and encloses letters from Don VI de d
Paroles, representative at Washington from this
government, informing him of the object of the
| expedition.
The governor Of Carthagena has shown every
courtesy to the officers of the expedition and Of the
/ Cyane. The latter was about TO sail for Caledonia
/ bay.
! A Navy Medical Board, forthe examination
ofassstant surgeons for promotion and candidates
for admission into the medical corps of the navy,
will be convened at the Naval Asylum at Philadel-
phia on Monday, the 9th of March next. This
board is to consist OF Surgeon Thomas billiard, |
president, and Surgeons j. M. Greene and w. s.
w. Ruschenberger and Passed Assistant Surgeon |
A. A. Henderson, recorder. |
II is prescribed by law that no one shall be APP |
pointed in this branch Of the service who has not
been examined and found qualified by board of |
naval surgeons, designated by the Secretary ofthe
Navy for that purpose. This designation is made
at such times as the wants of the service render
| necessary when selections are made by the Sec !
rotary of the number ofindlviduas he may deem |
il proper TO have examined To the p<Dsons thus
selected permissions given to present them
selves to the board for examination, and the board
reports the relative merits ofthe candidates. Those
Of whose qualifications the board are satisfied are
appointed assistant surgeons as their services are
required Applications must be addressed 10 the
Secretary Of the Navy The application of no one
will be considered whose age is under twenty.one
or over twenty-eight years.