Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-06-09
Interesting from China.

were presented to him.
Interesting from China.
The late news from China is full Of stir and
interest. The Picking Gazette Of January both,
contains important intelligence from Gnan-
HWY, in which province tie city of Loo Chow
was taken on the 18th of January, and the
lieutenant governor slain in its defence The
emperor is, in consequence, plunged in the
deepest grief, and has ordered the general in
command of that province to be degraded from
his Office.
Says the correspondent Of the New York
Herald:
This province of Gnan-H HWY is one Of the
wealthiest and most populous in the empire,
and being joined in the possessions of the rebel
chief places him in authority over more than
two.thirds Of the empire. According to the
last census, in 1872, it contained in area 48, 46l
square miles, "a, l68,050 population, which
would give population, on the average, of
705 to every square mile it contains some of
the richest silk manufacturing cities in the en-
pire, and it produces, besides silk and tea in
great quantity, gold, silver, copper, and coal,
in great abundance. Altogether it is consid
cred great loss to the emperor. Now, as the
spring opens, the army of Thae-ping wang will
advance towards Picking, and complete their
success by the capture OF it, as also the whole
empire. What will be his policy towards for
eigners, after being flushed with such unparal-
leled success, it is hard to say; but, at all
events, it is absolutely necessary for American
interests, that our minister, Hon. r. McLane,
should be here at this point, because it is so
much nearer to the capital than Canton, to
take advantage of whatever may arise. The
English and French are on hand, and we have
Just heard that Mr.. McLane will be here the
last of this month. We hope it is true. That
will be in ample time; and when the diploma
tic ball opens, he will have a fine field to dis
play that mental prowess which the Americans
have given him the credit Of possessing"
"Many stories are told by missionaries of
scenes which occurred at the taking of the city,
and after, which show how ridiculous their war.
fare is. In the streets, which are rarely over
six feet wide, it was common to see Cinnamon
run out of their houses, with shields upon their
arms and spears in their hands, and challenge
their neighbors to come out and fight them,
brandishing all the time ferociously their spears
and beating upon their shields, reminding
foreigner more of the sham fights Of school
boys at home than Of anything else. Those
who have guns rarely know how to load them
When they use ball, which is seldom, they
chip it off until it will go down into the gun
without hammer, and the consequence is, that,
if the gun is not held up, the ball will run out.
Under these circumstances, one day, in the city,
a ChinGman with spear and shield gave chase
to another who had q gun, the latter COM
menced running around tomb in the shape
of a mound, which are common all over China,
and at last finding himself too closely pursued
by his antagonist, he ran up on the mound and
aimed his musket down, the ball out, and then
the gun went of, whereupon each ran away to
attend to some other pigeon, business, which
seemed OF more Importance.
"These encounters are common, and hence
how ridiculous this whole war is, in and about
Shanghai. In fair and open contests how few
fall, but when one party succeeds over another
among these Triads or Imperialists, the shock
ing cruelties and barbarities enacted are un-
paralleled. Even the poor Chinese themselves
will hail the first appearance of Thae- ping
wang here as deliverer. All foreigners feel
so, too; though some were disposed at first to
credit the Triads as a branch of Thae.ping
wang's army, they know better now, and are
heartily tired of seeing heads, hands and other
limbs staring them in the face at every step,
and which have been hung up by these wretches
to intimidate the cowardly masses. The con-
tinual bombarding and defending the city, too,
which have been going on for some months
have become quite annoying, as they seem to
effect nothing, save to keep foreign residents in
dread of stray balls, which are as common from
their artillery as their small arms"