Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-25
Interesting from China

Interesting from China.
By late arrivals at New York from China wo
learn that the rebels still hold Nanking, but a
terrible plague has broken out among them,
which the Chinese assert has carried of IO0,-
600 in inhabitants. Before the rebellion the
city contained near 1000, 900 souls but it is
supposed that at no time during the siege has
its population exceeded SOC, 900.
The rebellion, which has apparently been
dormant for so long a time, it now seerns was
only smouldering, for it has broken out with
great force, and totally overthrown the i'm
perial rule in the wealthy and tea producing
province ofHonan This province is on the
fangt-sze kiang. 1t is the first time since the
beginning Of this rebellion that the tea dis
tricts have been infected.
The imperial government have been strain
ing every nerve to hold their own they have
sacrificed men and money with a lavish hand,
the latter TO such an extent that the produc.
ing part of the population refuse to contribute
any more; hence the rebellion in Honau.
Leutchnen, too, the richest province in the
empire, IN. Huc,) has been visited by dread
full famine, on which has followed the rebel
lion.
Something over one hundred million pounds
OF tea was shipped from China last year
(lS55) Of that aggregate Shanghai has furn-
ished eight-tenths. From all China, during
the same period, there were exported fifty
eight thosand bales Of silk, of which Shanghai
supplied ffty-one thousand Sixty-four Amer
lean vessels entered aud cleared at that port
during the same period.
CoNMIs sIoSER AND TIE cooLIE TRADE.
The Friend of China, Jan. Is, states that
the newly arrived Commissioner to China, his
Excellency DR.. Parker, has notified subjects
of his government that they will not only for
felt protection but be liable in heavy penal
ties, if hereafter found engaging in the traffic
known as the coOlie trade, the horrible char
acter of which his Excellency describes as
more revolving than that OF the American
slave trade.
The notification will be received as an ex-
preston of high disapprobation, we take il,
and nothing more, something more explicit
than threats being required to deter American
citizens from engaging in such trade The
coolie trade, in itself, may not bo eaviI!ed al,
and might be engaged in by persons Of the
most philanthropic disposition. What we want
for il is an organized system not an attempt
TO stop the trade altogether, for the sole ad-
vantage of adventures under that most con-
venient Of all hags-the Peruvian. An ave-
rage bonus Of two hundred dollars is given on
every Chinese bOndsman landed at Peru SO
that the profits on a ship load are sometimes
cOnsiderable-quite sufficient to induce some
of " the free and enlightened TO throw up
their citizenship altogether.
His Excellency has been staying at Govern
ment House since his arrival.
TRAVELS OF FOUR AMERICAN SAILORS.
The North China Herald, of December 29th,
states that on Friday Sc might, a party Of
four American sailors arrived in Shanghai,
who caused no little curiosity when il was
asceItained that they had travelled under es-
cort all the way from COrea. 1t appears that
these men belonged to the American whaler
Two Brothers, of New Bedford. They sailed
in her to the Pacific in June, 1854, and last
summer, they state, that being kept on short
commons and ill-treated by their captain,
they took one Of the ships boats and made
their escape to the coast of Corea, being at
the timo at the northward; their boat was
stove in on the beach, but they received a
kind reception by the natives, who fed them
and kept them amongst them for n whole
month, after which the proper authorities
having been communicated with, they were
sent on horseback through Manchuria 10 the
Great Wall, where they were delivered UP 70
the Chinese Mandarin and forwarded to Pc
king. The first night of their arrival IN the
northern capital, they were visited by huS-
sian missionaries, who gave them food and
clothing; they spoke but little English, and
communicated mostly in writing.
After remaining at Peking about three
weeks, the Russians told them that the En-
Silver, and they were to be sent down to
Shanghai-the money they never saw; but
on their road to this port they were very scan.
tly supplied with copper cash; they received
only 40 cash per day, at starting, which pal
Try sum was subsequently, reduced to 10 cash
per day, until they approached this district,
when they were paid about 200 cash per day.
They speak well of tfeir treatment both in
COrea and Manchuria, but disparage their
treatment in China They say that they
travelled through a highly-cultivated country
between this and Peking, and passed through
great many fine cities, which were exceed
ingly populous Unfortunately they appear
to be very unsophisticated young men, from
tweuty-four to twenty-si years of age, and
did not proft much by their opportunities Of
travel. In all the resting places they were
kent in the prisons, and in COrea and Man
churia they never saw a woman; they were
;eaIousy kept from the Fan-quis.