The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-20
T o r EIGN

VI
AN Excursion INTO CANroN-Bv the treaty sim
ulations which closed the last war between ENGLAND
and China, commonly known as the Opium War
foreigners were accorded permission to enter the
city of Canton in pursuit of business or pleasure as
often they might deem expedient so long as thew
conformed to the municipal regulations of the place
This clause of the treaty was subsequently evaded
upon various pretences and the interior of Canton
remained as much mystery to the ''outsde barba
rians, it had been for centuries before But the
recent capture of the city has removed the lono
isting interdict, and has naturally led already to
partial explorations.
As prelude to more extended descriptions which
will unquestionabiy follow before long we copv the
following account of excursion into the citv af
ter its capture from The Friend of China, Jan. 14b
The houses about the spot selected for the land
ing place, as precautionary measure had to be
destroyed. Before setting them on fire. Cant Hall
whose activity in works of this nature is spoken of
on all hands in the highest terms took great pains
to ascertain whether there were any inmates and
fortunate for some poor bed-ridden people was it
that he did so, or they would have been burnt to
death. The debris of these houses still smoke and
passage over tbs bot bricks is not pleasant to the
feet. Over thu creek, running in the roar Of thn.
French Folly, bridge of rough timber on half a
dozen boats, has been made. As we passed over
this morning, Chinese vapabonds had inst
completed an aperture in the roof of lofty pawn-
shop, the contents of which were soon distributed
about.
From the street parallel with the creek the road
leads across the eastern parade ground by the east
ernmost of the called arches erected in ls47 to
sgnalize our ''deeat" as Sir John Dayiss raid vas
called; another of the striking instances of the i'm
policy of doing anything by halves with Chinese
From this column arch the street runs direct to
the east gate, and is crowded all day with beggars.
blind women, and children. Colonel Graham has
HrS CHI
and as we passed as dusty as a miller, aiding
with his own hands to clear the place of lot of rice
quantity of which he was humancly doling out to
the starving crowd outside.
Unless provided with pass from the Adiutant
General, Colonel Stephenson strangers are not
permitted to go up to the front. As we went in
MIR. Sturgis of the firm of Russell & Co.. more for
tunate than Others of his brother merchants. was
coming out. Whilst waiting for the passes Major
Burmester came up with two prisoners, who it
turned out were gaoers caught in the act of chas-
ing into our lines poor fellow who had ESCAPED
from gaol. The escaped man proved to be Ash
nlng, son OF Woo-soo-poO, one of the oldest of
our Pedder's Wharf boatIhen Ashinr's tale
run, that about two months ago he went
over to kowoon to purchase stock for an Amer
lean ship he was supplying, and was there
selzed by the mandarin and sent to Canton. His
appearance was most wobegone: his hair, unshaycn
during the period of his detention. standing on end
ike qulllS on frettul pOrcupine. He saws that as
many as $50 were in the same gaol as himself
(There are four gaos in the city, but of the batch
he does not think more than fifty rot clear the man
darins to make sure of the rest wbinninm tbeir
heads off at once These wratcbes bod tbo aTndon;t,
to cut off three heads in the street baIow and in
full view of our sentries over the east gate. Orders
had been given not to fire on the people in the
Streets and the bloodthirsty executioners were al
lowed to do their work unnolested; but the sooner
such assumption of sovereign power is stonned the
better
The military train coolies and Madras camn fol-
lowers are quartcred in the Examination Hall cells
and capital quarters they make Each cell meas
from the board floor raised about foot and a half
above the ground. they are six fee bioh. or these
cells there are some fifty or sixty RANGES of 58 cells
in range, along one side of a spacious ward: and
similar range on the opposite side; the whole par
Gel being surrounded with neichune wall forming
a distinct area from the S. E anple of the wall Of
the old City up to the Chiaqoong moon east pate(
The examination hall itself is occupied bv officers
of the Commissariat
a four foot passage way along the front of each
range of cells is paved with granite but more than
half Of these lanes are overgrown with weeds and
rank grass, and now that our shot and shell have
torn IN the roofnps the grnat tamnIe of Ieorninor
the head quarters of our fercest onnonents tie
literati presents forlorn anpearance
Over the southwest pate tbe character, Yaoh
cbooy sionif;nT, sc['o .ls: - ~ 49, ~ e ~ -, %
Over tbe sonth east cato Ho1,.,, vi spo,
the rasinu of worth > ''
An old man. caIIno bimsoIf aftar his obodo lC,,
fab, refuses to- yacate the temnIe below tbe SoIli"-
coong (head-ouarters. He is seventy wears of
age, he saws and so lon0 As he can Obtain little
rice tobacco and tea there he shall rnmain He
was told that as the marines then thern were rono
TO leave he MIGHT NOT find fbo incon,ors I+bo So,.1
art;llory( 90 WV N.td tilo ~! a.
he ranI;d b did LILY a. aie9 WIre, ~ wnlch
fellow rnclrsoS ba Iroort "a go Lii -, 80,
the bomhardmon+ h,,t y i;J Dlt - N ~ -S