Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-03
Correspondence of the London Times.
The British Expedition to China.

in demoshing the forts, getting off the guns, and
securing our position. A line Of junks moore,l
across the river at the village Takoo. about three
miles from Tunkoo, served admirably as "a barri-
cade against fre-raits, should the Chinese resort
To that fayorite mode Of attack: behind these our
| advanced gunboats were anchored. 1t had been
| intmntcd IL the Chinese authorities that tho cap
ture ii the forts by force in the event Of their not
being pcaceaby surrendered. WAS not intended by
the allied Governments 10 imply u hostile attitude,
on their part towards the Imperial governments
but WINS to be regarded M n preliminary measure
rendered necessary 10 secure the sa.cty OF the nm
hnssalors who. ia consequence of the refusal If
III" cabinet NJ l'ek 10 trent with them at a dis
tancc, had determined to proceed TO Ticn-sin with
the view Of putting Themselves more Immediately
into communication with the nigh Iunctannres Of
| the empire. Indeed. the position of Ticn-sip n,
the junction Of the Grand Canal and pciho river
its proximity 10 Pekln, and its importance To- the
capital in mercantile point Of view, all combined
| to induce the belief. that at city in the empire
with the exception, perhaps, of Pckin itself, can
| negotiations be carried on under more favorable
conditions.
! FORE after the taking Of the forts, was to proceed
on the exploration oi the river for the purpose , f
opening the way and securing safe transit for
the nllici missions u Tiensin. As they anticipn-
ted every description Of natural and artificial Oh
structlons and conceived that the Chinese woull
| ~,
they advanced Mt first but slowly. As they pro-
cecded, however, it became apparent that these
fears were groundless; the river, winding thruu I'll
n Tat alluvin country with richly cultivated and
partially wooded banks, had an average breadth
Of about 300 yards with IL depth Of water mt half
| tide ringing from ten feet To forty. Villages
were not very numerous, aud consisted merely Of
collection of mud hus such rs grace the bank,
Of the Nile. So far from the inhabitants ATTEMPT
ing to oppose the progress Of the allies show
ing signs of dstrust much less Of nctiyc hostility
they collected in crowds upon the banks, prostrn.
! ting themselves with heir torcleads to the ground
rs the first gunbonts passed, and staring ut those
following with al expression OF eountennncs pecu-
liar to the race, IN which the most lisless apathy
~ combined with the extreme of wonder and awe.
The shore was occasionally lined with these curl
Gus spectators, who, ns they invariably adopt II
squirting attitude lnokcd like rnws of pcngnus
gazing for the first time upon some intrepid Arctic
explorer. II the first time that the de, shin
Of the laibarians had disturbed the muddy waters
of the Peho, or that the agitatcd pant of "a 6U
horse power steam eng me had aroused from noon
day sic,ta the placid inhabitants Of it's banks But
they did not content th'msclvcs with gazing ut or
wulshppins the god oi steam regarding il rs the
precursor ). II power destined 10 overthrow the
present dynasty and raisris'iupon its ruins they
faced the DEGREES Of fat" IN II spirit worthy
ton which has preserved it, existence throughout
changing dynastie~ ior countless ages, and with
cries Of Hail, great King! welcome, oh, King.
come thou and reign over us and be our Empc-
ror. they brought cattle and poultry and We .eta-
blcs down as presents. The pioneer of European
civilization il. China would fare badly if he acted
on the pr iuciples oi Hmed IthndoS. On the 25ih
of May the Stnunch mad i'ns,nrd, leading gun.
boats, continuing the marines and smali-arm men
Of the pilur and Furious. under Captains S.r
Frederick Nicholson and ;,icrard Osborn, sighted
Ticn-sin, and tia. following day the udmirnls III
their respective SHIPS, tor"mandcl and Avalanche
anchored opposite the t"nn. Their success hth-
crto had 81 far exceeded their most sanguinc
expectations that they pushed on beyond Ten-sin
towards .ro"ng'hnw tie port Of Pckn and dis
tant only ten miles from that city. The larger
gunboats were brought to stanllsill very short.
y after leaving ricr sin, hut the krstrnl of H.
horse power with the s ps' boats in tlw succeed
ed IN reaching II hllitce about $ miles above this
town. Meantime, other g,inbcats were cmplovrd
clearing the lunks out Of the river between Ten.
SIN aud the mouth, 81 a. TO render it impossill"
Tor the Chinese To bar our egIcss by sinkin junks
The crowd OF these making their escape by ODE
di'nce TO orders was s"nct'mcS great as to cause
as hopeless II lnn as may occasionally be seen ill.,
side Ielnpie-bdr 1h.ls accomplished in n
few days md without the slightest difficulty m
Operations which tn" French Admiral had declared
impossible unless supported ly II land force of H.,
600 men, and which m,ht have been us success
fully undertaken month sooner had not obstacles
existed ui II iur gravcr character than any which
the Chinese hay" u IN their power to intcrpose.-
At tins time Of year the loss of that month. the
finest IN the wear is most deeply To be regretted
Already We have most sag,ccnbly evidence Of
tho proximity mud probable temperature of n Pc
kin summer AS soon the Ambassadors were
made aware Of The complete success of the Adm-
rails they determined IL follow them. to Ticn-sn
III pursuance ut thclr original Intention and reach
cd that city on the morning ot the Ho,h OF May
Aspacious temple occasionally used as residence
| by former Emperor, commanding view OF the
river at its iundtiou with the Grand Canal, and
opposite the city VAS appropriated for the
modntion of the French and English Ambassadors
Numbers of Chinese servants were in at tcndnncc:
many of the rooms had been newly papcr,d, and
the work of furnishing up was going on hriskly
Baron eros and Lord Elgin occupy two light aud
AIRY pavilons on the summit Of Il mound, asrcn-
ded by pathway ornamental rockwork. Their
respective stats are scattered in sundry fragile
buildings of quaint construction, with paper walls
| or have made thcir bed room IN n Joss house in
which gods and goddesScs are the principal artic-
les of furniture spacious garden, enclosed by
Ii wall surrounds the whole. English and French
guards occupy the outhouses and stands sentry at
the principal entrances The national flags float
proudly over all, and line OF gunboats are moor
ed within twenty yards of the windows. Tines
consist at present Of the Coromandel, Cormorant.
Slaney, and Opossum tEnglish), the Avalanche,
Fuste, and Dragonne French) The Staunch,
Bustard, and kcstrcl are anchored IA mile above
the town, and tho leyen, Woodcock and Firm are
Somewhere between this and the fleet. he Wood
cock and kestrel, both forty horse power, arrived
II few days after the capture oy rungkoo. A par
ty OF eng inecrs have also arrived from Hong Kong
in the Sampson, and are engaged in blowing up
the forts after which 1t Is expected they will
here. Numerous yamums afford abundant bar
| rack accommodation. Notwithstanding the grea
variation in the temperature (the thermometer
L.. A.,