Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-04-09
A Glance At Csnton.

There is some additional intelligence from
China given in the correspondence of the
London Times:
GoyERNoR'S YAMCN, Canton. Jan. ~.
trasersed the whole city of Canton, and
found the people going on with their aGous-
toned occupations. Along the great East
and West thoroughfare closed shop was BE-
come rare exception, and the only diihcoity
was to push our way through the crowd
The people we're cutting up their pigs ana
their fish 1.-THE abundance Of immense carp.
tench and roach in the streets OF the city is
wonderfully and cooking their comestlbles IN
full business like security. Id!ers we're play
log at Chinese hazard, and exhibiting their
piles Of coins upon the board. The curiosity
shops in incredible numbers were spread
with curious antiques of the newest fashions.
The crowds are not even afraid TO manifest
curiosity at the clothes and features Of their
European guests, aod the shop keepers in
vite you into their shops with polteness
that proves they have no misgiVing that you
will exercise any right of conquest except
conquest by purchase. Yet the spirit OF inso-
lenoe has departed out of them. Neither III
word nor gesture is there any symptoms OF
hostility or even of dislike. have seen TWO
people frightened very much By soolding
for using the word 'Fan-queT (ioreign devil
but believe they used it in all innocence,
having never heard US called by any other
name.
SO far from there being any notion OF
retaking this city, | believe that no ten
Cinnamon within sight of Canton would dare
to raise a stick in the presence OF British
or French soldier or sailor.
The street of the Triumphal Arches Is
the only exception to the general reopening
movement. That street lay rather in the
way of the Pbegethon's fire, and the low
er part of it has suffered severely. The
Chinese are engaged in clearing away the
rubbish, to rebuild their burnt houses, but
the uniniured shops near the Treasury still
remain sulkily closed. 10 the large West
tern suburb, where the streets and shops
are quite as good as in the city, not a shot
fell, and business goes Oh as usual.
The commercial parts of Canton have
been much oyerestlmstcd. Canton Is big
and populous; that is all. In other respects
it is very ordinary China city. Its tenn
piles are numerous, aud the Confucian Ten
pie, and the temple of Five Hundred Gods
are good Of their kind, but most OF the others
are miserable and dlapidated. The nine
story pagoda is in so ruinous condition
that the General the other day forbade tue
attempt to climb the fragments of It's brok-
en- stalr-cass. Yet this pagoda is the great
boast and lion of Canton. The Chinese
boasted of it because foreigners could not
get near enough to see what miserable
ruin il is. When the general and MS party
went to the pagoda it bad all the air OF
not having been opened for twenty years.
| have already spoken of that great district
of desolation the Tartar-GeneraPs vamun.
Hundreds Of coolies are now paper'Dg and
white-wsshing; carpentersare shoringup, aud,
| believe, even painters are painting. Ii Is
though, that when the jungle Is cleared away,
aud the roofs and foors are secured, and the
bats driven out, and the atmosphere sweeten-
ed, it will become good barracks, and that
the surrounding grounds will become capital
camping grounds for British grenadiers.'
| have taken some pains to ascertain the
loss suffered by the Chinese during the
ombardment and storm. We have all the
official returns of the first day in our posses
sion, and no account that have seen places
the details during the whole operations high
er than 200. Some distrust the Chinese &C
counts, but l am inclined to put faith in
them. Unless you surround Chinese soldiers
you never kill many of them. You never
catch them upon an island or an isolated pO-
siton They fire very 6ercely upon you as
you are coming up to attack them, but es-
cape by the back door as soon as you get too