The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-14
Correspondence of The Philadelphia Ledoer !


Speaking of "coal" and government cow
downs" reminds me of a most important subject,
which it is to be hoped will command the early
OF our present energetic and practical
Secretary OF the Navy. allude to the fact of all
our government stores upon this station being COM
pletely at the mercy of the English There are
some eight thousand tons of coal, several hundred
bbls OF beet, do of pork, clothing, -four &C., &C..
stored upon the island of Hong long for the use of
our squadron in these seas. Now let us suppose
war to be suddenly declared! Being about one to
ten, as general rule, our ships would have to
trust to their heels, leaving coal and everything
else behind, and seeking shelter and supplies ia
Manila or Batavia. Nor would this be the worst
ieature-we should not only lose coal and stores,
so far as our own of them is concerned, but we
should actually be adding just so much to the
sources of our enemy. While we were anchored
there some months since, with little nothing to
occupy our time, L was so fortunate as to learn
much in regard to the tenure of property, rate of
rents, &c, and know beyond doubt that ground
could be leased for nine hundred and ninety-nine
years at an absurdly low figure, that proper Cow
downs storehouses could be put up at similar rates.
and that Coole labor would cost but eight cents
per day. for each able-bodied man that might be
required.
Han-kow has been again stormed by the rebels
now for the fourth time. Han-Kow, you will re-
member, is the city of two millions, situated at
fork of the great Yang tsze-Kiang, eight hundred
miles above its mouth, and to which Lord Elgin as
cended few months back with fleet Of small YES
sells. The news of this capture exercised most
depressing influence upon trade (foreign) in the
vicinity of Canton, ana indeed to greater or less
| extent along the entire coast. A small anecdote
was told me few weeks since by an American mer-
chant of Hong Kong, whose simple word is sufii-
| Gent guarantee to its truth.
''Some two years since," he said, f'shortly after
| the town baker "a Chinaman) had poisoned our
| bread, brother merchant of mine called his but
| tier to the breakfast table and said:
" Butler, don't like the look ofthis bread take
| it away and see If it is not pOisoned'
can hour or or two later he met him, and asked:
"'We, what about the bread?'
cole all right; posonp
"'How do you know?' queried the merchant.
"'Bottom side down stars) have got one small
boy, one coolie; he no got father, got mother;
give him one piece-he eat, no make sick. Can
secure now"
Comment is useless upon such cod-blooded
proceeding as the above.
Advices from Batavia tell us of a reverse EXPERT
enced by the Dutch troops at the town of Boni Is
land of Celebes, at the hands of the natives The
General wounded, eight killed, and some twenty
others wounded. The French at Touron, it is said,
have been equally unfortunate No particulars,
however, to be relied upon. Rumor SAYS however,
that the Cochin Chinese fighting better than
their cousins at the mouth of the Pe-ho
discovery is said to have been recently made
here, which, if true, must soon do away with the
expense of coppering ships bottoms. The object
! OF this, as every knows, is to protect the ship
! against the attacks of worm which prevail to a
greater less extent in all seas, and it is now said
that no worm will trouble wood which has received
| a coating of Gambia. 1t is estimated that $50
would coat the bottom of large ship; and it is
said to harden and preserve the wood. The exper.
| iment has been tried here upon small scale, and
! found to succeed admirably. Why not repeat it al
some of our American ship-yards?