The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-04-26

than | intended. VIM. A. IENOlR.
Fort Defiance, IN. CO. Jan. 8, 1859.
INTERESTING FROM CHINA.
We CLEAN the following items of interest from
the correspondence of the New York Herald:
The Allies still hold on to Canton, and up to
this time there is sign of the city being turned
over to the Chinese government. Their troops
and gunboats still raman on duty, with their small
arms and guns of large calibre, ready to commence
the work of death at moments warning.
Within the past fortnig ht weather has
changed to extreme cold. Wooden clothes and
pea jackets have become welcome. While we are
all pretty comfortably situated on board of our
vessel there thousands of poor Chinese people,
whose only habitations in the RECONSTRUCTED
and miserable looking sanpans or boats that abound
in this river, who are on the eve of starvng-some
being almost in state of nudity, for the want of
clothing to their persons and to protect them
from the cold weather. Ourship is daily surrounded
with of these boats with their living freight
of men women and children, eagerly watching for
the refuse food that is usually thrown overheard
after meals are over. This being noticed by our
humane captain he gave orders not to have them
driven away from the ship; and he had clothes
collected among the crew and distributed among
these unfortunate people
Not less than fifteen twenty families are thus
Hldue Hdppy ny Iue uoDle SOILS Vi the SOOu
old Mississippi.
I have taken flying visit up to the city of
Canton. There are plainly to be all the
mseries of war All along the river and in the
neighborhood Of the city the eye rests upon the
ruins of what were once noble forts, and supposed
to have been sufficiently strong to protect the city
from invasion. Aided by an English soldier and
Chinaman guides, I travelled over large
part of the city. Turn which way [ would my
oA oplr t1o .
houses or dwellings more or less demolished by
shells from tie allies. The famous temple or
palace which was the residence of Governor Y Ell
is entirely destroyed; the buildings, which were
said to be the handsomest in the city, and covered
over several acres of ground, are mass fruins In
room of this palace, after Yeh was captured, was
found packed up in boxes twenty-three hundred
thousand Spanish and Mexican dollars, which fell
into the hands of the victorious party. At one
end of the city are the remains of what were in
his days known and used as the decapitaton sheds.
Within these enclosures Yeh caused thousands
of persons to be beheaded for the most trifinc
offence
The next and most horrible sight to be seen
the "Tempe of Horrors" Within the walls
of this building images Of every description,
made out of clay and other substances, exhibiting
to the spectators the different modes of punishment
which will be inflicted upon them if they disobey
of saving criminal into pieces. The unfortunate
is placed in between two boards and by means of
jackscrews he is squeezed fiat as possible; then
an official commences at the top of his head and
saws him into slices. Another represents a
machine by which the culprit is ground to death;
another represents an official in the act of pouring
boiling lead down criminals throat, and another
thrustng red hot bar of iron down the throat and
into the ears of convict. There are also efigies
oh Of L, II, e IL
victim into six pieces; whilst others exhibit the
disembowelling punishment equally horrible to
behold.
A short time ago woman convicted before
the Imperial Court for the murder of her husband;
she sentenced to be cut six times, and then
be beheaded, which sentence was carried into
effect The unfortunate woman was taken to the
execution ground, near the above temple; here she
was stripped naked, then executioners carried
the sentence of the law into effect; two of them
cut Oft her breasts, two more cut off the heshy
part of her hips two cut off the thick part of
her ankles, the parts cut off being thrown in front
of her to look at; this DONE her head was severed
from her body, and her horrible sufferinss were
put an end to.
1nfanticide appears to be quite common in this
country. party left this ship a few days ago on
cunning excursion among the beautiful woods
near Whampoa and during their travel of three
children, varying from two or three weeks to
year or two old, lying in the woods, where they
had probably been left by their unnatural mothers
Some OF them had been partially devoured. either
by the dogs or hogs, which constantly prowling
about for game
The morals of China are in very low state A
man is allowed to turn his wife off whenever he
gets tired of her. and take another one, without
any form of divorce privilege that is not allowed
to the poor females. Again, a married man is
permitted to keep the society of any other woman
he may select, and there is no law to prevent his
doing so. If married woman. however, commits
the same offence, she is cast off from her husband
and children, and forever disgraced. Female
children when born often put to death, for the
reason that the inhuman father considers the birth
of a female child a curse to him. Where there
are boys and girls in family all favors are bestowed
upon the former. while the latter are looked upon
with disgust. The Chinese women of the lower
class perform all sorts of labor on land as we'll as
on the rivers. Their situation is most deplorable
China is far behind what her neighbor Japan, is.
NINE MEN KUJED -Four white man ,nd g.