The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-02
FROM CHINA. - FURTHER DIFFICULTIES BE-
TWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE CHINESE.
From the Correspondence OF board II
S. steamship Mississippi at Whampoa, Jan lsih.l

from the Correspondence OF board u
Fab. 5 steamship Mississippi at Whampoa, Jan ishl
In my last letter gave you to understand that prob.
ably should not trouble you more than before
departure for home but it turns out we are all
liable to Mistakes and cannot tell what day may bring
forth While we have been atterng ourselves that the
hostites between the contcndng parties at end
and sudden have broken which have CALI
ed for the Use of powder shot, and she'll and many n
noble fellow has been made to kiss the Garth Since nv
last letter difficulties have taken place in tue neigh
borhood of that doomed city Canton. fcw DAVIS ago
Gen Strauben2ae Commander in-chief of tie English
forces in Canton with party Of gentlem IN took il into
their heads to have froc about ten miles from Canton
near place called the NinetySx Villages and in the
vicinity of what is called the White Mountains While
they enjoying themselves tie braves Of one Of the
villages os other attacked the party will,
gingals, which, however dir injury For this insult
the general and Admiral Seymour decided to attack the
village and level it to tao ground and accordingly adj
dtional gunboat troops and sailors were sent up here
from Hong Kong. Saturday, the 9Th Instant was the
day decided upon for the attack and the evening pre-
ceding two hundred sailors and Marines with field
pieces, left the Enah fgate Cambran lying here, and
proceeded TO the scene Of action. At s, a. m. on the
day appointed, the gn-boas commenced bombardng the
villages and kept it up three hours milking sad
havoc among the dwellings, of the inhabitants
After the honbardment, the General aided by Colonel
Holloway, landed with two Thousand men and two hun.
drcd artierss, when regular battle cnsred between
them and the braves, the result of which the defeat
of the latter NTH loss of hundred and fifty The
loss Of the English Is reported to be n killed and large
number OF wounded II IL thought however, that the
English loss was much more After the fight tho
village was fred and every dwelling destroyed The gem
eral impression here among all Europeans IS that the
suit offered to the General and his party was not of
nature TO warrant such severe punishment In fact it
is thought that the General had good
ture into the country amongst these Infatuated people,
and 1t looks II it done purpose to keep up the
quarrel with the Chinese people with view OF breaking
the late treaty for the English dislike the idea of giving
up Canton and are DESTROYS, if possible to get the city
into their sole possession 1t is pretty certain that Gen
staubenzae and Admiral Seymour have not won any new
laurels for themselves in their hast act ia the Chinese
waters
am sorry to Eeeoa the fact that another Massachusetts,
ship the Live Yankee, of Boston, Capt Thondike has
lately sailed from Macoa with eleven hundred coolies
for Havana. The coole trade is equally as bad as the
African slave trade yet all of the ships or nearly all Of
them, engaged Ia this new traffic hail from moral Massh
chasats that dear Christian State which cried uoh
for poor " bleeding Kansas Would it not be well for
Massachusetts to have Capt Thorndke arrested he
late Minister (aeed to China from government de-
clared the traffic in coolies to be criminal the African
slave trade
The French squadron have bombarled and taken pos
session OF several small towns and villages along the
shore and up the river in Cochin China At last accounts
the squadron awaiting reinforcements when at
tempt will be made to proceed into the interior and cap
turc some of the enemy s strongholds.
The English frgates, the Retrbution and Cruiser, are
ashore in the fanktsekang, and all efforts to get them
QH have thus far proved frulcss. They will be obliged
to remain where they are guarded by their crews until
the spring tides, when they will probably be got OIL
Lord Egin has arrived at Shanghae from up the river
On his way down his gun-boat was fred into by the
rebels and an officer and sailor wounded For this
outrage his losbip caused many of the forts could
be reached to DO blown up The rebel forces multi
plying daily, and their movements are not only terror
90 the Chinese but to the European residents Treaties
have been made between tia -four great powers and this
country but you NAY rest assured that the difficulties in
TINS country are not yet WITH in fact they have nos
yet m'rly shown themselves. The country, OF large
PORTION OF IT, is in possession of the rebels while on the
other hand the Chinese people deadly opposed TO all
foreigners The braves who fought calamity at the
fall OF Canton estimated City thousand strong and
They are ready and willing to fight all outside barbaans
An instance of Chinese treachery occurred few days
since One of our boats proceeded up the river and the
men landed few miles from Whampoa. when they were
met by large body Of tho natives who attempted to
seize and cut OF half dozen Yankee heads but the men
succeeded m reaching their boat In safety.
me commencement OF the New Year was duly ceie-
naSea on board Cd the good old Mississippi In the eve
ming we had theatrical performance temporary stage
being erected for the OCCASION and the ship beautifully