The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-03-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
LATE CHINA NEWS.

army
PEKISC, October 9th, 1860.
We encamped here on the 9th. ON the same
evening the Enperor's summer place Yuen-min-
fuen was taken possession Of. and yesterday
Messrs- H. > Parker. and Henry Loeb were
liberated. and returned 10 the Embassy. On the
following morning the Allied forces were on the
march in search Of the Tartars who were sup
posed To be IN great numbers about / OF , miles
of The front of the two armies stretched over
a large extent Of country, but the enemy was
not seen, nor any sign of an abandoned camp
visible We halted 1T / O'Clock p. ". Recon
NOTHING parties were sent out AZ night and they
fell In with the Tartar pickets, who fired three
shots at them. On the morning Of the 9th, we
were again on the move at an early hour. but on
reaching the ground where the pickets had been
seen, all was still.
Here are some very high hrick-kilns. from
which, several gates, and other structures within
the walls Of Peking, were distinctly seen about
i've miles distant. Still in pursuit Of the retreat
ing enemy, we marched on through Il thickiy-
wooded country until within half a mile Of the
earthwork which extends along the north side
of, and distant one mile from the capital, where
some Tartars were seen among the houses close
to. The Kings Dragon Guards went In at
them and they fed, leaving eight dead OF disa-
bled and one Of the Dragons was wounded in
the skirmish. In a short time after. the earth
work was reached, and n gap Of 90 or so yards
opened upon a straight road OF the same width
leading TO the v. +. gate of Peking. The
troops entered by this gap and wheeling 70 the
right halted where We now are. within the earth
work, an enbankment 40 to 80 feet high. which
would be- a strong defence in the hands Of eff
cIent troops Here the greater part Of the Brit
ish Army encamped. Why il did not proceed to
the Summer Palace at once, a. was planned, |
do not know. The French, and most Of our
Cavalry with some Artillery did 80, but the for
ner did not arrive on the spot until two hours
after the latter who were waiting for the remain
der Of our Army On the French coming mp
the Brigadier offered u co-Operate with them.
They asked him to go round to cut off the Tar
tarz whilst they attacked the palace. This they
did and found 200 Eunuchs in charge OF il and
40 men who take care of the gardens, only 20
OF whom had guns. They made q slight resist
anee; 2 -Eunuchs were killed, and = French
officers wounded, and they then took possession
of the palace.
The Summer Palace is about five miles by n
circuitous road v. W. of this camp, outside the
earthwOrk. \ description of IL l. given in
StauntOn's account of Lord Maca-tney's embassy,
and other works on China, but no pen can des-
cribe correctly the scene that has taken place
there within the two last days. Indiscriminate
loot has been allowed. The public reception
ball. the state and private BEDROOMS, ante-roOms,
boudOirs, and every other apartment has been
ransacked articles Of vertu, of native and for
eign workmanship taken, or broken If too large
to be carried away, ornamental lattice work,
screens, Jade stone ornaments, jars, clocks,
watches and other pieces Of mechanism, curtains
and furniture, none have escaped from destruc-
ton. There were extensive ward-rObes of every
article Of dress coats richly embroidered in
silk and gold thread, in the Imperial Dragon
pattern. Boots, bead dresses, fans, &c, in fact,
featured silks in rolls, such as may be bought in
Canton at so 20 $50 Per piece. By a calcula-
ton made in the rooms, there must have been
10000 or $4,000 pieces, hundreds were thrown
down and traInpled on, and the floor covered
thickly with them, men were throwing them at
each other and nil takiup n many aE tbau cnuIH I
carry. They were used instead of rope To SCI
cure the loading of carts filed with them.
Throughout the French camp were hundreds of
pieces, some heaped up, others used to make
tents or beds and coyerlids.
In the afternoon yesterday, a party Of French
went through the apartments with sticks break
ing everything that remained, mirrors, screens,
panels. &c, &c. 1t is said they did SO in re-
venge for the blrbarous treatment the released
prisOners- their cOuntrymen, had received.
\ Treasury containing 4 large quantity of
gold IDgOts and syeee silver is under charge ola
guard. and il to be divided between the English
and French.
The total value of property destroyed would
amount To 4 large instalment of the Indemnity
claimed.
In one Of the ante-rOOms Of the State Bedroom
Mt the Summer Palace. the Treaty of Tientsin in
English and Chinese, signed by Lord EIgin, was
found Ii had been thrown on the ground by
some one and lay IN the heap Of broken articles,
till the English paper evidently attracted the
eye Of tho person who discovered it.
All round the vicinity of the Palace are large
enclosures, parks, or cemeteries, with trees of
some magnitude, and many stone bridges over
nullahs, the country being very dry at present.
Branching off from the palace are several paved
roads, and just outside of it is the French camp
by the side OF two large lotus ponds. IL is re
ported that they are to leave that place to-day
and take upa position ON our left. They wish
20 take the West gate of the city which Is the
only one open, but it Is objected 20 as the En-
perOr's brother the Prince Hung would not then
be able to enter..the city should he be induced to
return from the country u which, IL IL said. he
has fed. We propose To take one of the gates
on the North-siie near To this camp and shall do
80 as soon rs the siege guns, which have been
ordered up. arrive. | have not learnt what is /;
then TO be done. IL is supposed the army will
not enter PekIng in any case, but that officers
Will BE- allOwed To do SO with u pass. The utter l.
destruction of the interior of the Summer Pal /.
nee. where, be il remembered. Lord Amherst rs
Ambassador from England, WIS insultei, is but
small punishment for the EmperOr's cuntumacy /
and the treatment of the prisoners who were
captured whilst on u peaceful mission, vet, the
like visitation being inflicted on the palace i'm
Peking might b. impolitic though deseryei-that
would not only utterly destroy the present Gov
eminent, but prevent the organization of n new
one under our protection, should il he desirable
u do so. q
The prompt release Of the prisoners on our
near approach TO the capital proves that only a
policy can succeed with the Government. IL
Is To be hoped that the same will be persisted i'm
that no terms short Of our demands will be
accepted. Whether We shall treat before the {
rest Of the prisoners are released is not made I
If San-kO-lin-sin remain Obdurate not I
withstanding the defeat of his army at all points, :
we may have To do SO OF the end will never come. /
At sunrise of the morning after we arrived c
here u salute Of 2l-guns was fred by the artiI- :
TO announce our position to the prisoners :
to our cavalry and artillery which had v
crossed our trail and gone ON TO the Summer {
Palace expecting to find the army there. O
The Emperor is reported to have gone TO his I