The Rebellion in China.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume X, Issue 642, 23 August 1853, Page 3

The Rebellion in China.

Progress op the Insurgents. — The following statement has been handed to us, as coming through the medium of the persons employed about the military commandant, and connected with the conveyance of official despatches to and from Shanghae :—": — " On the 11th February, they entered Han-k'how ; on the 14th, occurred the battle of Hwang-chow; on the 16th, they took Woo-ch'hang ; the 18th, marked the fall of Kew-keang ; on the 20th, they arrived at Seaoukoo-san j and the next day, they reached Tung-lew ; Gtnan-k'hin fell on the 24th ; Ta-t'hung (about 30 miles to the northeast of the latter place,) was passed on the 25th ; Wbo-hoo fell on the 3d March ; the Tung-seleacg-san (two hills, one on each side the river, about 10 miles from Woohoo, were reached on the 6th ; T'haeping was taken the next day; and on the Bth, the insurgents arrived opposite Nan-king ; which is baid to have fallen on the 21st, though this latter report has been contradicted "—lf" — If the above be true, and there is little reason to doubt the general facts narrated, the insurgents must have made a most rapid progress, and the imperialists displayed a pusillanimity indicative of the approaching downfall of their dynasty." — Novtli-China Herald, April 2. We hear from good authority, that on the sth April, another letter was received from the Lieui.-G over nor of the Province, Yang, addressed through the Taoutae to the Foreign Consuls, stating that he is now elevated to the rank of Viceroy ; from which it is to be inferred that the former Viceroy Luh, is either dead or degraded. In the course of his letter he states, that ihe city of Nanking has been taken by the insurgents, and the Viceroy's seal and official papers have been lost. He intimates likewise that the three square-rigged merchantvessels that have sailed up the Yang-tsze-kiang are inefficacious and inconvenient : that nothing but war-steamers will answer the purpose, which he intreats may be sent with all speed to Chinkeang-foo, or else all will be lost. — North- China Herald, April 9. {From the •• Overland Register," Apnl 22.) The journtliiU who not only despatch •• their own correspondents" into Ireland or Wales when rebeli show their headf in the one or rioters in the other, but can hare thee useful gentlemen informing them of every incident which takes place in every court of Europe, and when contending arroiei »re met, of erery incident connected with every engagement, can keep their reader* "poiteJ up"

on the moit minute details of pasting event*. It ii otherwise with a journalist in China. Revolutions may be going on in the interior of the country, bat however anxious he may be to learn the movements therein, any a< tempts to do to are generally futile. He cannot depend upon reports even from the best informed Chinese, for they are current one day only to be denied the next. The rising in Kwsngsai, of which to much hat been written within the last two yean, the exaggerated reports of which we so generally doubted, hts become of • more serious character thin we thought possible. The men who in that province commenced their rebellious movements by plunder iog treasuries and collecting black mail, unchecked and unpunished by the Imperial troops, have now gained sunh strength and power, that the govern* ment of the country will have to put forth its utmost vigour before the rebellious movements which are now exciting^ to much attention can be put down. To put our readers in possession of what is known at the present time, we quote largely from late numbers of the " North China Herald," and are permitted to give the following interesting letter from an intelligent writer on the spot :— ''You will see by the public prints in what exciting times we live. We have had be'ore us, for the last week, all the pomp and circumstance of war. On Sunday last a body of 5,000 armed men, with about forty field pieces, paraded through our streets — harmless village braves, who are paid to run at the first shot, if indeed they s<op to hear it. Now we have forts and lines thrown up all around us, with a redoubt at our very gateway, constructed by (he naval force under the command of Captain Fiihbourne. To-day, at ten, all the foreign residents are to meet, at the requisition of all tbe Consuls, to consult on taking measures for joint defence. In the meantime, Nankin and Chin keang. foo are taken by the rebels, and the insurgents have only been restrained from advancing on Soochow and Shanghae by the presence of the Imperialists in tbeir rear, which has compelled them to retire oa Nanking, where they are said to be surrounded : other repoits say that they have surrounded the Imperialists, and expect in a few days to put them to flight. You will have seen also an ominous placard from tbe rebels, in which they hurl defiance at the foreigners. Some doubt its genuineness, It appears to me, however, to wear as much the appearance of authenticity as any we have hitherto seen. True, it would be impolitic, with an army of Tartars in their rear, to incenie three powerful European states against them ; but they are ignorant of the power of foreigners, and are so flushed with previous success that they vainly believe the world is at their feet. Tiue, alio, it is at variance with tbe religious proclamation, which quotes the Bible of foreigners. But that proclamation has the least claim of all to genuineness— being drawn up in so slovenly a manner, that no Chmeie of any pretensions to common school-boy knowledge would put their names to it. The true state of the case seems to me that they are proud Confucianiits, determined to establish the ancient manners and customs prevalent under the Han and Ming dynasty, and so exasperated against the Manchows that they are likely to look with disgust upon anything foreign ; and while they are bent upon rooting out Buddhism, they would be as little dis posed to favour Christianity. We have letters last night ( from Soochow, detailing their cruelties to the Manchow women when they took Nanking. Having decoyed 700 of these unfortunates into a building, under pretence of getting them married to Chinese people, they ruthlessly set fire to the whole, and reduced them to a<-hes. They then registered the inmates of every /hpuse in Nanking, and the next day went through the city, comparing the listi wt h the inh bilanti found in each dwelling, when, if they found more than the number given in (a very likely ease), they killed tbe odd numbers. They then pressed every Chinese into the army, from 15 to 45 ; killing tbe children as useless, appropriating the younger Women, and making ilia younger ones cooks and scullions. This may be a mere report, exaggerated by the fears of the Chinese ; still the indiscriminate slaughter of the Budi'hut priests gives some colour to it. "Th' city of Shanghae is nearly deserted; the inhibitantb have carried cut their goods and furniture, even to sticks and straws, leaving empty dwellings, all shut up, and a few poor and ill-disposed persons prowling about the streets. Of course there is no trade, and we expect soon to have a scarcity of provisions. We dare not pack up and remove our goods, for fear of alarming our servants, who would all instantly leave. We remain, therefore, ready to depart with what we stand up in, at a moment's warning." We give this letter as a kind of index to tbe feelings of the foreign commuuity of Shanghae at the date at which it was written. It has since been reported that Nanking has been retaken by the Imperialist troops. In what position the city of Cbin-liiung-foo stands has not become known. The news which will reach England by tbe outgoing mail will be canvassed both by the Government and the'people ; the Government, more especially the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will quake in the dread ot losing for a time the revenue which is derived from the Tea duties — the people will fear the loss of the herb upon which they have been so long accustomed to de, end, and one of its principal bodies, the manufacturing part of the population, will fear the lots of a market which, although ranking as a very small one, is still a market. How are the present " difficulties" to end ? Is the Tartar government of the country to be hurled from its high position, and its members driven back into their ancient and wild fastnesses ? Or is it, awakening to its danger at the last moment, to put forth a power which will effectually put down the Rebel forces which are now marshalled against it ? Oar own opinion is, notwithstanding the apparent progress which has been made by the parties who are endeavouring to revolutionize the country, that it wih be found the present rulers of China have ! power enough to hold the position which, by force of arms they obtained above two hundred years «go. Whether it will take months, or whether it will take years, to bring the country into a state of quietude, is a question most difficult to answer. Nothing which has as yet come under our notice > would lead us to think that the heart and soul of the true Chinese portion of the empire has been thrown into the struggle. The veritable Chinaman knows nothing of patriotism. The breechless and red-skinned denizen of ihe forest of North America will rather die than quit the hunting grounds of his fathers, but it never causes a thought in the mind of a Chinaman who governs, provided he is allowed to eat his rice in peace,— to live, to die, as his ; fathers did before him. There is one feature in the present position of affairs which is particularly worthy of notice — it is this — not a single officer of the government, whether military or civil, has thrown himself into the Rebel ranks. The officers of the present ruling power have preferred death, either at the hands of their captors or at their own, to the going over to the ranks of the enemy.

East India Directors :— What They Abb and What Thbt Do.— (Timet.)— Suppose that the office of czar, in place of being « permanent " appointment," was but for a fixed term ; in point of fact, that Nicholas I. were a species of Russian director. Suppose further that ai the price of his elevation be had been compelled to canvai the elector* for many previous years ; that he had digested humiliation of every kind, incurred refu>ali five and six times at tbi door of tvery palace in St. Petersburgh, bartered hit future patronage for promises of tupport, and io finally, through the pate of humility and the byepatbs of corruption, had attained the object of his ambition. Could there be any doubt in such a case that during the tenure

of bit power he would farm the appointments of the Russian empire from the baton of the field, marshal to the insignia of a tide-waiter at Kronttadt, with a tingle view to the advancement of hi* own fortunes and the advantage of hit friends and dependants? Dearly would he have purchased the opportunity, and ttrenuously would he labour, no doubt, to make hay while the sun shone. The position of an Etst India director is pretty much that of the Russian autocrat in the supposed case. We do not quarrel in a certain sense with directors for using the position which they have laboured so hard to attain for the benefit of (heir families and their immediate friends. While human nature is human nature it is but natural that Sir Horatio Mul igatawny should hold that his eldest son John, who is of a studiou* turn, and has already made considerable progress in the Greek contract verbs , will one dty or other prove an ornament to the bench in the S udder Oewanny Adawlut, af'er he has collected taxes for certain years in the Tricbinopoli district ; that Thendoric, who has ever been friends with the old family co-icbmun, is admirably adapted (or cutting his country's enemies to pieces in the light blue and silver of the Madras cavalry ; and that the lively Timothy, his youngest hope, has been predestined by fate to a " direct appointment" to the Bengal army, without the preliminary purgatory of Addiscombc Tbe cnly surviving son of £>ir Horatio's widowed sister, Lonisa Ramsbottom —the late Major Ramsbottom was on the Bomb jy establishment — is a damp and flaccid student at St. Catherine's hall, and has already given evidence of strong theological twitches in his character — why should he not have the chaplaincy which falls to his uncle's gift by rotation, or can readily be procured by exchange of patronage with a brother director ? The chances are that the young men will discharge the duties of their several posts quite as satisfactoriJy as their compeer*, according to the Indian standard. We do not say that a very high-minded man would so juggle with hit conscience, but we mutt not apply too high a standard to human transactions if we would avoid disappointment. Tbe Eist Indian director uses hit patronage as ninety-nine per cent, of his predecessors have done before him, and precisely at his co directors are using it at the present moment. If then, the people of India groan under such a mal-administration of justice, or rather under such an administration of injustice ai that of which we gave a few examples on Saturday last, it is not for tbeir own benefit, nor is it for the benefit of the population of these islands, who have as little to do with the matter as they have with the internal administration of Patagonia or Rupert's Land. The only persons really bent fitted in the business aro the twenty four East India directors and their appointees, The directors, at we before observed, are twenty- four in number —the population of India 150,000,000 — in other words each director farms 6,000,000 or thereabouts of human beings for the benefit of his family, relations, and friends. New Piecb of Ordnance,— A new piece of ordnance for batteries and ships hat been invented by Robert Armstrong, Ist Dragoon Guards, Royal Barracks, Dublin. Its superiority over the old battery guns consists in its being capable of bring brought to bear upon any object within an angle of 90 degrees, without the necessity of moving its carriage, therefore fewer men will be required to work it. A ship armed with guns of this description could bring the whole of her broadside to bear upon any small otject within the angle of SO degrees, without moving one single carriage. It it particularly adapted for bow and stern-chasers. A ship either pursued or pursuing could bring at least two-third* of her broadside to bear upon the enemy without altering her course one single point, which could not be done with the ordinance now in use. In the event of a bombardment, every gun, in the short space of two minutes, could be converted into an effective mortar if required, fn batteries they possess the same advantages over the guns in present u«e, and it least three or four men less will be required to work them, as there will be no lifting to the right or left with handspikes. The metal of the gun is all that is moved when required to fire either to tbe right or left. He has aUo invented a field-piece on the same principle; a battery of which, when brought into action, will not require to hare their carriages moved about, unless a change of front it actually required, and in which the tliding.scale in the breach is dispensed with altogethsr. It is, we believe, the intention of tbe inventor to dispose of the invention and models when convenient, as he perhaps may not have an opportunity of exhibiting them at the Dublin Crystal Palace. — Dublin Saunders. Moral Paralysis of the Americans. — " The whole American nation is, in some sense, under a paralysis of public sentiment on this subject. It was taid by ft heathen writer that the gods gave vi the faculty of becoming accustomed to things. This power has proved a fearful one indeed in America. We have got used to things which might stir the dead in their graves. When but a small portion of the things dai.y done in America has been told in England, and France, and Italy, and Germany, there has been a perfect shriek and outcry of horror, America alone remains cool, and asks, • What is the matter ?' Europe answers back, • Why we have heard that men are sold like cattle in your country/—' Of course they are,' says America, 'but what then?'— 'We have heard,' says Europe, ' that millions of men are forbidden to re§d and write in your country ' — • We know that,' says America, 'but what is this ou'ery about?'— ' We hnve heard,' says Europe, • that Christian girls are sold to shame in your markets 1' — ' That isn't quite as it should be, 1 tays America ; but still what is this excitement about ?'— « We hear that three millions of your people can have no legal marriage ties,' says Europe.—' Certainly that is true,' returns America ; ' but you made such an outcry we thought you saw some great cruelty going on.'—' And you profess to be a tiee country I' says indignant Europe— 1 Certainly we are the freest and most en'ightened country in the world ; what are you talking about ?' says America.—' You send your missionaries to Christianize us,' says Turkey ; • and our religion has abolished this horrible system.' — ' You ! you are all heathen over there— what business have you to talk ?' answers America." — Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, j A Submarine Telegraph to India.— The 1 Patrie' states— lt it announced that an important project, which has excited the interest of the govern- | ment of the Emperor, is about to be realised. It , is stated that, after a serious study of the matter, a j Convention, in which the different powers interested have taken part, has jutt been concluded for the j establishment of an electrical communication which < will unite the European Continent with Algeria by ' croising the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Tbe submarine telegraph which comes from England to France is to be continued by land, and, after crossing Nice and Genoa, will reach Spezzia at the bottom of the gulf of that name. The new lins will start from that point, and after crossing the island of Corsica will pass by Sardinia to the coast of Algeria, near Bona. From that place, if it be though necessary, it will be continued as far at the Regency of Tunis. The works necessary for the accomplishment of the first part of this plan will be completed in two years from the date of the promulgation of the law. At that time the line will be prolonged by the shore of the Mediterranean in Africa at far as Alexandria, in order from that point to reach India and Australia. Scienoe and practice show that this plan, in spite of the serious difficulties which it presents, it principally realisable in the section which interetts France. All its parts have been carefully surveyed, and tbe direction of the submarine line has been established according to the last chart. The cable will lie at the bottom of the set ; the Mediterranean, if s straight Hue had.

been followed from the lilei d'Hyeret, near Toulon, to Cape Bourgaroni, on the cottt of Algeria, would not hare been practicable, at it hat in iti centre ■ depth of from 2,000 to 3,000 metret ; bnt the pointi choien for crossing are much more favourable. From Spezzia io Cape Cone the maximum depth ii only 220 metres ; in the Strait of Bonifacio it is only 80 ; and fiom Cape Teulada, at the extremity of the Island of Sardinia, to Bona, on the coast of Africa, it is only 327. The average depth is much less considerable. From theie date it will be seen that the operation is very practicable, and there ia reaion to hope that it will be crowned with complete success. It i 9 stated that conventions bats been entered into with the government of the Sardinian States, with those of the Bay of Tunis and of the Pasha of Egypt, to secure the protection of the telegraphic wires and of the works. The plan which we hare above analysed will, it it said, be shortly brought under the consideration of the Legislative Body. The surveys which will serve at ttie basis of that examination bare already received, the approbation of a commission, compoied of special and competent men to which they had been referred by order of the government." The Goodwin Sands Rbfitci! — A scheme for getting rid of the j eriW of the Goodwin Sands has been proposed by Mr. Smith, an engineer, and has attracted a considerable amount of public DOtice. The plans and models illustrating the nature of the project were exhibited a few days since at the office, No. 2, King's Arms-yard, Moorgatestreet, and tbe following account will serve to convey a general idea of its extent and probable efficiency. In the first place it is intended to form a framed breakwater which shall protect vessels in the Downs, when the wind is in. such a direction that they cannot be pro« tected by the mainland or by the sands. Thi« structure is of a peculiar character, adapted to tha requirements of the aituation. Anything in the nature of a fixed edifice cannot be attemptedi The chalk formation crops out in the middle of the straits, and a depth of about 100 feet of sand, ronitantly shifting its position with wind and tide, iests upon it. That the breakwater might be permanent and effective, it must be independent of the sand as a foundation, and be capable of breaking the force of the tremendous seas which set in here when the wind is in certain quarters. It is intended, therefore, to erect the breakwater in deep water in front of the sands, beginning the work near tho South Sand Head, so that vessels may reach it with an ample depth of water around, in which case it would become a safe and sheltered anchorage to the Channel and the Gull Stream for vessels navigating the Downi. The breakwater will consist of a number of independent frames or gratings, each about 50 feet long, and rising from the beJ 'of tbe sea about 15 feet above high-water mark. Each frame will be secured at the base by a suitable shackle to pile-heads, for which Mitchell'* screw-pile ia peculiarly adapted. Thii eminently simple and ingenious instmment can easily be bored into sand or chalk, and having an expanded plate with a cutting edge upon it, forms with ease and certainty a fixed point of attachment under water. The frame being upright in the water in its normal position, is restrained in its revolution about its base by jointed stays and holdfasts fastened under water in a similar manner, but kept out of the straight line by heavy weights suspended at the joints. Thus, upon a heavy sea striking a frame, the frame yields to the impact, and the concussion expends itself in straightening the holdfasts, Immediately afterwards the frame returns to its original position bv the action of two concurrent forces— the pressure of the water and the weights upon the stays. Over the line of frames, which it to be 2,000 feet in length will be a roadway supported on independent piling ; and a tower, with a lighthouse and asylum for mariners , also constructed on the above recoil principle, are embraced in the plan. The undertaking has met with the favour of many eminent men in the City,— Evening Paper. i Cure for Yellow FhVEr.-— The following is an extract of a private letter from her Maje»ty's vice-consul at Cape Bolivar to her Majesty's acting consul-general at Caracas: — "An old woman, named Mariquita Orfila, bat discovered a perfect i remedy for the black vomit and yellow fever, by means of which several persons have been compara lively cured after a consultation of doctors had declared that the cases were quite hopeless, and that the patients must die in a few hours. The remedy is the juice of the ' verbena,' given in small doses three times a day, and injections of tbe same I every two hours until the bowels are emptied. Tho 'verbena' is a wild shrub, to be found growing almost everjwhere, and particutatly in low, moisi ground. All our doctors have adopted its use, and now few or none die of those late fearful diieaset. There are two kinds of it— male and female ; the latter is tho one that it most used."— Liverpool Times. The Irish Exodus 4 — A letter from Dublin con. tains the following statement in relation to this increasingly important tubject : — " The Galway papers, one and all, continue to rrport the increased • flight of the population.' Batches of emigrants, often amounting to over 100, leave daily by railway for the seaports. Labour is rapidly becoming scarce, and the pnuc ty of the people is strikingly exemplified in the diminished numbers who attend the Saturday's markets. Letters, inclosing remittances from America, are pouring into the country, so that it would be idle to expect any check to the great clearance system now in progress, and which £cema likely to last until the Celtic race shall have wholly passed away from the mother country. Vast numbers, too, are going to England, where, it is snp. posed, in consequence of the emigration to Australia, they will readily obtain employment at labourers and servants. Private accounts from Westmeath and tbe King's county are of a precisely similar tendency. In the latter especially tbe effect of tbe exodus" are severely felt in the scarcity of handt to complete the spring work, and the high rate of wages which the small farmers are compelled to give in order to induce the labourers ta forego for a season at least their intention of follow* ing their friends and relatives to their adopted homes in the new world. In some districts, villages have been "wholly abandoned by th* peasantry, and even in the neighbourhood of large towns, the traces of a diminished population are clearly visible to tbe most casual obftrrer. On each Suaday evening, when heretofore the lanes and roads were alive wiih people amusing themselves according to the customs of tbe country, including the * dance at the crossroads,' a stranger might now, but for the occa* aional meeting with an odd straggler or two, pursue his journey in perfeot solitude. In the week jrot closed, 1148 emigrants took shipping at the port* respectively of New Ross and Waterford, and « letter from Cahirciveen, in tbe county of Kerry, dated Wednetday evening, *ays, that the town on that day resembled « a second fair, so far as crowdi of human beings,' consisting of the fa'thert, mothers, titter?, and other relatives ot over 100 ycung men and women, from 16 to 25 yean of age, starling for Amorica."

New Zealand Soil. — The general character of the soil of New Zealand is lightness ; no heavy clays or stiff marls are met with ; but the light lands, wien moderately cultivated, break up as fine as garden ground. New Zealand presents great advantages to agricultural labourers, combined with much comfort. The island has been comparatively unaffected" by the gold fever — the colonists finding their profit in the high prices fetched by their produce in the Australian markets, — Lloyd's Weekly Netcs.