EVACUATION OF SHANGHAE BY THE TRIADS, AND RE-OCCUPATION OF THE CITY BY THE IMPERIALISTS. [From the North-China Herald, February 24.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 835, 29 June 1855, Page 3

EVACUATION OF SHANGHAE BY THE TRIADS, AND RE- OCCUPATION OF THE CITY BY THE IMPERIALISTS. [From the North-China Herald, February 24.]

The news of the evacuation of the city of Shanghae, came almost as suddenly upoa the foreign community as its memorable fall into the hands of the Triads, on, the morning of the 7th September, 1853. On Saturday night, the 17th instant, at the close of the China Now Year, between ten and eleven r.M., volumes of flame and smoke were observed to rise eastward over the city, and to increase with amazing rapidity, illuminating the horizon with the brilliant coruscations of its many coloured light for some distance around. The spectacle is stated to have been gorgeous in the extreme — but the sensation that the dwellingsof a large population had been given .to the devouring element, must have sent a deep chill of horror, and exquisite thrill of pain, to the hearts of the beholdei s. Nothing transpired that night that we hear of, toaccount for this extensive conflagration, which progressed wettwavd, northward, and southward, with fear- | ful speed and violence. When next morning dawned, rumours were spread abroad that the imperialists had. ! captured the city, and that a dreadful slaughter of the Triads had ensued— as the day advanced, however, it was stated on the contrary, that the majority of the Fokien Triads hating flailed to pursuade Chin-a-ling to give up the city, had spread over it, and set fire to the principal street, running through from the great east gate, in many places, and other large thoroughfares— that Lcw-le-chuen and Chin-a-ling, finding that all was lost, selected a small force from their followers of about 150 men, and fled out by the west gate, taking their course past Sze-kea-hwei to Hung-keaou, whither a body of imperialists pursued them, and Lew-le-chuen was reported to be killed with many of his followers, but Chin-a-ling and Seay-gnan-pang, with part of their adherents escaped. It is however doubted that Lew has been taken. The imperialists from all the camps, next morning being assured that the coast was dear, and that the city was actually evacuated by the Triads, took courage and entered it by the west and south gates. On Sunday afternoon the military began to remove their goods and chattels, from the encampments on the race -course, and. during the week the military officers ha% e quartered themselves in various parts of the city. Order and confidence seem gradually returning, and crow ds of people are continually on the move in and out of the city. We have not yet seen any official notice of the recovery of the city by the imperialists, which creates some surprise.

I was witness to a wrangle which took place between the aforesaid old woman and a (no doubt soidisant) •gentleman.' Ha had, in pushing past, upset some of her apples in the dirt, and passed on without notice. The woman's tongue, however, brought him to ; and in answer to her volleys he inquired, 'Can't a gentleman walk along the street ?' The woman's reply was, 'If you be a gentleman, you thould bekave as sich.'

My friend the»Quaker, himself one of the most gentle manly msn m England {R. C. of Birmingham), obserred - one day to me that one of the best specimen* of a 'gentleman* he kne^r was a blacksmith fiom the back- * oods of America. On my exclaiming 'Indeed !' he said, 'Yes, he is always neat in hit person, and amiable in his manner*. He never thinks a mean thought^ or doe* an ungenerous action'

The 'Gusts' wives.— A soldier of the 93d Regt. tells the following as a good joke : — " When the Russians came with a Sag of truce after the the battle of Alma, they asked what the people with the petticoats were, and they were told they were the wives of the mtn that rod* ou the grey hortes." A Shakt Cut.— Piron, the French author, having ! been taken up by the watchman of the night in the s treets of Paris, was carried, on the following morning before a Lieutenant of the Police, who haughtily interrogated him concerning his business or profession. 'I am a poet, Sir,' said Piion. 'Oh ! a poet, are you ?" said the magistrate, 'I have a brother who is a poet." 'Then we are evtn,' said Piron, "for I have a brother ■who is ft fool'