CHINA.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 94, 23 November 1859, Page 3

CHINA.

[From the Sydney Herald, November I.] By the Sea Witch we have news from Shanghai to the 3rd of September, being fortythree days later than previous advices. Unfortunately, however, she brings only a single paper, so that, for the preseut at least, the details of what has taken place between the 22nd of July and the 3rd of September must remain a blank.

The Nor'h China Herald, of the latter date, states that the Chinese had surrendered to Mr. Ward one of the ordinary seamen of H.M.S. Highflyer, named John Powell, who had been taken prisoner on the night of 25th June, after the untoward engagement ot the British naval force with the Chinese at the siege of the Pei-ho. The following is Powell's narrative of his capture and subsequent treatment, as related by himself:—

He belonged to the Highflyer's pinnace, and wa^ left iv charge of her when the party landed on thi bank of the Pei-ho river. As he was assisting a wounded man into one of the gun-boat's gigs he let go the painter and got into tho Ckesapeake's launch to

haul her alongside. Seeing her drifting with the tide, which was making in, he jumped overboard to get her back but she struck on the mud and stakes, between tho forts on each side of the river which kept up a fire of small arms on her ; about midnight five Chinese went alongside ; they knocked him down and dragged him into their sampan. He struggled with them unsuccessfully and had a spear run into his eye. They then bound him and pulled to the bank on the right side, and were preparing to cut his head off when a mandarin and some soldiers came out of the fort and desired them to take him to the large fort on the opposite side; which they did. In one of the rooms a mandarin, whom they called Wang, was drinking tea with others. He was taken before him and questioned as to the number of gun-boats, men, &c, composing the forco. This interview lasted about twenty minutes when he was marched off with a man who said his name was Thomas M'Keene, a sapper— who had been picked off the mud the same nignt — to the town of Ta-koo, about five miles across a plain of hard ground, on which were several high mounds of earth. He observed that there was only a low wall in the rear of the forts, not affording any military protection. At Ta-koo, a mandarin, whom he supposed to be the Governor, put him through an examination similar to that he had before undergone. He was then taken to a room, like a stable, and was confined until the arrival of the American Mission at Peh-tang, on their return from Pekin. He laid for four weeks on a mat on the damp floor at Takoo, but becoming ill, a bed was furnished to him for the remainder of his confinement. ■ Rice and Chinese food were given to him, also two suits of clothes. He thinks there were 80,000 troops in and about Takoo, of which 30,000 were cavalry. He called himself an American, believing it would save his life. The sapper was confined apart from him, and left behind as a prisoner.

The same paper states that the Pekin Gazette has published the decree which the Emperor of China desired to be handed to the American Minister. There are (it remarks) one or two evident misprints in the Gazette — for instance the words "the English Pu-lu-sz" (Bruce), are printed "the English Go-10-sz," which, had no other copy appeared, would have been translated English and Russians. Otherwise, the printed text quite authenticates the manuscript from which the translation was made. It is remarkable that the word barbarian does not occur in the decree. Contrary to all usage we are spoken of as Ying-kwoh, Mei-kwoh, English and American states or nations. Our name occurs in one other paper, a long memorial on the death of Ulhintai, a noble Mongolian commanding in Yengihissar, one of the far west Mahometan colonies of China. He had served against Jehanghir, in his rebellion of 1826, and in 1842, "when the English barbarians were not quiet he received orders to take the field at Shanghai." In 1853, he had been sent to exterminate rebels in the neighbourhood of Hwai-king, and having been promoted to the Yengi-hissar command in 1856, stood a siege of one hundred days during a local Mahometan revolt. His exertions during this expended him. The Gazette also contains the memorial of Yih Shan, acknowledging the decree (which appeared in our issue of 23rd July) regarding the Russian concession in the valley of the Usuri. In obedience to this decree he has sent the Lieutenant-General Kilaminga down to the Usuri to be exposed in the cangue. Yih Shan, as commander-in-chief of Tsitsihar, resides at the city of Sagalien, as the crow flies, not less than six hundred miles north of Pekin, communications with which appear to be by way of Kirin, far to the east. Luchang, a hiehling (say colonel) from Kirin, reached Sagalien on the 2nd July, with the aforesaid decree of the 16th June. Yih Shan read it with awe and proceeded to select a good man to act for the officer about to be cangued. He chose Aishin'ai already recommended to aid in managing the barbarian (Russian) business, and sent off Kilaminga in charge of Luchang to the Usuri. The prompitude with which these orders have been carried, executed, and published is deserving of note. Kweilliang and Hwashana appear together at different levees ; but no Gazette has as yet announced the termination of their coramis-

The authorities of the Bordered Yellow Banner have moved the appointment of some one to take acting charge of the Russian seal. This is probably the seal held by the tso-ling, or captain of 150, who administers the affairs of the descendants of the Russians brought prisoners from Albazin about the end of the seventeenth century. This is all that directly concerns foreigners, but there are several curious papers besides on Chinese matters. One from Hoch'un, who holds the appointment of general of the Tartar garrison of Nankin, and as high commissioner conducts operations in the neighbourhood of that city, relates how the expectant ti-tuh or general-iu-chief of the Chinese provincial force, by name Kiuh-tien-hwa, enraged with one Ling Shun-tung, a recently degraded brigadier, for cutting the shaft of a spear some inches too short, first abused him violently, and then made him kneel down in a puddle for several hours, giving orders that he was to be slapped in the face with the hand until evening. This was dove, and in the night the ex-brigadier Ling, after weeping some time in silence, strangled himself. The expectant general-in-chief Kiuh made every exertion to restore him to life, but to no purpose. In his alarm he reported him next day as having died in a fit ; but the truth getting wind, Kiuh himself committed suicide, leaving a memorandum to the effect that Ling was his sworn comrade, certain quasi-masonic ceremonies having been celebrated between them, and that Ling having made away with himself he did not choose to live without him. Kiuh, says the memorialist, was a violent, coarse, and abusive man, whom he had only tolerated because of his valour in war.

A long memorial from a censor named H. Shautsz, upon the growing extravagance of the age, has been published. The means of the people, it states, are daily straitened more and more, but their expenditure grows daily more extravagant. Will the Emperor desire the Boards to consolidate the sumptuary laws aad enforce their provisions to the establishment of moderation, and to the recovery of the people from bankruptcy? The civil war has made silver scarce, the copper currency has been debased ; the teu-cash piece in circulation is in great disrepute ; prices in Pekin have consequently risen a thousand per cent., and yet luxurious habits of dress, in marriages, funerals, entertainments, daily gain ground ; wine md tea houses multiply. People do not apyear to reflect that the ten-cash piece stauds r "or ten cash, and they spend it as if each cash it represents stood for ten. This ia in Pekin.

In the provinces, the great centres of trade are just as bad; they have been terribly injured by rebels, and now, while trade is slowly reviving, there is already as much luxury and extravagance as ever there was. •