China.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1284, 21 November 1857, Page 4

China.

KEPPEL’S DESCENT ON FATSHAN.

[From the Jfa&’and Mercury, October 20.] Not satisfied with what had been thus accomplished, Commodore Keppel made his way past tbe six-gun fort, on the right channel, and passed the burning junks, driving out the crews as he went. Vain were the Chinamen's slink-pots, their three-pronged spears, and their ingenious nets, to contrived as to fall over a boats’* crew and catch them like herrings, -while they spear them through the meshes. Without paying much attention to these contrivances, Keppel’a little squadron broke through the already conquered junka into the vacant channel. With seven boats only he pulled away, apparently for the town of Fatshan, with its population or 200,000 inhabitants. His progress however, was not interrupted. Four miles above the scene of the conflict just described, Keppel and his little company came upon tin island, at the head of which twenty junks b&d been so moored that the fire was concentrated on the only available channel, and this channel was so narrow that two boats could not p&ss it abreast. Ko sooner did the boats appear iu the narrow passage than twenty 32-pounders sent twenty round shot, and a hundred smaller guns Gent their full charges of grape and canister, at a range of 500 yards, right among them. No gunners could have worked those 32-pouuder guns better, or thrown the round shot straighter. Keppel’s galley— not a large murk —was hit three times in two minutes. A 32-pounder shot struck Major Kearney in the breast, tearing him to pieces. Barker, a midshipman in W.c Tribune, who wore upon bis finger a ring bequeathed to bun by bin brother, who was killed at Inkermann, was soon down, mortally wounded. The Commodore’s coxswain was 1 killed, and every man of his crew woundud. Strange that any escaped. Captain Cochrane had the sleeve cf his coat torn away by a shot, which left him unharmed. A round uho: entered the Tribune s boat, end passed along her lies of keel from stein to stern, without touching a man. “ That was close, Victor,” said Keppel to his flag-lieutenant, as a cannon-shot passed between their beads. Fortunately for himself, Victor (Prince Victor of llohenlohe) was leaning forwards and using his handkerchief as a torniquet to stop the bleeding of a seaman whose baud had been shut off, otherwise that ball must have taken Victor’s head off. At this lime the galley was disabled, and she was drilling down under the guns cf the junks. Even Keppel saw that it would not do. The matter was, however, settled for him, for the next shot tore away the stern sheets of his galley, while he was fortunately standing : up with the tiller-ropes in his hand. He stepped • from his sinking galley into the barge of the Cali cutta. All the other occupants of the galley ; were also removed into the barge ; all except the ni'ingled corpse of the coxswain and the favorite dog of the Commodore, who Lad been accustomed to be tended by that man, at d would not leave his body. With this freight the wreck of the 1 galley Uitficd with the Hsing tide up toward the junks. ; Now the boats retired amid the sounding of gongs, strange shouts of triumph, and a re•toubled fire. They retired to the Hony Kong, i* which was aground astern.

The Commodore was waiting for reinforcements, and for more water in the river, and meanwhile he piped to dinner. The rnen were getting their rations, and were devouring them when tbe fire from the junks slackened—they were sheering off; a boat from the Raleigh reinforced the little squadron; and v/hat was of still more moment, tbe water had risen in the river, so that the channel became passable. Dinner waa dropped instanter, Keppel and his people dashed in, and soon there were only eight of the flying junks uncaptured. Six miles the chase lasted, when, as they rounded a point in the river, pursuers and pursued found themselves abreast of the town of Fatshan. Three of the junks escaped, but KepDel obtained possession of the other five, which he towed away in triumph despite the efforts of | the braves ol FaU-lur.. They turned out in mar- i lial array ; they rang bells and beat gongs, they | came filing down a fosse, ao covered from view that only their waving banners and their brandishing swords and shields were visible. “We are terrible! Flee before us!” they cried. Keppel turned his mariners out of his boats, drew them upon the margin of the suburb and poured into the Fatshan militia such a volley of Minie balls, that the Chinese army went quickly back up its fosse again. He proposed to land bis howitzers and pass the night in the city ; a message from the Admiral, however, recalled' him. He bad his five junkc towed out before him, and as he left iho city he stood up in tbe stern-s’beets of his boat, and shook his fist goodhumouradly saying, “ You rascals, I’ll come back to you soonand those extraordinary Chinese, they too laughed—a broad, good-humoured grin —and go they parted. Eighty-four men on the British side were killed or wounded, and eighty* nine war junks were destroyed in these affairs. Complete as this success has been, we have no reason to suppose that it will bring us much nearer a settlement with thia extraotdinary people. As the British forces steamed down the river in which their success had been so complete, we are told that a couple of miserable junks far astern of them fired a shot or two at the retreating flotilla, as though to signify that Chinese ptowess had enforced their retreat,

COURT-MARTIAL ON COMMODORE KEPPEL. A. naval coart-martial was held on board the' Sybille upon Commodore Keppel and his crew for the loss of the Raleigh. It was chiefly remarkable for a speech from the Commodore, who appeared with his breast ouile covered with orders and medals, and never alluded in any way ro himself during the whole of bis defence. The Commodore received back his sword, and is left in command up the river. PUBLIC MEETING AT HONG KONG. The merchants of Hong Kong were getting op an address to Lord Elgin, recording their cutvictiou that any compromise of the Canton difficulty, “or any sort of settlement which should stop shoit of the complete humiliation of the Cantonese—which shall fail to teach them a wholesome respect for the obligations of their own government in its relations with independent powers, and a most hospitable reception of th* foreigner who resorts to their shores fur the peaceable purposed of trade, will only result hl further suffering »o themselves, 2nd further dis astreus interruption to us.” “ This, (observe, the correspondent of the Times, writing fron Hong Kong) moans, ‘You must take Cantoi, my Lord, and negotiate at Pekin with Canton in your possession,’” Such is the opinion of every one here, from the highest to the lowest. Evtn those Chinese who live by gratifying EngliUi testes, painting portraits of vessels for uxorioas sea captains, or selling puzzles, bamhuo chairs, and grasscloth haadkerchiels, are quite ot the same opinion.