THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1860.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 315, 26 October 1860, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1860.

Papers from China to the 25 th of August give an account of the commencement of hostilities. On the 12th of that month, near Pehtung, a large body of Tartars boldly sallied forth to meet an allied force of about a thousand men sent to drive them away. The enemy appeared to consist of 5000 cavalry, who fired upon our forces, at the distance of a mile with gingals, the only artillery they seemed to possess; they were very long in the barrel and required three men to carry them. The fire was returned with two small rifled French field pieces, which fell short. The allies had fifteen killed and wounded. The British cavalry charge however completely routed them, and they precipitately retired upon their camp, which was next stormed and taken, the enemy retiring through an opening judiciously reserved for such purpose. They were dislodged from place to place until they sought refuge under the guns of the Taku forts, which appeared formidable and well defended. The Pehtung fort was to have been entered at a time appointed by General Sir Hope Grant, but our troops were anticipated by half an hour by the French, who claim the merit of discovering the mines. The whole of them entered and occupied the fort and town. The gunboats passed the fort without receiving or giving a shot, and anchored off the town. Against the suburb and an eleven gun fort on the north side, three guns were fired without return. It was then taken, and the British and French ensigns now fly on the forts of Pehtung. The south fort contained only eight or ten guns, besides others composed of wood, leather, and hooped with iron. The troops now land in the street instead of on the mud, as at first, the dislodged inhabitants passing in thousands down the river in junks; the disembarkation of the forces going rapidly on, jetties made, and the whole place appearing to have no lack of activity and energy.

The advance of the troops appears to have been deferred thrice, in consequence of heavy rains; meanwhile a reconnaissance made by some Dragoon Guards, Sikhs, and others showed that four miles out there was a fine grass country, practicable for cavalry and artillery, and so near was their approach to the Taku forts that they could see their occupants, and also the bridge of boats across the Peiho.

The plan of attack up to this date does not transpire, but it is stated that probably the allied forces will press round the entrenched camp of the enemy, and make the first advance on Taku, thus cutting off the retreat of the Chinese troops from the camps. The gunboats will then make a simultaneous attack at the mouth of the Peitjo.

Shanghai had been attacked by the rebels on the 18th. They menaced the gate guarded by a French detachment. These poured in a volley at close quarters, killing forty of the rebels and the rest dispersed. The same night they attempted to sack that portion lying between the city and the French outposts. The latter sallied forth with artillery; but finding street fighting hazardous policy, they fired the houses to protect their communications which were endangered. The rebel army in great strength was posted five miles off.

The Prince Alfred arrived on Tuesday night from Sydney with the English mail, which reached there three days previous to her leaving. The dates are August 26th from England, and 37th inst. from Sydney. The Prince Alfred experienced exceedingly fine weather the whole of the trip down, which she accomplished in six days ten hours. A portion ot her freight consists of some thirty horses, winch, however, are not intended for our present slack market, but proceed with her to the South, where prices rule higher. There is likely to be a cessation of the excessive export of the^e animak which

occurred during the past half of the present year from Sydney to this city, dealers having at length become: shy of testing the market to an extent that must have resulted in loss to themselves, with the heavy expenses and freight cliarges inseparable to the speculation, when prosecuted in this direction to the same extent as formerly. The withdrawal of the New Zealand Bill by the Home Government will doubtless be generally approved of, as the measure has mostly been considered of a more irritating than pacific character at the present crisis of affairs, without the recommendation of being a certain specific for future embroilments; for the particulars with respect to the disposal of this question we refer to our other columns, as well as for copious extracts of European and Australian iterr% Amongst the latter intelligence we may state the gratifying fact, that the sympathies of the Australian public have not been emptily expressed only. As a most acceptable proof of the energy which characterises most of their movements we may state, that by the Prince Alfred, goods were received here from the Melbourne Belief Fund Committee to the value of £500, and £350 in cash from the Sydney Committee. We notice that at the request of the above a committee has been formed in Nelson to act in conjunction with the Australian Committees for the judicious disposal of these contributions.

A Queer Fish.—On Wednesday afternoon an immense fish was to be seen on the Haven Road Beach, which of course was at once dubbed with the familiar title of the " Sea Serpent ;" and its peculiar appearance really gave some degree of consistency to the appellation; at least it was much nearer the popular conception of that marine monster, thau many things which have been so christened and found to be nothing more than timber, or sea weed. It was first observed by a person named Astle, who saw it jump high out of the water, and fall with violence down upon the rocks in-shore of the Arrow Rock; this together with the attack made upon it with a stick by a second party, who happened to be close by, unfortunately resulted in the separation of the body into three parts, and the annihilation of the formation of the head ; a red fringed beard several inches in length, and an eye about the size of that of ft calf being the only anterior parts unmutilated. The whole length, however, was fully sixteen feet, width about 15 inches, and 4 inches thick in the largest part, with a red dorsal fin extending along the whole length of the back, no other fins were visible. There was an absence of osseous formation in the internal structure; the fish evidently belonging to the cartilaginous class, with a soft and mucous skin, and but few scales. The external thickness of flesh, of about an inch, was very white and of delicate appearance, and several persons ventured to test the edible qualities of it, without anything except a satisfactory result. The tout ensemble of this monster was that of an immense eel, yet so different in color and texture, and in possessing a btightness, caused by small scales easily detached, that it was at once pronounced to have no connexion with that species. It is to be regretted that it was not carefully preserved as an inspection would have well rewarded the curious.