THE NEWS FROM INDIA AND CHINA.

The overland Indian mail has arrived with news from India and China, all triumphant. It left Bombay on the 15th October. The first intimation of the news reached London on Monday, in the shape of a French telegraphic despatch about China, in these terms- .. Alexandria, 515 NovembPr.

" A treaty of peace has been concluded between the British Plenipotentiary and the Chinese Government ; the principal articles of which are- " 1. China will pay in three years 21,000,000 of dollars. "2. The ports of Canton, Amoy, Ningpo, and two others, are open to Bri- tish commerce.

"3. The island of Hong-kong is ceded for ever to her Britannic Majesty. "4. The prisoners taken will be restored. " 5. An amnesty shall be proclaimed.

"6. The officers of the two nations shall be treated on a footing of equality. "7. The islands of Chusan and Kolangeoo shall be occupied until the tribute shall have been paid." This was succeeded, on Tuesday, by a report, transmitted through the French journals, of the expulsion of the British troops from Afgha- nistan; but in a few hours followed the full accounts, conveying the announcement of the recapture of Cabut and Ghuznee, and of the close of the Chinese war on the imposing terms indicated in the telegraphic despatch.

China first claims attention, on account of the quasi-final character of the achievements there. The East India Company's steam-fri- gate Sesostris had arrived at Bombey, with intelligence from Hong- kong to the 10th September and from Nankin to the 31st August. The previous mail from the North left Sir Henry Pottinger with the expeditioa ascending the river Yang-tse-kiang, after the reduction of Woosung tine. Shanhai. We take up the narrative in the words of a circular issued by Sir Ileory Pottinger to the British subjects in China. " rtated.on board the steam-frigate Queen, Yang- tse-k ian river, at ehingTkiamtfoo, this 34th day of July 1842 "— " The exitedition was detained by bad weather and other circumstances at Woosung until the 6th of July ; on which day it advanced up the river Yang- ters-kiang, and On Ale 14th reached a military position, built on a range of hills commanding the8/cam; where two small recently-erected batteries, mounting thirteenge o ed the first fire since leaving Woosung on the leading ships; but lee ma tly silenced, and the guns, batteries, and military buildings fi'lliem, destroyed as soon as men could be put ashore.

"At this point the main body of the fleet war retarded by adverse winds for nearly a week ; during which period, some of the ships of war, assisted by the steamers, got up to Kisben or Golden Island; where the whole armament, amounting to seventy sail of vessels, assembled on the 20th instant, and anchored abreast of the city of Ching kiang-foo, [about a hundred and seventy

miles up the river, and forty-eight miles distant from Nankin.] A re- connoissance having been obtained the 'rime evening, the troops were disem- barked as early as possible the no.: c fling. It was at this time believed that the majority of the Chinese troops, a hich bad been variously reported at from 1,500 to 3,000 men, were in a camp, which was visible from hills overhanging the river, at a distance of about three miles. "Against this camp the right brigade moved under Major-General Lord Saltoun. The centre brigade, led by Major-General Bartley, was directed in the first instance to cooperate with the right one in cutting off the anticipated retreat of the fugitives from the camp in the direction of the city ; and the left brigade, headed by Major-General Schoedde, landed on the river-face of the city, opposite the fleet; where it was instructed to escalade the Northern wall; which the centre brigade was likewise appointed to do on the Southern side, after it had performed the other duty assigned to it. The Chinese troops in the camp did not venture to stand the near approach of our men, but, after firing three or four distant volliee from their jinjalls and matchlocks, broke sad dispersed all over the country, which was hilly and covered with the jungle. By this time the left brigade bad got on shore ; when it became obvious that the Tartar garrison intended to defend the city ; from the walls of which they opened a heavy and incessant fire of cannon, jinjalls, wall-pieces, rockets, and matchlocks. As the left brigade moved up from the landing-place, the Auckland steam-frigate, which had been placed in position for that purpose, threw some shells among the enemy on the works with admirable precision, but was obliged to cease firing, owing to the rapid advance of the brigade to the bottom of the wall; which was most gallantly escaladed under a heavy fire from the Tartar troops ; who behaved with great spirit, and disputed every inch of the ramparts, availing themselves with great tact of their knowledge of the localities to gall our troops and screen their own. "The centre brigade got into the city (after some delay in finding a bridge to cross the Grand Canal, which runs along the western side of Ching-kiang- foo, and separates the walled city from very extensive suburbs,) by blowing open one of the gates: but even after the left brigade had received this large reinforcement, besides parties of marines and seamen who were landed the mo- ment the opposition promised to be so stubborn, the Tartars manfully pro- longed the contest for some hours, and it was late in the afternoon before they entirely disappeared ; which it is surmised the survivors did by throwing away their arms and uniform, and either hiding themselves till night enabled them to escape or else mingling with the other inhabitants.

" The city of Ching-kiang-foo is rather more than four miles in circum- ference; the works are in excellent repair; and the parapet, which is so thick and solid that nothing but cannon-shot could have made any impression on it, is pierced with narrow embrasures and loopholes, and flanked at a variety of spots with transverse walls.

"It has hitherto been impossible to obtain any thing like a precise return of the strength of the garrison; but, from calculations made with reference to the extent of the works and the Tartar troops seen on them at the same moment, it is thought there could not have been less than 3,000 men. Of these it is said that 40 Mandarins (officers) and 1,000 men were killed and wounded. The Tartar General commanding-in-chief retired to his house when he saw that all was lost, made his servants set it on fire, and sat on his chair till he was burned to death. His private secretary was found the day after the assault, hidden in a garden ; and on being carried to the spot, recognized the half-con- sumed body of his master—who was worthy of such a death."

Our loss in this engagement was heavier than has been usual in con- flicts with the Chinese. This is the official return of the casualties- Killed.—Colonel Driver, Sixth M. N. 1.; Captain Collinson, Eighteenth R. I.; Lieutenant Gibbons, Forty-ninth Regiment. Wounded.—Lieutenant Bernard, Eighteenth R. I, slight ; Lieutenant Baddely, Forty-ninth Regiment, dangerously ; Lieutenant Grant, Forty-ninth Regiment, slight ; Major Warren and Lieutenant Cuddy, Fifty-filth Regiment, severely ; Captain Simpson, Rifles, severely ; Ensign Trovers, Second M. N. I., slight ; Lieutenant Waddle, Madras Artillery, severely ; Zemidar Number, Second M. N. 1., severely.

Killed.—Major Uniacke. Wounded—Lieutenant Crouch; Lyon, Midshipman

Killed and Wounded, Navy Army

The expedition soon after proceeded up the river; and having anchored off Nankin, on the 5th of August, made preparations for bombarding that part of the city near the water. The Chinese General commanding the garrison there, Tecupee, was by no means prepared for their reception. A memorial which he had written to the Emperor on the 5th, and which was intercepted, relates the measures taken to provide the fugitives from Ching-kiang-foo with shelter and subsistence, and also declares the defenceless state of Nankin- " The forces sent to it by the terror-spreading General (Yeking) are for the most the remnants of such as have:already been defeated and scattered; while all the best and fresh troops are now engaged following in the train and guard of the same General, who has gone to establish his head-quarters at Changcbsw; and now, while the steamers of the rebellious barbarians are actually pressing upon the capital, his Majesty's slave received a communication from the ter- ror-spreading General, stating that he will establish his head-quarters at Cbangchow to be reaelyito actin such way as circumstances shall point out. But Changchow is more than 500 lee distant from Nankin, and his position there leaves it not at all in his power to afford relief in this emergency. The vexing thoughts which night and day occupy the mind of his Majesty's slave fill his whole soul as it were with a perpetual fire." General Gough estimates the numbers of the military in the city at 9,000, besides militia : but Tecupee explains above why little reliance could be placed upon them ; even if that number could have sufficed for the defence of a city extending over a space of many miles, and said to be filled with a million of inhabitants, who already began to show signs of fear for their property and lives. On the 11th, and subsequent days, a large division of the anry, under the command of Lord Saltoun, landed to the west of the city, and took up a position on a hill about half a mile distant from the walls. But while these and other formidable preparations were in progress, a flag of truce was sent out to the British Plenipotentiary, praying for a cessation of hostilities, and announcing that Commissioners having full powers from the Emperor were on their road in order to treat for peace. The assault on Nankin, which was designed for the 13th, was therefore postponed. The High Imperial Commissioners arrived on the 15th. Their style and tides are thus set forth-

24 145

Total 169

1. Kee-Ying, a member of the Imperial Family, and Commander-in- Chief of the Tartar troops in Konang-Sung. 2. Elipo, Lieutenant-General of Chars" a former Governor of Che-kiang, but degraded last year in con- sequence of his having liberated the prisoners. 3. Gnu, General-in-Chief of the provinces Keang-sou and Keang-si." Visits of ceremony between the Commissioners and the Plenipoten- tiary were followed by conferences for business. On the 26th another circular announced the result.

"TO HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SUBJECTS IN CHINA,

Her Britannic Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c. in China, has extreme gra- tification in announcing to her Majesty's subjects in China, that he has this

day concluded and signed, with the Chinese High Commissioners deputed to negotiate with him, a treaty, of which the following are the most important provisions—

.1. Lasting peace and friendship between the two empires.

2. China to pay 21,000,000 dollars in the course of the present and three succeeding years.

3. The ports of Canton, Amoy, Foo-chow•foo, Ningpo, and Shanhai, to be thrown open to British merchants; consular officers to be appointed to re- side at them; and regular and just tariffs of import and export (as well as in- land transit) duties to be established and published.

4. The island of Hongkong to be ceded in perpetuity to her Britannic Majesty, her heirs and successors.

" 5 All subjects of her Britannic Majesty (whether natives of Europe or India) who may be confined in any part of the Chinese empire to be uncondi- tionally released.

"6. An act of full and entire amnesty to be published by the Emperor, under his Imperial sign manual and seal, to all Chinese subjects, on account of their having held service or intercourse with, or resided under, the British Government or its officers.

"7. Correspondence to be conducted on terms of perfect equality among the officers of both Governments.

8. On the Emperor's assent being received to this treaty, and the payment of the first instalment, 6,000,000 dollars, her British Majesty's forces to retire from Nankin and the Grand Canal, and the military posts at Chinhai to be

also withdrawn ; but the islands of Chuean and Kolangsoo are to be held until the money-payments and the arrangements for opening the ports be completed. "In promulgating this highly-satisfactory intelligence, her Majesty's Pleni- potentiary, &c. purposely refrains from any detailed expressions of his own

sentiments as to the surpassing skill, energy, devotion, and valour, which have distinguished the various grades, from the highest to the lowest, of all arms of her Majesty's combined forces, during the contest that has led to these mo- mentous results. The claims which have been thus established will be doubt- less acknowledged by the highest authorities. In the mean time, her Majesty's Plenipotentiary congratulates her Majesty's subjects in China on the occasion of a peace, which he trusts and believes will, in due time, be equally beneficial to the subjects and interests of both England and China.

'God save the Queen.

Dated on board the steam-frigate Queen, in the Yang-tze-kiang river, off

Nankin, this 26th day of August 1842. HENRY POTTINGER,

" Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.

"6. A. Malcolm, Secretary of Legation."

On the terms of this argreement the Bombay correspondent of the Morning Chronicle remarks— "it will be observed, that in no one provision of the treaty is there the slightest allusion to the opium-trade, the actual cause of the war; and it is

said, that although the Commissioners were very desirous of introducing some article on this point, Sir H. Pottinger refused to admit it ; stating that the Chinese must impose restrictions on their own subjects if they wished to pro-

hibit the traffic. Thus, recognized by neither power, the opium-trade will henceforth be a system of dangerous but lucrative smuggling, and doubtless soon prove the source of fresh jealousies and misunderstandings with the Chinese. We can but regret that the question as to its lawfulness has not been finally set at rest."

Another writer' on the spot partly accounts for the omission-

" l am glad to say that, when the subject of opium-indemnity was brought above-board during the negotiating, Sir Henry distinctly stated, that with that he had nothing to do : it was a traffic which had never been approved of or

patronized by the British Government ; and he was of opinion that, if the Chinese would make it a legitimate article of commerce, and impose a very high duty on it, the British Government would render them all assistance to

prevent its being smuggled into their country, by stationing cruisers on the coast for the purpose. After this, who will call this an opium war ? " A supplement of the Canton Gazette asserts ;that an officer of high rank is immediately to be sent from the Court of Pekin to represent his sovereign at the Court of St. James's. The Chronicle's correspondent sums up a few additional particulars- " It appears the Emperor at first objected to throw open the port of Foo- chow•foo; on the ground that as this place was within seventy miles of the

tract of country where the black teas are grown, the English would take their cargoes in here, instead of at Canton, (which is four hundred miles off,) and consequently the trade of the latter place would be ruined. The Plenipoten- tiary, however, refused to yield the point ; and his Majesty was obliged ulti- mately to give way.

"At the time the Sesostris left Nankin, the Mandarins appeared most anxious for our departure from this neighbourhood ; and the 6,000,000 dollars required to be paid ere the expedition would be withdrawn was in the course of collection. Four millions, indeed, had been already tendered as an instal- ment; but Sir II. Pottinger refused to receive any thing less than the whole sum.

"Immediately after the signature of the treaty, it was despatched to the Emperor for ratification ; and on its return, which was expected in about ten days, Major Malcolm was to convey it to England, nici Suez, by the H. C. steamer Auckland.

"At the time of the settlement of differences, sickness had begun to appear extensively among the men, both of the land and sea. Upwards of a hundred belonging to the Ninety-eighth Regiment had died. "There are at present off Nankin, her Majesty's ships Cornwallis, Blonde, M°deste, Childers, Clio, and Algerine, her Majesty's steamers Vixen and Driver, and the East India Company's steamers Auckland, Queen, Pluto, Phlegethon, and Medusa; which vessels retain their position until payment of the instalment. Her Majesty's ships Endymion, Calliope, and Did°, and the East India Company's steamer Proserpine, are stationed off the Great Canal. The steamer Nemesia was to proceed to Formosa, to obtain the release of the captured crews of the Anne and Nerbudda. " At Hong Kong there remain her Majesty's ships Blenheim, Wolverine, and Warspite, and the East India Company'ssteamers Memnon and Hooghly."

To this rapid narrative of the main events m.ly be added a few inte- resting extracts from official despatches and from letters in the Indian Papers, characteristic of the novel scenes in which our countrymen have been engaged. The first, from a letter dated Chin-kiang, de- scribes the storming of that city and the sequel-

. The ladders were planted with magic rapidity ; and the grenadier company of the Fifty-fifth (who were, properly speaking, the forlorn hope) commenced their dangerous ascent, under cover of a close tire from the Rifles, who were stretched on their fronts on the face of the hill, picking off every man who showed himself at the embrasures; from which, however, the enemy kept up • very deadly fire for some minutes, and a good many of our men fell dead and wounded. The first man who reached the top of the wall was Lieutenant Cuddy, of the grenadier company of the Fifty fifth. He behaved with matchless gallantry: slowly but firmly lie climbed the ladder : on reaching the top, be waved his sword, and then deliberately seated himself on the wall and assisted his men over. At this moment, the anxiety and interest felt by every one for his safety, who witnessed his daring conduct, was intense. I could scarcely. breathe. It was more than miraculous that be was not shot dead or he- 'Ail from the wall : it was like a man jumping into his own coffin. He was severely wounded in the foot by a jinjall ball while on the wall, which disabled him for the rest of the day. In about a quarter of an hour, the ensign of England and the colours of the Fifty. fifth were shown from the wall; which was responded to by three hearty cheers from the fleet. But though the colours were shown, the place was by no means taken : on the contrary, they had the greatest dif- ficulty in driving the enemy from the walls. The Tartars fought with groat bravery, made repeated charges on our men with their long spears, and disputed every inch of ground. The British bayonet, however, at length prevailed. The day before the battle, it was thought that not more than 1,000 or 1,500 Tartar soldiers were in the town : it is now believed that there must have been nearer 5,000. Well was it for us that our force was superior to this, otherwise we might have been taken by surprise, and no saying what the con- sequences might have been.

"It is discipline, not courage, that the enemy want. Instances of the most desperate and devoted bravery were common throughout the day; and some of their leaders, in particular, when they found that the day was against them, were observed to spur their horses against our bayonets, and thus court their death.

"I walked through a part of the town next day with an escort. It was al- most entirely deserted ; at least no further resistance was offered by its now terror-stricken inhabitants. I need not say that the most disgusting sights met the eye at every step. The dead and wounded of the enemy (although. most of them had been carried away) were lying about in all directions ; no attention whatever being paid to the latter. Already had the houses and shops been broken open, and the most valuable property (as teas, bales of silks, furs, &e.) was scattered about like rubbish. All the houses which were supposed to have any connexion with Government or Government-officers were either• burnt or being burnt. As at other places we have taken from the Chinese, suicides were committed to a fearful extent : men, women, and children were. found strangled, or taken out of the wells by dozens. But why dwell on scenes so repulsive ?—scenes at which humanity should blush, but which are the too, frequent and unavoidable concomitants of wax!"

A despatch from Sir Hugh Gough, narrating the assault on Ching- kiang-foo, forcibly depicts the horrors of the day- " The sun now became so overpowering, that it was impossible to move with men already fatigued by their exertions; and I regret to say that several died

from the intense heat. • •

" The following morning, search was made for arms, ammunition, and trea- sure. About 60,000 dollars worth of Sycee silver was found in public offices; and all the arms and arsenals dissovered were destroyed. " It would appear that the Tartar soldiers did not calculate on the rapidity of our movements, and considered the city impregnable. A great number of those who escaped our fire committed suicide, after destroying their families. The loss of life has been, therefore, appalling; and it maybe said that the Maus tchoo race in this city is extinct. As in all other places we have taken, the respectable inhabitants have fled, as well as the local authorities. The suburbs are larger than the city, which is about four miles in circumference. Plunder- ers, flocking in by hundreds from the country, have joined the populace; and such is their systematic mode of proceeding, that in one instance which, came to my knowledge, they set fire to both ends of a street in the western suburb, where there was a large pawnbroker's shop. (uniformly the first object of pillage) in order to check all interruption, while they carried off their booty by the side-lanes. I was most anxious to put a stop to these scenes of devasta- tion,without- tion but it would not have been practicable in so wile a labyrinth of streets and lanes, constant harassing exposures to the troops, during the hot, test season of the year."

Major-General Schoedde, who was sent to make a diversion, convert- ing it into a real attack if he saw proper, acknowledges the determined bravery of his adversaries- " As we had only three ladders, reinforcements could not follow very quickly; and the enemy defended himself with the greatest gallantry, disputing every inch of ground, and fighting hand to hand with our men. Major Warren, com- manding Fifty-fifth .Foot, after he was wounded himself, cut down two of the enemy, and MIS personally engaged with a third, whilst the Fifty-fifth and rifle company Thirty-sixth Madras Native Infantry were obliged to carry every angle and embrasure at the point of the bayonet.'

Another description by an eye-witness-

" A Chinese Mandarin, writing to Nankin, says, ' These barbarians are very fierce, and there is no standing against them; they open our strongest gates with a little powder, and walk over our highest walls with pieces of Mick.' I never saw such loss of life and property as took place here: we lost officers and men enough, but it is impossible even to compute the loss of the Chinese; for when they found they could stand no longer against us, they cut the throats of their wives and children, or drove them into wells and ponds, and then destroyed themselves; in many houses there were from eight to twelve dead bodies, and I myself saw a dozen women and children drowning them- selves in a small pond the day after the fight. The whole of the city and suburbs are a mass of ruins; whole streets have been burnt down, and the place has been completely gutted by Chinese plunderers.

The writer first quoted adds some general gossip-

" One Mandarin, besides a good many persons of lower rank, arc on board the flag- ship. " The natives are very kind to us, and have been so all along. They occa- sionally bring us presents of vegetables, &c. Their vegetables are very fine. They have excellent brinjals, French beans, celery, cucumber, Sm.; for these they won't take payment, unless it be a slip of paper with 'British protec- tion ' written upon it, which they are all very glad to get. " A great many cases of coup-de-soleil occurred during the day of battle. The heat was great, though nothing to what it is in some parts of India. Colonel Driver, of the Sixth Madras Native Infantry, and Major Uniacke, of the Royal Marines, died from this cause ; but the Ninety-eighth suffered most, having lost about twenty men : this was probably owing to their having been on board ship on salt provisions for seven months, and to their being fresh from England. "The country on the western bank of the river is in some parts picturesque and beautiful : that on the eastern bank is a dead Slit; and, as it is marshy, I fear we shall have a good deal of fever."

In an official despatch on the reduction of Woosung, Vice-Admiral

Sir W. Parker lets one into some of the difficulties of the Chinese an• thorities- " The troops disembarked in the city from the steam-vessels nearly at the same time; when they were joined by the party that marched from Wcmsung, whirls bad previously entered on the west side: but the Mandarin authorities had all fled, and the principal inhabitants were departing as fast as possible in every direction. The Columbine and Medusa were sent to the southward of the city, to endeavour to check this depopulation ; but, although the river at Shanghae is not less than 650 yards wide, it was literally covered with junks and boats of all sizes, carrying of furniture and goods. The respectable in- habitants, however, who did remain, appeared to regard us with less appre- hension than I had anywhere before seen; • and they freely produced the sup- plies of provisions, &c. that were required. We were informed that the day before our arrival a serious affray bad occurred between the inhabitants and a Mandarin party, and several lives lost, in consequence of the heavy exactions of the latter for the avowed purpose of defending the place, and their hasty abandonment of it on our approach."