94
THE FRIEND OF CHINÄ AND HONGKONG GAZETTE
FRIEND P CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.
HONGKONG, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 1st. 1842,
Ar Canton the only topic of eonversation is; the news from the north. News, it can hardly be called, should rather be called rumours and reports from the north, many of which, may have some
foundation in fact.
It is generally believed that Nanking has been taken by our Troops. The details of the affair are. even given, among others we may mention, that the Viceroy of the Province committed suicide after the fall of the city, and a Mandarin of high rank who with his family was escaping in a junk, was sunk by the fire of one of our vessels. Other places have also been occupied, among others one situa- ted at the mouth of the Imperial Canal, and which - commands its enormous traffic: also a place called we believe Cunshan which is said to be the New castle of China from whence the Capital and the
numbered by the vessels employed in other kinds of "Smug Pigeon What the issue of all this will be, requires no gift of prophecy to foretell collision n with the authorities is inevitable; the conasquences who can tell, when our expedition has left the shores of China ? -
We call attention to the letter of Viator. We ourselves have been assured during the week, by intelligent natives just from Canton, that Yinshan and the Provincial Authorities have fully determined to rebuild the Bogue Forts. Great preparations are already in progress. When all the stores and other materials are made ready and fitted elsewhere, and the guns all duly prepared and mounted on pivot carriages the work is to be commenced under cover of night by thousands of able and well paid workmen, and completed and armed in
For some time past the attention of the Dutch Government has been directed to the growth of the Tea plant. Persons com- n all the processes of its potent to perform preparation have been brought from China. The tea shrub is found to be hardy and is easily cultivated, it thrives in many parts of Java. Its height is generally about three or four feet, when it has attained the age of four years, at which period it is in condition to yield good tea, The Govern ment have a very extensive establishment at Batavia for curing, dividing, classifying, and packing their Tea which is contracted for in a partially prepared state and is thus delivered it the Warehouse where it under- goes a process of firing and where it is as- sorted and packed for the Home Market. Green and Black teas are
Northern provinces are supplied with Coal, which the space of a day or two, before the En- leaves of the same tree. Leade from
in those localities is a veritable necessary of life, as
in England. To the supplies of Rice and other
articles of food this remark also applies.
On good authority we have been assured that the occupation of these places must lead the Emperor to listen to terms of pacification. Not doing so would induce distresss and misery to such a frightful extent, that nothing else could prevent the people from rising against the constituted authorities. The remittance of those Taxes to the Imperial Court which are receivable in kind (and they form a large amount of the revenue) would be stopped. This consideration cannot but have much weight with the Court of Peking, with has also manifested (according to immemorial usage) a laudable anx iety for the subsistence of the people and which
Slish can possibly have time to intercept it. Yilshan is just the man
to attempt such feats, and the success that he has hitherto met with in fortifying the river above Whampoa emboldens him to expect the saine success below.
LETTERS received during the week from Koolongsoo, state that considerable sick- ness prevailed among the troops stationed there. The officers and also the missionar ies, however, enjoy
enjoyed good health. Capt. Chads of the Cambrian appears to be very active and has captured several pirate
||
for black
Tea, are put into the sun for a time to dry, whilst those for Green tea are immediately put over the fire, and when heated are pressed very tightly and worked by the hand by which an oily substance seems to be extracted..
Our Island readers cannot but be famil- iar with this process, (indeed the entire manipulation of Tea) as of late rather large imports of sun dried Teas have been made into Hongkong from the Coast of which Teas have thus been prepared for our home consumption.
will be obviously endangered in many districts by boats, and done much to mitigate the calam. In Java, as before said, the leaves for
a perseverance in the present War policy.
Taking this view of the matter it is not surpris-ities of the people of Amoy in the absence ing that we should now have a report, the latest, of their own rulers." On Koolongsoo they that letters have been received by the Mandarins have a well filled market every forenoon, in Canton of the Expedition being off the Peiho. which in the afternoon is removed to Amoy. That the Emperor has relented, and that at this Business appears to be very brisk, and the moment there are English officers in Peking; whither they have been invited by the Chinese Lowell made extensive sales for ready cash Government to arrange the basis of a treaty of to Chinese in a very few days.
Peace...
This report is believed and proceeds from a --The Great Ningr BELL-THE great bell quarter which ought to be well informed of the which was captured 4 Ningpo and sent to Calcut- progress of events. We confess we do not give cre ta by the Marian has been deposited in the ord- dence thereto. It strikes us to be quite premature,nance yard at Kidderpore. It appears that the Chinese diplomatists are too astute to confess the nation all weakness so glaringly,
The natives say Shot and Shell were thrown into Nanking by the invading force. The destruc- tion of property is said to have been great, as also the loss of life on the part of the Chinese.
One of the on dits at the Provincial city is, that of the Six Millions of Canton Ransom extorted by Captain Elliot four millions belonged to the Emperor's dues. Indeed part we know was pack ed and addressed to the Imperial Treasury. The drain of the War and other causes have led to the Court applying the Screw in many places. The acknowledged deficit of the Canton duties caused the Emperor to demand explanations. To con ccal the conditions of the Elliot convention, it is said the officials have reported that owing to the War and dreadful derangement of affairs they have been compelled to lend the sum of four mil- lions to the Hong Merchants to avert greater calamities, Chinese custom does sanctions such Loans which are analogous to the advance of Ex- chequer Bills by the home Government merchants and manufacturers in seasons cial distress and difficulty, the latest, and the last instance, occurred in England
1826
when by order of Government the Bank of En land advanced on merchandize. This
plain the Edict of the Emperor in our No. 201 the Hoppoo of Canton
That the Canton fune ceriam: It seem
seems how be
Foreign residents that a would tend to aggravate It is to be hoped tha the Chinese to treat us as with a proper treaty of yet become a more impor rium than heretofore
We hear that firms, who have
houses, have t rather re-establish Several of the tories are be has been taken
Arst magi
English
carryi
m Canton
and dilapidated P And one of the hose business 18
gling of all kinds
importa
et at Whampoa is in a fair way
Government have some idea of melting it down merely for the sake of the metal. An intelligent correspondent in the Friend of India warmly de- claims against such an act which he says "would tend to brand the Britons of the present day, as outrageous Barbarians while the Editor himself justly exclaims" such an act of barbarism would inflict a deep and irreparable wound on our natio- nal character in the eyes of all Europe!" We heartily jom in the protest against the destruction of the Bell, and we really think the Government must be "hard, up for metal even to dream of putting such a peculiar trophy as this into the
ace. With its dates, devices and inscriptions, and being too of vagantic size and extremely well east, it would make a most valuable addition either to the Museum of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, or the British Museum in London, at one of which places we smcerely hope erelong to hear of its being safely deposited.
letter dated Chusan July 28th, we ex- wing: "Three Chinamen, have been for attempting to carry off Seapoys. of them were e executed.
med but little affected by the poor fellows
them althou
manner pOSSI-
green
and black Tea are treated exactly. alike with this simple difference, that the black is higher dried than the green. The whole manufacture is so easy that good
residents for their domestic consumption, teas of both kinds are made by some of the
from shrubs, growing in their gardens,
As far as can be made out the Tea ex- periment of the Dutch Government, must have been very costly, Irrespective of the large establishment at Batavia, and conse- quent expenses, it contracts with private individuals for all they can deliver for twenty years at one guilder; say one and eight pence per pound. The Tea so deliv- ered being only sun dried, or but partially prepared.
The cost of preparation at Batavia can- not be less than four pence per pound, and it is correctly estimated that Java Tea shillings and six pence per pound. cannot be imported into Holland under two
The tea is however of really good quali- ty and flavour; with a fresh leafy taste, caused by its newness. Although judging by the specimens submitted, it would appear that ordinarily Teas of equal quality might be obtained at a lower rate in China; yet the dealers at Leipsic fair as also the Rus: sian merchants seem to prefer the Java tea and moreover affirm they will be able to take them in quantity at an advance on these rates.
ed amounts to 100,000 pounds and in two The quantity of Java tea already export- years it will be, it is said, fully two millions 20 minutes of pounds which we think highly probable, employed || looking to the rapid progress which has been made in the export of the Bengal Staple — Indigo. };
that rank here is not her to-day done but certainly fall to
At to see what
t up the will
our No.
and
ined by an actua
dent.
AMONG the troops stationed at Chekchu, on the other side of the
ness has prevailed during
much sick,
weeks
have
Quincy
monted demise
he 26th Regiment,
two ago at the Wi
ks on this side of the island
The Singapore Free Press, of Jul", announces th recent death of its Editor,