CHINA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 716, 12 June 1852, Page 2

CHINA.

The American clipper ship Challenge anchored at westward of the harbour yesterday afternoon. There is a report current that the crew are in a state of mutiny, -and that a file of marines from the Susquehannah is already in charge of the vessel. It blew too fresh, and no boat would have obtained particulars. — Friend of ' China, February 14. The Criminal Sessions of the year commence on Monday next the 16th. The calendar contains twelve cases. Two of piracy (Chinese.) and one of murder on the high seas, (the Corcyra's case ;) one of forgery, (Chinese ;) George Thompson for a rape ; five seamen of H. M. S. Hastings for stabbing ; Matthew Hoppings for abetting desertion from the garrison : one case -of burglary with wounding; and four larcenies. — Friend of China. By the last mail, we learn that Commodor Aulick has been superseded in his command of the U. S. East India Squadron, and re-called ; and that Commodore Perry is on his way out, to take command of the Squadron. — Hongkong Register, Feb. 17. . His Excellency the Governor, it is known, will visit Europe on leave of absence, by the steamer sailing next month, and will return to his seat of Government at the end of the present year. The Government will, in the interim, be carried on by Major- General Jervois. It is rumoured, and we believe there is truth in the rumour, that Dr. Bowring, her Majesty's Consul at Canton, will assume the offices of her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of Trade, and will, during the Governor's absence, make Honkong his place of residence. — Hong Kong Register. The following extracts are from the North China Herald of January 31 :—: — Thursday, January '29th. — Various rumours are afloat about the rebellion in Kwangse. It is quite impossible to give any reliable account but it is clear that the rebellion has attained a very serious height, since it is certain from official decrees publ.shed at Peking that three several millions of Taels have been forwarded to the seat of war, from the private treasures of the Emperor, at different periods since the commencement of the rebellion, independent of the vast sums supplied by the provincial treasuries and the board of finance. The fact would seem to-be, that many active chiefs must be engaged in this irruption, or, as is cammon in Chinese rebellions, the leaders would have been brought off long since. A great battle is rumoured to have .been- fought some weeks back and different reports attribute success to both parties-; — the probability therefore is, that neither has, achieved a_ny material results, but that the opposing parties, — imperialists and rebels — are much in the same position towards each other as heretofore. We anxiously await more authentic information on the subject. Ningpo. — On the arrival of her Majesty's steamer Sph'jnx at Ningpo, on the 19th instant Captains Shadwell and Spencer, with Mr. Consul Hague and the Messrs. Meadows, Interpreters, waited on the Taoutai (the Governor's person is too sacred to' be seen by outside barbarians), and offered to proceed against the pirates. The offer was very politely declined, the "pirates having returned to their allegiance." Nothing was said as to the method by which this result was brought about. It was done China fashion. The leaders got 1000 dollars each, and a button to boot, and each sailor is to receive 30 dollars, This is on the part of the Mandarins ; more than this could not be expected from - the flunkeys. The balance, 25,000 dollars, comes from the merchants, as ransom money for about 400 junks and boatsstill detained at Shihafoo. Notwithstanding this check to his expedition, Captain Shadwell determined to reconnoitre the haunts of the pirates and to destroy a dep6t said to exist on one of the neighbouring islands. The Sphynx and Contest sailed the next day, but previously information was received of the detention of the English brig Industry at Wanchau, where she had been hemmed in with a convoy bound to .Ningpo for some -two months. Some inteU

ligence to this effect had reached this city 'many weeks since through a Portuguese Lornha, an affair which should have been looked into at the time, without waiting for its confirmation. As the Sphynx and Contest were going out of the river the loyal pirates were coming in to their "allegiance," still.it is likely Captain Shadwell will yet effect something. Several cases of small-pox had appeared on hoard his vessel, and with characteristic kindness he had relinquished his cabin for the use of the patients. Eleven Japanese were landed from the Sphynx and handed over to the authorities to be sent to their native land. They had been picked up on a rock near Loochoo by a Bremen vessel and taken to Hongkong. The Government provided for them and sent them up in the Sphynx. They had been nearly a year on the islet living on shell fish, ~&c. Later intelligence from Ningpo mentions a riot which took place on the 21st instant, which was provoked by the salt monoply. The celebrated house and garden of Mr. Kiang, salt contractor, were burnt to the ground. We understand that subsequent to the departure of Her Britannic Majesty's ship of- war, the pirates repudiated the terms agreed upon, and demanded a heavier ransom ; this shows the propriety of Mr. Hagua having detained the Contest at Ningpo.