CHINA. [From the Sydney Morning Herald.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 922, 3 June 1854, Page 4

CHINA. [From the Sydney Morning Herald.]

We have China news to the 25th of February. The only article of moment is one from the Friend ' of China, and is a general summary of news. The most important item of news -by this opportunity is that brought to Shaaghae by the Russian war steamer Vostoch — the Russian Ambassador's interview with the Japanese authorities'; the latter conceding to the Russians a promise to open Japan to trade with the rest of the world within a year. Large orders for Manchester tod • other goods, for the Japan market, go home we hear by this mail. The American squadron had not reached Japan when the Russian steamer left. We are still an uncertainty about the fate of Peking. That Tientsin is in the hands of tlje northern division of the patriot army may not be doubled. Opium traders report an impossibility 1 to do business with the party in possession, which is sufficient satisfaction on the point for reasonable people. The opinion of a correspondent, not prone to take wild views on such subjects, will be found in another column. The only place in China "subject" as the Emperor Hienfung would say, " to the demoniacal influences of the rebels" of which we have any stirring intelligence, is Shanghae — where a fierce fight was going on when the last mail left. A clerk in the British consulate has vacated his residence in the foreigner's district of Shanghae (about two hundred yards from the Consular offices) to permit its occupation by the establishment of the Imperialist Superintendent of Maritime Customs ; and English, American, and French Consular authorities have joined in a note to the Taoutae, expressive of their willingness to enforce the payment of duties as heretofore — stipulation being made for payment also by vessels of all nations whether treaty holders or not, The P. and O. S. N. Co.'s steamship Lady Mary Wood was the first to pay customs on her cargo of silk for shipment by the outgoing mail steamer.

Ability of the Rebels to maintain Pos" session op Shanghae. — The rebels in possession of-Sbanghae number among tbeir best men a party of 'young fellows who have seen a good deal of foreign service abont Hongkong, Canton, Macao and Cumsingmoon — Ship and Godown men. In the battery there are several who served in H.M. lirie-of-battle ships Cornwallis and Blenheim, during the war — and there are others who have learnt the art of gunnery, and the use of powder and warlike munitions, in the Ordnance and Commissariat yards at Hongkong. The nt--tives of Sbanghae and Ningpo'that are. enrolled among them, '(and tbey I*lgo^*ls"Tin'd^joTfTpiicaijionally1 * lgo^*15"Tin'd^joTfTpiicaijionally in bodies of fifty at a time) have given the most satisfactory proofs of their attachment to the cause. There are four leaders, but Lew is acknowledged to be the chief. He firet got this position by his rank in the Tee tee hooey, and by all account is well deserving of being treated as a perfect hero, — kind and benevolent, when dealing with those he believes entitled to his sympathies, —firm, though sanguinary, when finding himself deceived. The last mentioned trait in his character was especially developed on the discovery of what was called the Kaeyiag-cb«w conspiracy, the author of which was found to be the third chief, of these conspiratori to deliver up the city to the imperialists (some two hundred and fifty in all) two hundred have been decapitated ; — the fate of the others we shall tell presently. The leader whose whereabouts was for some time uncertain, is now in the Imperialist camp. Lew is not more than twenty-seven years of age. To strangers he appears dull and even stupid, but with those he knows well, and respects, he enters into lively conversation. He has the Napoleonic art, too, of concealing his real sentiments till it is necessary to speak out } but, slow in coming to a conclusion, his resolution, when taken is unchangeable. In his general bearing he has a faithful prototype in his Secretary. The answers which he is said to have ' given to Marques and to Mr. Wade, when these gentlemen bad the presumption to call on him as mediators from Samqua, with instructions how to treat for the evacuation of the place, are aptly illustrative of the soundness of his principles. To the profession that if they would surrender the city — give up all the guns — lay down tbeir arms, and pay over the residue of the money, found by them in the Government Offices, they should not be molested, and their follies forgiven, Lew replied that, uncertain as they were of the fate of their families in the south, be could not for a moment listen to the proposal, even if he and his followers had less hope of maintaining their hold (until they received promised reinforcements from Nanking). "If I were to surrender" said he — " how certain is it that, from being soldiers of orderly habits, my men, being outlaws, would all turn pirates, and thus become a scourge and a pest to the coast and to honest people. No ! To aid in crushing an imbecile and tyrannical government, jMsill spend the whole of my life's blood, — ' Whatever may be our fate' — here we stand !" But there is no substantial ground for fear of their ability to hold the placa. They have abundance of ammunition, and, independent of the supply from outside, they manufacture from three to five peculs of powder a day in fine weather, in their own mills. As yet they have had no occasion to buy saltpetre, having found some thousands of peculs iv stock when the place was captured. When one of the chiefs can afford to give a hundred pounds for a foundered horse, we may be sure they are pretty well off for fuods too ; and, from daylight till dark, we are told, that thousands of the peasantry are seen along that part of the wall, about a mile in extent, abutting oo the English ground, supplying every necessary of life. Indeed, the central streets of the city are said to display even luxuries in the way of food, There 19 distiess in the city, it is true ;

but it exists principally among the refugees from the surrounding country — the victims of the ruthless, detestable, Imperialist freebooters. To this section of suffering bnmanily the Christian Missionaries are said to show much kindness in the supply of rice, beef, and money, as far as | their means allow. j One of the Chiefs is a gourmand in his way, and affects the fine European gentleman in every thing. For champagne be has an especial penchant, and goes through hit regular courses at the dinner table. The wife of this party is particularly vain of her attainments as a good shot, and, with a duelling pistol, can hit a bamboo at thirty yards. With musket on shoulder she is said to have all the bearing of a Maid of Saragossa — a Joan of Arc Indeed the rebelß in Sbanghte appear determined to throw off all that appertains to the custom of the Tartar dynasty. Not a section only, but all the soldiers are compelled to allow their hair to gr»w long ; and, as Rowland's Macassar is not a muniment of War, the Sbanghae storekeepers have had no hesitation in exchanging this commodity for articles of greater value, which they go into the city and select. The rebels are 6aid to be in great favour generally^ and, excepting on the great fighting days, it is not all unusual to see parties of ladies pic-nic-ing on the walls. Little indeed did one of these parties imagine the other day, when drinking champagne near one of the gates, how close they were to the mine made by the Imperialists under the walls, the explosion of which is referred to in a letter in another column. In addition to the information therein given, we learn that tbe engineering skill exhibited by the Imperialists was very creditable to them. In two places it was found that they had succeeded in getting within ten feet of the wall — one of the tunnels running under a moat eight feet deep, through a soil which yields water at a depth of six feet. j Foi-ty bodies of the Imperialist soldiers were found in one of these tunnels after the explosion. None of the rebels were killed by it. Two men were Buried for a short time in tbe loose earth, but were taken out alive. In the fi ght which followed, however, nine of the rebels were killed and twenty wounded (five of whom have since died). Tbe chief Aling, alias Skinner's horseboy, was wounded in the shoulder. One of the emissaries from the camp at Nanking was among those killed ; — he was a confidential agent, and bad made four journeys to Chin keang foo and back, within the previous two or three months. The breach, though thirty feet in length, was .repaired with mud bags in a short time, and the waH is now as impregnable to tbe Imperialists as ever. During the four hours fight which followed the explosion of the mine, the rebels expended upwarJs of two tons of powder, and effected, it is generally believed, a great deal of injury to the Imperialists. Tbe attack and carrying of the Imperialists battery, though forced on them earlier than they intended, wast indeed only what had previously been arranged by Lew ; who, knowing Samqua's intention to establish a Custom House again, resolved on making a demonstration. It is believed that the Imperialists have fought better at Shanghae than at either of tbe cities taken from them daring the war ; but it is of no avail ; and their clumsy matchlocks form poor weapons against the rebel muskets. It is their custom to catch young boys and force them to ..ascend the ladders placed against the walls, Tbe Kae-yfng^chow conspirators (Hit escaped into the Imperialist Comp found no sympathy there, a3 they expected ; and most of them are kuowu to have been killed when driven to ascend the scaling ladders as mentioned.