The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

950 The Santal insurrection still continued. As we anticipated some weeks since, the insurgents, in number 100,000, had retreated to the jungles, and defied the troops. Several skirmishes had occurred, and the troops were collected in the plains. Some overtures had been made from the rebels, who on one occasion offered to surrender their leaders and disperse if the rent of their lands would be lowered. Mr. Elliott, the Commissioner, would grant no terms short of unconditional surrender, and the proposers returned to their jungle. The pacification of the district appears likely to give the Government no small trouble. It is fruitless to attempt to attack them in their fortresses, and it is highly desirable to relieve the troops from their present positions, as the district is extremely unhealthy, and in a short period the rains will set in. A religious war was raging in Oude, which gave rise to many speculations upon the ultimate fate of that kingdom. The Bombay Timis observes : In Oude events are taking place which point to the ab- sorption, at no distant time, of that decrepit State into the Anglo•lndian empire, and to the completion of one more step towards realising the prediction of the old Lion of the Punjab, that the map of India would soon be coloured red throughout. The war bad arisen between the Mahomedans and Hindoos, relative to the former repairing a mosque which was in ruins, and unfortunately close to a Hindoo temple. The Hindoos opposed this pro ject:— After various threatening appearances, the storm broke out on the 28th of July, when great numbers of the Maho medans, armed and prepared for resistance, flocked to the temple and profaned its sacred precincts. The Hindoos, 3,000 or 4,000 in number, attacked them fiercely, and a desperate engagement followed, ending in the total rout of the Mahomedans, of whom 113 were killed, with a loss to the Hindoos of only seventeen. The excitement spread rapidly throughout the country. The measures of the Prime Minister were marked by firmness and temper, and all might have ended well but for the fanatical obstinacy of the King. Instead cf an arbiter between the rival parties, at once and with equal hand redressing grievances and re pressing violence, the debauched and worthless tyrant has, by the last accounts from Lucknow, announced his inten tion of coming forward as a partisan, and heading the faithful in a religious war. Troops were ordered to march upon Fyzabad, raze the temple to the ground, and erect a mosque upon its ruins. The British Resident, Colonel Outram, threw the great weight of his personal influence and high character into the scale of justice and prudence, but without effect, and at present the interference of the British Government and the deposition of the King appear almost inevitable. The Bombay Times further reports that Burmah was tranquil, and the north-west frontier quiet, but that a rising was expected among the warlike states of Rajpootana. Sir Henry Lawrence, the Resident at Ajmere, had requested the Deese Brigade to be completed to its full field strength, on the chance of its being wanted for a campaign in the cold weather. From Cabul news to the 15th of July had reached Bombay, and vague reports were circulated of the progress of the Russians and Persians in Khiva. There iv no doubt that the Persians are gradually advancing in that quarter, and that they are closely alliediwith the Russian agents. The want of rain was severely felt at Bombay. From China dates reach to the 10th of August. Canton was quiet, and the rebels and royal troops were resting on their arms. A severe check had been given to piracy by a gallantly-conducted expe dition under Captain Fellowes, of H.M.S. Rattler, assisted by the boats of U.S. steam-frigate Powhatan, in which ten pirate junks were destroyed, and up wards of five hundred pirates killed. The details will be found elsewhere in our columns. The escaped Russian fleet from Petropaulowski had been sighted, partially engaged, and allowed to escape in another fog. A correspondent from Hong- Kong writes : Her Majesty's brig Bittern had arrived there on the 22nd of July, with intelligence of the Russian fleet having been sighted in the Gulf of Tattary on the 20th of May, by the British ship Sybille, steamer Hornet, and brig Bittern. The Russians, six in number, and supposed to be the Aurora, 50, Admiral Pontiatine, steamer Vostock, storeship Men:• chikoff, two corvettes, and a brigantine, were at anchor in 1)e Castris Bay, lat. 50.30, and although so superior in force could not be brought to action. Long shots were ineflec• tually exchanged, and Commodore Elliott then despatched the Bittern to Hakodadi for reinforcements. She arrived there in five days, when Admiral Stirling bent sails and proct eded northward, waiting at the Straits of La Perouse, where he was joined by her Majesty's ship Spartan. Thirty days had elapsed before they reached 1)e Castris Bay, and, meanwhile the Russians had made their escape during a heavy fog, and were nowhere to be found. It is supposed that they passed up to the Amoor by a deep but narrow channel not marked on the English charts. Commodore Elliott was despatched with a squadron to the Sea of Ock• hotsk, and Admiral Stirling returned to Hakodadi. WEST INDIES AND MEXICO. The steam-ship Magdalena arrived at Southampton on Tuesday with the West Indian, Mexican, and Pacific mails. In the West Indies matters were generally quiet i the weather, on) the Wholes was THE PRESS. favorable, planters were busy, and grinding had com menced. A great decrease in the yield of the sugar crop was anticipated, owing to the excessive quantity of rain which had fallen in the early part of the year. The yellow fever had disappeared, and the islands were generally healthy. The severe storm of the 24th of August had done considerable damage over the Northern islands. The dates of the Magdalena were—Vera Cruz, September 4th; Chagres, 9th; Jamaica and Bardadoes, 11th; and St. Thomas, 16th. AUSTRALIA. By the Magdalena, dates from Sydney have been received up to the 2nd of July. There was no news of any political importance. The goldfields of New South Wales were becoming rapidly depopulated, owing to the superior attractions of the Port Philip fields, the abolition of the license fee in that colony, and the high price of gold-dust. The subject was to be brought under the notice of the Legislative Council. The mint at Sydney had issued its new sovereign, which appeared to be finely executed. The subject of steam communication with England via Panama, was engaging the serious attention of the authorities. From Melbourne, advices via Ceylon reach to the 13th July. The Governor, Sir Charles Hotham, was in Ibad odour with the inhabitants. Disturbances were rife among the diggers on the gold field. The Dish appeared to be the principal rioters, and pro tection societies of English and Scotch, on the mutual principle, had arisen, self-organised, and authorised by the Colonial Government, a proceeding highly illegal, and at any time a very questionable policy. The subscriptions to the Patriotic Fund front Mel bourne were exceedingly mean compared to those of Sydney. In the latter town, 50,0001. had been raised in a few weeks, while Melbourne could barely get together 23,0001., 20,0001. of which had been voted by the Legislative Assembly after a sharp contest, in which the Government tried to reduce the sum to 10,0001. and then to 3,0001.! Such con duct in the face of the liberality of Sydney does no credit to Melbourne or its Government. The half-yearly accounts of the gold-fields had been made up, and were found satisfactory. The three last months of April and June of 1851 and 1855 compared, show an increase of 73,750 ounces on this year's quarter. Advices from Mexico to the Bth left affairs still very unsettled. A correspondent of a Washington paper stated that Santa Anna had, during the last period of ,his dictatorship, amassed a fortune of 700,000 dollars. A letter in the Constitutionnel gives the honour of planting the French standard on the walls of the Malakoff to Corporal Eugene Libaut, of the Ist Zouaves, under General M'Mahon. What adds to the triumph achieved is, that this brave man had previously been struck by a stone that caused him much pain, but notwithstanding which, determined on his purpose, he succeeded in fixing his national colours upon the enemy's fort, though a storm of projectiles of various kinds fell thick around him. TENDERS FOR TRANSPORTS were advertised for this week by the Admiralty, for the conveyance of troops from Liverpool and Cork to Malta. The tenders were to be at a rate per head, to include officers from each port, victualling for six weeks, medical comforts, all necessaries, freight of baggage, and fittings, accord ing to the Government regulation. The fittings and provisions to be subject to the approval of the Go vernment surveyor. The vessels to be ready for sea on the 15th of October. No ship having discharged guano would be accepted. A RUSSIAN VESSEL under Swedish colours, the barque Westor Noorland, Lundholm, has been seized in the West India Docks. She arrived last week, and delivered her cargo of timber at the Commercial Dock, but suspicious circumstances coming to the knowledge of the revenue authorities she has been seized, and detained for investigation. MAJOR-GENERAL LORD CARDIGAN, Inspector• Gen eral of Cavalry, arrived in Dublin on Saturday even ing. On Monday he inspected the 2nd Dragoon Guards at the Royal Barracks, and on Tuesday the 16th Lancers at Portobello Barracks. The gallant general rode the horse which bore him at the cele brated charge at Balaklava. Lord Cardigan ex pressed his entire satisfaction at the admirable con dition of these two fine cavalry regiments. THE ARMY IN IRELAND has received orders to pre pare detachments from every depot whose corps are stationed in the Crimea, in immediate readiness to proceed to the seat of war and Malta. The strength of the several detachments will amount to about fifty officers and seventeen hundred non-commis sioned officers, drummers, and privates—a very strong force to leave Erin's green isle. LIEUTENANT. COLONEL FRANCIS SEYMOUR, SCOLS Fusilier Guards, who was severely wounded in the trenches on the night of the 24th of August has re turned from the Crimea. This officer has served throughout the whole of the campaign with his regiment, has been presentin every action, and was wounded at the battle of Inkermann. SATURDAY, PIRATES IN THE CHINESE SEAS. ON of the most gallant attacks upon pirates is re corded in the papers by the last mail from Hong- Kong. For some time past it has been known that a strong force of pirates was gradually collecting near Kulan, in the Chinese seas ; and several depre dations having been committed, vessels captured, and crews murdered, Captain Fellowes, of H.M.S. Rattler, determined to go in search of the depredators. Having discovered a strong force of piratical junks off Kulan, and reconnoitred their position, Captain Fellowes returned to Hong-Kong and invited the cooperation of the United States steam-frigate Powhatan, which was immediately granted. A force of three boats and one hundred officers and men was placed under Captain Fallowes' orders, and on the 27th of July the Rattler, with the Eaglet in tow, and the Powhatan's boats astern of her again, left the harbour. On arriving off Kulan only one junk was to be seen, but at the head of the bay the pirate fleet with their prizes, numbering iu all some thirty-six sail, were observed at anchor in a narrow and shallow passage. The boats bore up for and rounded the point, and then from the deck of the steamer was witnessed as bold an attack as ever was made. The pirate fleet formed a dense mass, the larger and heavier armed junks bringing up the rear, every now and then yawing round and firing their broadsides at the boats, which replied boldly with their small howitzers discharging shrapnel-shell, which burst over their junks, making frightful havoc among their crews. The boats soon neared the pirates. Lieitis. Pegram and Rolando, with the launches of the Powhatan, first cleared the decks of the two largest by volleys of musketry, and then boarding drove the pirates overboard at the point of the bayonet. This however was not done without a hard struggle, for the miscreants fought with the fury of despair, and con tested bravely against the marines and blue-jackets. Meanwhile the other boats were far from being idle, and though small in comparison with the launches, performed their share of the work with the utmost gallantry, officers and men vieing with each other for the point of danger and of honour, so that five or six more junks were soon secured. The pirates' chief junk, after being shelled by the first launch, was boarded almost simultaneously by her crew and that of the Rattler's gig, and Captain Fellowes was fortunate enough to secure the chief's flag. The chief himself—Lee Afye, a principal leader of the Whampoa "patriots"—was shot by an English marine, who had jumped on deck from the Powhatan's launch, and four women threw themselves overboard and were drowned. The ammunition on board the pirate fleet may be judged of from the fact, that this junk alone is believed to have had nearly one hundred kegs of English gunpowder, besides stink-pots, cart ridges, and loose powder. One junk was blown up, and Lieutenant Rolando and Captain Fellowes much injured and burnt by the falling spars. In this junk was a large treasure, said to amount to two hundred thousand dollars ; and the desperation with which her crew fought may be judged of from the fact, that even after the Ameri cans had gained the deck they were encountered hand to hand for some time. One man made himself par ticularly conspicuous, and, notwithstanding several wounds, continued to throw stink-pots; but ulti mately he ran below, and is believed to have fired the train which blew up the vessel. Ten junks out of the thirty-six were destroyed, five of which more than ordinarily deserves notice. They were built of the more substantial materials, evidently for war purposes, as they differed in many respects from the common trading-junk. They carried very large guns-32, 24, and 12 pounders. A 68-pounder was found in one of them; another had no less than twenty -one guns mounted. Two lorchas and seven junks that had been detained by the pirates were rt.- leased ; two of which, however, had to be burnt, to prevent their falling again into the hands of the piratical junks that escaped, time and an adverse wind and tide not allowing them to be brought away. The officers employed estimate the number of gun* taken at two hundred, large and small, and the pirates at one thousand, five hundred of whom were killed. The following are the names of the officers engaged, with a list of the killed : British : Commander W. A. Fellowes; Lieutenants C. J. Wrey, and T. H. Greer; Paymaster R. Browns don ; Assistant-Surgeon T. Wilson ; Mate G. G. Lomax. American: Lieutenants R. P. Pegrarn, H. Rolando, and J. H. Jones, U.S.M.; Assistant Surgeon A. Schriver ; Master E. Y. M'Cauley; Assistant• Eng ineer Killogg; Master's Mate S. R. Craig ; Boatswain U. Bailey. _ . KlLLED—British : John Massay, gunner, R.M.A. ; James Silvet, carpenter's crew, George Mitchell, A.B. William Oliff, private, R.M. (missing). American : Joseph A. Hulsey, landsman ; Immo Coe, ditto. Seven British and twelve Americans were i►ounded► -.',•:. II