The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-08 00:00:00

THE EXpRESS, SATURDAY

SEIZURE BY THE ADMIRALTY OF A
PORTUGUESE VESSEL AT BRISTOL.

BRISTOL, JAW. 7.—A • good deal of interest has
bees created in our commercial rooms and among adroit-
tile circles, in ennsequeuce of the seizure, under warrant
from the Adinirelty, of a Portuguese vessel, called the
Segredo, which had brought in a cargo of fruit here, and
was about to sail for Lisbon with bricks, &e., and con-
nected with whose history is an extraordinary degree of
romance, she having been seized coins time ago as a pirate
ship. It will be remembered that some time ago
an accoset was published of the discovery by her
Majesty's steamer Virago, while cruising in the Straits
of Magellan, of a: rebellion having taken place at a
Chilian convict settlement, called Punts d'Arenas,
and of the subsequent capture of a brigantine,
then alleged to be pirating under Chilian co-
lours, called the Eliza Coruish, of Liverpool. When
first the officers of the Virago went en shore at Punta
d'Arenas, they were received by a person ..ho was riding
about on horseback in a gay hall dress with epaulettes, who
styled himself General Csmbiaso, stated that he was second
in cimmand, the governor being sick, and who was attended
by a body of men with lances; and after leaving the settle-
ment, and going to Valparaiso, the commander of the Virago
there fell in with the crew of au English ship called the
Lima, from whom he learnt that she also had called at
Punta d'A.renas, where she discovered that there had been
a revolution among the prisoners fomented by Casubiaso,
that the governor had been shot, an English barques
and a brigantine taken, their owners and the
captain of the litter murdered, and the vessels
prepared for sea to join the rebel General Cray,
who, it was erroneously thought, was still making
head against the Chilian government and the Governer
Monte. The Virago then kept a look-out for the Eliza
Cornish, with whom she fell in, captured, and boarded her.
Iler Majesty's crew were heartily welcomed by the English-
men on board, who stated that they had been in prison nut
in dimmer of their lives from the rebel pirates, as were aka
Captain Salsa and Lieut. Diet, offieersjuf the Chilian army,
who had resolutely refined to join the rebels. The cunt
minder of the Virago now learned that when the Elise
Cornish touched at the convict settlement she bad a rick
freight amounting 1. 95,000 dollars, besides a valuable bal.
last of silver ore. An invitation was sent by the sham
governor to invite the captain and Mr. Dean, the owner,
on shore. They complied wish the invitation, but
had scarcely got on shore when they were arrested and
cast into prison. A boat full of men were then sent of
heavily armed, and by them Mr. Smith. the chief officers
and the crew were captured, and all the money seized. TM
next day Cambiaso made a false charge that the captal•
had drawn a knife upon him, and he cansed him and the
owners of the two vessels to be brought out, placed owe
bench, and shot in the presence of a large body of rebels,
both men and women, who shouted and clapped thine,
hands, and indulged in every kind of fiendish exultatim
Every insult which could be deviled was offered to the
dead bodies. They were hung up by a greased rape to •
tree, were afterwards taken down and burnt, and ask
ashes mingled with the remains of dogs. A calf was also
killed on the site of the murder, and a savage revel kept up.
After her seizure the Eliza Cornish was sent home to this
country in the charge of a British officer, but instead of
being brought home she was taken into Faye', where, it is
alleged, she was improperly condemned as not being sea-
worthy, and was sold to a Portuguese fur 2001. Alter this
she was chartered to Brictol with a cargo of trait, consigned
to a Bristol firm, which she had delivered, and was pre-
paring to return to Lisbon when the seizure was made, and
she was carried up the Bristol floating harbour. It is
stated that upon inquiries being made by the representa-
tives of her former owner at Liverpool, it was found that
when she was condemned as unseaworthy there was little
the matter with her, and that nothing was required beyond
the insertion of a couple of planks to fit her for the voyage
from Portugal to this port. She will remain in the hands
of the sheriff under the Admiralty warrant till the pending
suit has been determined in the Court of Admiralty.