The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-12 00:00:00

DESPATCHES FROM THE
PACIFIC.

(From last Night's Gazette.)
ADMIRALTY, SEPT. 10.
Despatches, of which the following are copies, have
been received from Rear-Admiral Bruce, Commander-
in-Chief of her Majesty's ships and vessels on the Pacific
station :

President, at Petropaulovski, June 15.
Sir—l have to report, for the information of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, that arriving off this
port, on the 30th May, I found the place completely
evacuated ; not a ship, gun, or person to be seen ;
nothing but empty embrasures and deserted houses.
2. I entered the inner harbour on the following day
in the Barracouta, accompanied by Captain Penanros,
of the French frigate Alceste, when we found three
Americans (the only residents left), from whom we
learned that the Russian ships named in the margin •
were cut through the ice, and took their departure, on
the 17th (sth) April with all the guns and munitions
of war, and all the soldiers and government employee,
800 in number; but of their destination we could obtain
no clue.
3. I reached the rendezvous, lat. 50 deg. N., long.
160 deg. E., its my flag-ship, on the 14th May, and the
Dido and Pique arrived the same day ; the Encounter
and Barracouta had been there since the 14th April.
Great credit is due to Captain O'Callaghan and Com.
mender Stirling for the zealous exertion by which they
effected this object ; and their lordships will remark the
promptitude with which they were despatched by the
Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling.
4. The French frigate Alcestis and the Brisk were in
the vicinity of the rendezvous at the same time ; but the
prevalence of thick fogs and adverse weather prevented
me seeing the Bay of Acootska before the 20th ult.,
when six of the ships being together, I trusted to the
prompt appearance of the seventh, and accordingly pro-
ceeded to the port, in tow of the Barracouta, followed
by the Alceste, in tow of the Brisk. The Dido, Pique,
and Encounter arrived the same evening.
5. Commander Stirling, of her Majesty's steam sloop
Barracouta, while separated from the squadron, having,
during a break in the fog, looked into the anchorage to
see if it was there, took with much judgment that op-
portunity of reconnoitring the harbour : and I was in-
formed by him of the ships being no longer in it.
6. The Amphitrite, from Honolulu, having met me on
the 11th inst., while I was in the act of following the
Russian ships into the Sea of Ochotsk, and given me
such information as to convince me that a combined
English and French force was already there, instead of
proceeding I despatched her Majesty's ships Pique and
Barracouta, on the 13th, and the Amphitrite on
the 14th, to reinforce the squadron of Sir James
Stirling at the mouth of the Amour. The En-
counter sailed on the 12th for Sir James Stirling's
rendezvous at Haksdadi, in the Strait of Maksmai, to
inform his Excellency of the movements of other ships,
in case he should not have left there. The Amphitrite
will rejoin my flag off Sitka, so soon as Captain Frede-
rick finds her services are not required in the Sea of
Ochotsk.

8. Resuming the subject of Petropaulovski, I would
observe that the enemy must have worked in an indefa-
tigable manner after the departure of the allied squadron
last year, as we found 9 batteries for 54 guns had been
constructed with much skill and labour, by means of
fascines strongly bound together, 25 feet thick, staked
and filled in with earth, and some of them ditched round,
with covered ways leading from one to the other, and
trees planted in the rear. Every possible preparation
had been made to receive us prior to the orders arriving
from St. Petersburg to evacuate the place.
9. I caused the batteries to be destroyed, hut, having
met with no opposition on approaching Petropaulovski,
I considered it a point of, honour to spare the town.
10. I found hidden in the Rakovia Harbour a fine
Russian whaler of 400 tons, called the Aian, built at
Abo in 1853. She would have sailed from here three
weeks since for Aian, with the family of the Governor
of the place, and, among other articles of cargo, an en-
gine for a small steamer said to be there, but the oppor-
tune arrival of some of the squadron off the port pre-
vented her leaving. As I found her deserted, and her
sails, boat, and anchors are not to be found, she will be
destroyed.
11. I am disappointed in not having succeeded in
opening a communication with the inhabitants, who
have fled from the town ; for I hoped to release the
two English prisoners they have among them. I learn,
however, from the Americans that they are very
treated.

12. In conclusion, I desire to add that although
it has necessarily been a great disappointment to
the squadron under my command to find upon arrival at
•this place, more than 2,000 miles outside their station,
that the enemy had escaped, and the batteries were de-
serted, yet their lordships will not fail to observe that
not the less credit is due for the great zeal and anxi,:ty
that has been shown by each of the ships in pushing on-
ward, in the hope of being in time to take part in the
anticipated operation at this port.
13. The best understanding subsisted between Cap-
tain Penanros, of the Alceste, and me, and I cannot say
too much in favour of the zeal and activity he displayed
to meet every wish of mine, and to keep the appointed
rendezvous ; the same continues with respect to Rear-
Admiral Fourichon.—l am, &c.,

-H. W. BRUCE,
Rear-Admiral and Commander•in-Chief.
The Secretary of the Admiralty.