The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-25 00:00:00

"The Spartan was despatched a few days afterwards
to cruise about the Kurile Islands (why no one knows),
and the Styx got orders to join the flag at Nangasaki,
after carrying about some freight and vice-consuls to
different ports in China. The Admiral sailed last of all
in the Winchester, in the beginning of May, for the
above port, whither the French had already proceeded
The Rattler, Oonous, Racehorse, Grecian, and Rapid
were left to protect the British interests in China, and to
:ets that the opium dealers were not annoyed in their
philanthropic traffic by pirates, or aup;hing of that sort.
"In the further account of tha operations we will fol-
low the Admiral as nearly as possible. He remained at
Nangasaki eight or nine days, trying to get the valuable
treaty which he concluded last year ratified ; but was
t•,ld by the Japanese to call again about the beginning
of October. Owing to the French squadron not having
completed their preparations, the Winchester, Sty; and
Tartar put to sea on the 20th of May, the Styx pro-
ceeding to Shanghai for the English mail of the 9th of
April (which was expected to bring peace), while the
flag-ship and her tender made for another Japanese port
(Elakodade, in the Straits of Saugor), where they ar-
rived on the 29th of May, the steamer having expended
her last ton of coal. The same day they received intel-
ligence of the enemy from Commodore Elliot, by the
Bittern. The Syhille, Hornet, and Bittern, in their
cruise up the Gulf of Tartary, had unexpectedly fallen
in wita a Russian squadron ot six vessels en the morning
oaf Sunday, the 20th of May. The enemy were at
anchor in a strong position, in the head of Castries
Bay, 51 deg. 27 min. N. lat., 141 deg. E. long. That
day and the following were spent in reconnoitring,
and in vain maaceuvres tempting and defying them to
come out and tight fairly, which, however, they de-
clined. Their force was found to be as follows :
Aurora, 44 ; Oltenitza, 22 ; D Nina, 20 ; Vostock, 5 ; a
brigantine of three guns ; and a large ship which couid
not be distinctly made out, and supposed by some to be
the Kaintschatka store ship, 8 guns, while others as-
serted she was a corvette. With the small force of a
frigate, brig, and steamer, it was deemed unadvisable to
attempt cutting them out, and the Hornet having gone
in as far as was safe, and exchanged shells with the
Dwina, the Commodore withdrew, and next morning
despatched the Bittern to the Admiral for assistance,
meaning himself to blockade them till further force ar-
rived. As mentioned, the Bittern joined the Admiral
on the.29th of May. On the 30th she sailed in com-
pany with him, leaving the Tartar behind. Though
prompt assistance wai required, we find these two ships
at anchor on the 2d of July in Vie Straits of Saugor,
about 30 miles from the port which they left on the
morning of the 30th. At midnight of the 2d they were
joined by the Spartan, from the Kurile Islands, where
she had, of course, seen nothing and learnt nothing.
She had, however, been within 150 miles of the squad-
ron supposed to be acting against Petropaulovski, but
had not communicated with them. The Winchester,
Spartan, Bittern, and Tartar, finally sailed from the
Straits to the Commodore's assistance at midnight on the
2d of July, or exactly 96 hours after the Admiral had
received intelligence by the Bittern. On the 7th they
fell in with the Commodore at the rendezvous he bad
appointed in the Straits of La Perouse, but only to
learn that the Russians had lef. Castries Bay during his
absence to the southward on the 23d, 24th, 25th, 26th,
and 27th, and on going back on the 28th he found the
bay empty, and everything that had been in use on
shore left evidently in great haste. He had im-
mediately proceeded to the rendezvous, had been
told by whalers that there was no passage to the
northward from .Castries Bay, but had made no re-
connaissance in that direction, nor had he looked into
any of the bays on the Tartary shore on his way down.
His belief was that the Russians were still in the head
of the Gulf of Tartary.

"The force with the Admiral's flag now numbered
three frigates, the Hornet and Bittern, mounting 145
guns. The Tartar had been sent back to Hakodade on
the 3d of June. The Russian squadron seen in Castries
Bay had only 106. Whether Admiral Stirling waited
for the further reinforcement of the 84 French guns, or
for the English mail expected by the Styx is not known,
bat certain it is that he dodged about in the Straits of
La Perouse from the 7th of June, when he fell in with
the Commodore, till the 17th, when he at last turned
his head to the northward, and stooc: up the Gulf of Tar-
tary. He bad, meantime, on the 16th, received the Eng-
lish mail of the 9th of April, by the Sty; which on that
day arrived with the Tartar from Hakodade. This
steamer did not bring out a delaration of peace, as many
had expected, but she informed the Admiral that she
had communicated, on the 13th, with the French frigates
Sybille and Constantine, in the Straits of Saugor, and
learnt of the loss of the steamer Colbert, on a rock near
Nangasaki.
"On the Admiral proceeding northward he left be-
hind the Bittern, to cruise about the rendezvous, and
bring up the French frigates when they should arrive,
but with orders to be at Jonquiere Bay (on the Sagha-
lien coast) by the 26th at latest, and not to remain on
the rendezvous so long as to prevent this. The Tartar
and the Styx were also sent back by him on the 22d,
with orders to proceed to Hakodade. No one can yet
understand the cause of these two most efficient steamers
being thus discarded. The Styx bad 100 tons of coal
left, the Tartar had three days' wood, and the COMIIIO-
- had reported that coal was readily procurable in
Jonquiere Bay. The Tartar had the additional recom-
mendation of drawing but seven feet—an invaluable
quality where operations in shoal water were to be ex-
pected.
" On the afternoon of the 25th the three frigates and
the Hornet anchored in Jonquiere Bay, in lat. 50 deg.
50 min. N., and found that any quantity of wood and
coal was procurable. They also learnt from the savage
natives that seven sleeps' before two vessels bad been
at anchor there, and several Russian naval buttons were
seen in their possession, affording a fair clue to the qua-
lity of their visitors. They were now within 50 miles of '
Castries Bay, but no attempt at ascertaining if it was
again occupied was made on the afternoon of the 20th,
or the whole of the 26th ; nor during this time was any
effective means employed for replenishing the stock of
coal in the Hornet, though she was short about 50 tons.
On the morning of the 27th the Bittern rejoined the flag,
reporting Wing fallen in with two strange yawls, one