The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-20 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND FINLAND.

---
The Stockholm paper Aftonbladet, for January 2,
c.Jatains the following important, although sorrowful,
political intelligence :
" It has been remarked that the letters which have
lately arrived here from Finland have been more than
usually cautious—almost mysterious. This has given
rise to fears that the Russian self-ruler had some now
violence in store against the weak remains of their
former Swedish liberties, which our unhappy brethren
on the north-eastern shores of the Baltic still possess.
Or late these fears have assumed the shape of the most
distressing rumours. A private letter, which has for-
tunately evaded the control of the Post.office, states
that the provincial governors have been declared by
an impend ukase to be independent of the Finnish
Senate, and for the future answerable to the general
governor alone, who resides in Petersburg. Another
rep )rt asserts that the Senate has been altogether dis-
solved. It is not yet known how far these statements
are to be believed, and we anxiously await further in-
telligence."

OFFICIAL REPORTS OF HER MAJESTY'S
SEM' DIEDALLTS'S VISIT TO TIER NIAJ ESTY'S
SHIP PLOVER IN BEEIRING'S STRAITS•

TO REAR-ADMIRAL F. MORESBY, C.B. &C., COMMANDER•

IN- CHIEF.
Her Majesty's ship Daedalus, San Francisco,
Oct. 27, 1851.
Sir,—l have the honour to report to you the pro-
ceedings of her Majesty's ship under my command
since my last communication from the Sandwich
Islands on the 24th May, and in so doing I regret not
to be the bearer of any news regarding the missing
expedition.
We quitted the harbour of Honolulu on the 25th
May, and hove to outside the port till dusk, in order
to await to the last moment the arrival of any vessel
with further orders, then bore up and passed between
Osleu and Atooai, as in consequence of the excellent
Passage made last year by the Investigator, by pur-
suing a direct course through the Straits of Amouckta,
I determined to follow the same route, and our own
passage having occupied the same time, though
for
several weeks earlier in the year, I think it may be
recommended for speed, as it certainly may
be
security.
We reached within sixty miles of Amouckta
on the
12th of June, in very thick weather,. and, having had
no observations for some preceding days, we rounded
to till the next day, when, having ascertained our
position, we steered through the channel to the west-
ward of Amouckta without seeing land, passed to the
westward, and in sight of St. Paul's and Sea Otter
slands on the 15th, and stood in to the south-west
point of St. Lawrence Island on the 18th, having
carried a fair wind since passing the Aleutian group,
and our passage thus far having only occupied
wenty-four days.
Here we boarded the French whale ship Ajax, of
Bordeaux, who gave us information that the ice ex-
tended across the bay of Anadir from Cape Thaddeus
to Cape Tchaplin' and thence across the St. Lawrence
s get to the
of
Island, and that, finding itto
pass impossibleto the
to
southward northward, she was going
the island, in hopes of finding clear water to the east-
ward.
I am sorry to add that, in endeavouring to do this
while approaching too close to the shore in search
of whales, this vessel struck, and was totally lost on
a reef off the south-east side of St. Lawrence Island
a few days afterwards. The Ajax had fallen in with
her Majesty's ship Enterprise on the Ist of June, in
NY
long. 17G
~ at the edge of the ice, which at this
period appears to have extended across from_
Cape
Thaddeus (A.siatic coast) to Cape Boumanzoff, on the
American coast.
On the 19th we sighted the ice,
and found cruising
n
off the edge of it several whale-ships awaiting for
opening to proceed northwards. We were detained
off the N.W. point of St. Lawrence Island till the
24th, when, having anchored with the stream,
near it
we were closely beset with the ice, which extended
in every direction as far as the eye could reach, and
left ue no alternative but to remain at anchor
to avoid being drifted near the shore. On the 27th,
the northern shore of the island being partially
cleared of ice, and the ship free, we weighed, and stood
to the eastward, in the hope of finding a clear passage
in that direction. We succeeded, however, in get-
ting hut a few miles, and from this period till
the 9th July we were almost constantly beset
With ice, the only clear water being occasionally
close in the shore, where we were forced to remain
at anchor sustaining a heavy pressure of ice against
the bows from the strength of the tide, which made
the ship drive ; and it was generally found better to
Weigh on these occasions, and, having no ice- anchors,
to secure the shin with warps and the boats' anchors
to
.the lergest floes of ice, and in this manner we
g.i:ned some miles to the eastward. On one occasion
we made sail, and drove the ship through the ice into
clee.r water; but the thumps and shakes she received
were so great that I should not have attempted it
again but as a last resource.
On the sth, whilst at anchor, the weather being
very thick, a field of ice, above a mile long and half a
mile broad, was set across the ship's bows, and the
ship, unable to withstand such a pressure, drove, our
efforts to break it by degrees, by the use of our spare
mizen topmast as a bumper, and axes and pickaxes,
being quite ineffectual. A heavy jerk about mid- '
night, and the ice passing on clear of the ship, showed
that something had given way; and, next morning,
fivading the ship again driving, we sighted our anchor,

THE SUN,

and found both flukes, the shank having broken in half
about a foot from the crown, The part that came UP,
as well as the cable, was quite bright, but so great was
the strain that I should have been surprised if neither

anchor nor cable had given way.
It is worth remarking that on the 12th of August,
or 34 days afterwards, we picked up the buoy of this
anchor (which was a wooden temporary one we
had made to save our new buoys whilst among the
ice) lying on the beach on the north shore of Port
Clarence. It was about fifty feet from the water's
edge, and about twenty feet further up than the ordi-
nary high water-m'rk, and had no doubt been drifted
up on the Bth, when the tide rose unusually high in
a south-east gale which blew on that day. The dis-
tance from where it was lost was about 145 miles, which
would give only about four miles and a quarter a day
to the northward ; but part of this time the sea was
almost filled with ice, and the winds prevailed more
than usual from the northward. It may be consi-
dered, however, as confirming the supposition that all
the large quantity of drift wood in this vicinity, and in
the midst of which the buoy was found, comes from
the southward.
The wreck of the American whaler Mary Mitchell,
lost about the same time on the west side of St. Law-
rence Island, drifted also to the northward and
through Behring's Straits, and was fallen in with by
the English schooner Eliza, of Hobart Town, in
August, to the north-west of East Cape.
In the course of the 6th we weighed, and soon
after, securing the ship to the field of ice above-men-
tioned, drifted with it ten miles further to the east-
ward. Finally, we observed early on the 9th clear
water to the northward, and shortly after bad the
pleasure once more of making sail, after three weeks
being obstructed and almost constantly beset with ice.

We were not, however, able to reach King's Island,
as the pack extended thirty miles to the westward of
it in a nearly north and south direction, and had the
weather not been so very thick in standing over to
the Asiatic coast, I should have gone into St. Law-
rence Bay, but the fogs were so thick we could hardly
see a ship's length. On the 15th we found the ice had
cleared away, and succeeded in anchoring in Port
Clarence, when I found that the Enterprise had sailed
on the 10th on her Arctic service, and that the Plover
had proceeded on the 11th to Norton Sound, leaving
her decked boat the Grantley Harbour in charge of the
storehouse. I, refore, took advantage of the fine
weather to get our topmasts down and refit our rigging,
and had the bows caulked, the pitch having been
forced out and some copper rubbed off by the ice,
which caused a trifling leakage.
- -

On the 30th of July the Plover arrived, and I
sent the carpenter and a carpenter's mate of this
ship aboard to examine into her condition and re-
port on her defects, and I have the honour to enclose
herewith (No. 1.) a copy of their report, from which it
is evident that in their judgment the vessel is
quite fit to continue the service she is now employed
in for the period she is ordered to remain. Com-
mander Moore bad instructions from Captain Collin-
son to proceed to Hong-Kong in case no man of war
arrived during the summer, in consequence, I ima-
gine, of the Plover's crew having suffered much from
scurvy in the past winter.
He had also a discretionary power to proceed pre-
viously to the northward of Behring's Straits for a
short period, if he thought it likely to be of any
service in gaining information ; and as he was anxious
to do so I delayed the repair of his defects, and sap-
plied him with stores and provisions, till his return,
and I proceeded in this ship in company with the
Plover to St. Lawrence Bay on the 2d of August, to
arcertain if any dispatches had been buried on the
island there, in the position pointed out by Captain
Collinson in his letter to the Admiralty last year.
We had parted company in very thick weather, and
on the 4th, on entering the bay, we observed the
Plover also running in while we were communicating
with an English lorcha from Hong-Kong, out of
which vessel we took a bag of letters for the En-
terprise.
The Plover meantime had anchored inside the har-
bour, which is formed by a low sandy islet, on the
northern shore.
We had neither chart nor sailing directions, but as
I understood that the passage was safe on either side
of the islet, we steered for the eastern one, but the
water shoaling very quickly the best bower anchor
was let go in four fathoms and a half, sail shortened,
and on bringing up the ship swung into three fathoms,
and touched very lightly a few times, owing to a
slight swell that was setting in.
Shortening in cable and laying out the stream
anchor, we hove her into deeper water immediately,
without a possibility of her having received the
slightest damage, and then entering by the western
channel we anchored in the harbour, where we found
several whale ships, principally under English and
American colours.
No dispatches having been found, I quite agreed
with Commander Moore, that although there was
very little probability of his either seeing or obtain-
ing any intelligence of the Enterprise, or hearing of
the position in which the Investigator had passed the
last winter, it would be satisfactory that I should be
able on my return to carry information as to the state
of the ice to the northward, as the unusual time to
which the sea to the southward has been filled with
ice would render it probable that the packed ice
would be found much further to the southward of its
position than in the previous years.
To assist in working the Plover I sent from thin
ship Mr. Buckley, acting mate, and Mr. Scott, second
master, with ten seamen (with whose conduct and
exertions Commander Moore, on his return, ex-
pressed himself as much pleased), and on the 9th of
August, the two vessels sailed together, the Daedalus
anchoring in Port Clarence the following day.
On the 28th the Plover returned, having reached
only 70 deg. 30 min. north latitude, where he found
the pack, being 160 miles further south than last
year. He, therefore, visited Kotzebue Sound,
ascertained that the cache of provisions was un-
touched, and made the best of his way back to Port
Clarence. We immediately commenced caulking and
repairing her defects, which, with the exception of
replacing some copper rubbed off under water, was
completed by the 6th of September, and on the 9th
she moved into Grantley Harbour to prepare for pas-
sing the winter.
I have completed the Plover with stores, provisions,
clothing, and fuel to December, 1853, as per state-
ment No. 2, with the exception only of some pre-
served soups and vegetables, and a few medicines,
with a few trifling stores none of which we had on
board ; and in addition I have left in her charge a
supply of six months' provisions and warm clothing
for sixty men, calculating that if either crews of the
Enterprise or Investigator should fall back in boats,
they would be victualled during the winter, without
encroaching on the Plover's own stock, and in the
summer the Plover will have no difficulty in falling
in with whalers about the Straits, any of whom
would carry the crews to the Sandwich Islands or
elsewhere.
In compliance with the third paragraph of your
orders, I have replaced all the officers and men of the
Plover who either were desirous:of quitting the Arctic
regions, or were not considered, after another most
careful medical examination (a previous one having
been already held by Captain Collinson's orders in
July), equal to passing two more winters there.
To the former I gave the option to volunteer for
this ship any. petty officers for whom no vacancies
might exist, being borne as supernumeraries for your
disposal. I have the honour to enclose (No. 3) a
general statement of all charges made, with the rea-
sons against each name; also the documents con-
nected with the medical surveys held on the Plo-
ver's crew, and the volunteers from this ship for the
Plover. To supply their places, amounting to 23, an
equal number have been sent from this ship, and, in
addition, I appointed Mr. Gordon, acting mate, and a
steward, at the request of Commander Moore, mak-
ing her complement hold 41, exclusive of the inter-
preters. The seamen and marines selected by lot
from a large number of volunteers, and all of them
men of excellent character. Lieutenant Vernon of
this ship, who
Foster, assistant-surgeon, most excellent, trustworthy
replaced Lieutenant Cooper, is a
with the Admiralty isoronenu,lwarhooNffimcole officer,
e7natsdtaoit setdhae
July
spuollyoMry
e 3;.,
to supersede Dr.
1846, and whom I received(bo):
England ; and I have a passage to
Vernon.
f.ds, acting mate,
an order to act as lieutenant, vice.
With the exception,
some
afesw(anid to
make medi-
cines and preserved soups and vegetablesmake up for the latter article this
excellent potatoes was purchased from an VtipYl'isoh
g itvheenr
therefore,
surgeon, rca g.
or
boards
os 7f ,0 inr accordance
far as possible, in a condition to fulfil
schooner which visited Port Clare
quitted
instructions. I
ttphilleeoivrPelriAorier,rdaswsiltPhs 'more satisfaction could I have felt
myself justified in replacing Commander Moore, and
every one of the Plovers crew, even without their
nsheeL'ldl
have quitted
the
consent. They all either left England in the Plover,
and have therefore already passed three winters in the
Arctic regions, or have served in the Herald since
1845, and desirous as they ware to remain at their
posts as long as their bodily strength permitted them,
and at present there is no such impediment, I did not
feel myself authorised to act contrary to their wishes,
although it is impoFsible not to be anxious at
leaving them for two more winters, and looking for-
ward to the possible effect upon their health which
the monotonous nature of such a lengthened service
produces in depressing the spirits. Having, however,
made a fair offer to all of retiring, coupled, as I felt I
might do, with an expression of my conviction that
no possible discredit could by possibility attach t•
their accepting it, I did not feel it right to take any
other step.
Judging from last year's supply of venison
(6,000 lbs.), and several thousand head of ptarmigan,
besides fish, a fair supply of fresh provisions may be
reasonably anticipated this winter, although the Es-
quimaux have obtained such a large
aupply of their

LONDON,

favourite articles of barter from the whale ships
during the summer, they may not exert themselves
so much in order to secure them for the Plover.
During our stay at Port Clarence I received an ur-
gent request, a copy of which I have the honour to
enclose (No. 6), from the master of the English
schooner Eliza, of Hobart Town, of which Mr. John
Johnson, of New-wharf, Hobart Town, is owner, to
remove John Thomas, second mate, from his vessel,
and having personally assured myself of the truth of
his statement, I received him on board this ship, to be
sent on shore at the first convenient opportunity.
From what I was able to collect from the different
whaling ships we fell in with I imagine that the past
season has proved so unfavourable that not many will
be tempted to try Behring's Straits next year. Very
few whales have been taken, and in addition to ex-
tensive injury from the ice, which, owing to its being
so far south, many attempted to force their way
through, but unsuccessfully, several have been totally
lost.
I inclose a list of such as I heard of, but I believe
there are one or two others.
We found Port Clarence a most excellent harbour :
abundance of water and wood, easily procured, and
our seine net, used once a week, provided enough for
the day for the whole ship's company.
The winds were generally moderate, the holding
ground excellent, and had it been necessary for the
ship to remain for the winter, although it is very
doubtful if we could get her into Grantley Harbour,
there is a position near Cape Riley where she would
DO doubt have been perfectly secure. Grantley Har-
bour has proved quite secure as a winter quarter for
the Plover, and the shore abounds in summer with
wild onions and berries—excellent anti-scorbutics.
In the belief that Commander Moore has trans-
mitted to you a report of proceedings during the past
winter, as also an account of the distressing murder
of Lieutenant Barnard, of the Enterprise, at Darabin,
I do not allude to these subjects.
I am sorry to say that an unfortunate affray be•
tween some natives, somewhere near Cape Chaplain,
and the crews of some whalers, has occurred this
summer.
The dispute seems to have originated in the endea-
vour of the natives to obtain possession by force of
some property on board a whaler which was wrecked
there, and ended in the loss of some lives on both
sides.

The arrangements with regard to the Plover were
completed before the last week in September; but as
it was probable that in the event of the Enterprise
not finding it practicable to reach Point Barrow, she
would be obliged to return to Port Clarence, in which
case she might be expected to arrive before the end of
September, I delayed our departure till the Ist of
October, when we put to sea with a fine northerly
wind, which carried us past St. Lawrence Island ; and
on the 7th we passed through the Straits of Amouckb!,
thence we steered a direct course, and arrived at this
port on the 22d inst.
After a few days' stay I shall proceed to sea for
the purpose of carrying out the remainder of your
orders, en route to Valparaiso.—l have, Scc.,
(Signed) " Gao. G. WELLESLEY, Captain.

SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIFE.
Intelligence has been received of a disastrous
shipwreck on the coast of Kintyre, in Argyleshire, by
which four of the crew have been drowned. It
appears that about the 31st of December a small
steamer of 33-horse power, named the Rabhid
(a Welsh name), sailed from North Shields
to take up a position as a tug or luggage boat
on the Clyde. She was commanded by An-
drew Jacobson, a foreigner, and her crew con-
sisted of Robert Christie, of North Shields, the
pilot ; Alexander Muir, seaman, belonging to L och-
gilphead, in Lochfyne ; Robert Gibson, engineer,
Berwick-on-Tweed; and William Sturt, fireman,
North Shields. The steamer went by the east coast
of Scotland, and, passing through the Caledonian
Canal, reached the west coast, where she was caught
in the tremendous hurricane of last week. After
being buffeted about among the islands from tlas
preceding Thursday, the Rabhid mad ibe Sound
of Sunda, on the Mull of Kintyre, on Saturday
night, the weather being still exceedingly tem-
pestuous. Muir, who knew the wild charac-
ter of the coast, urged that the vessel should
seek some place of refuge, but the master was of opi-
nion that he should be able to double the Mull, and
reach the Forth of Clyde. Soon after it was disco-
vered that the pumps were choked from coals being
washed into them, on account of the violent motion of
the vessel, Shortly after the fires were drowned out
and the engine stopped. In this helpless state a stud-
ding sail was set, and the vessel dashed ashore on a reef
of rocks, surmounted by wild bold cliffs, two or three
miles from the point of the coast known as Arranman's
Barrels. The sea made perfect havoc with the little
vessel, carrying away in a few minutes the small boat,
the funnel, and tearing up the bows. Sturt launched
himself on a plank, which was driven out to sea, then
forced back again, and the unhappy man was knocked
off, and perished under the vessel's counter. The
mast then fell overboard, when Gibson clung to it
for a short time. but was washed off and drowned.
The captain shared a similar fate. Muir and Christie
were on the lee paddle-box when they were washed
off and the latter was drowned. Muir, however,
reached the rocks, where he remained in a most piteous
plight, with the snow and sleet pelting upon him,
till daylight on Sunday morning. He then crawled
up the rocks, and found out the small shelling of
James M'Kerran, Glenbervie, where be was hospi-
tably
.received, and afterwards he got every attention
and kindness from Mr. Lorne Stewart, the chamber-
lain of the Duke of Argyll, in Kintyre. All the poor
men who have perished have left widows and fami-
lies. About sixty years ago a French ship was lost
on the same spot. Many were drowned, and those
who reached the land perished from cold and hunger,
from the then wild and uninhabited state of the
country, and their bleached bones were not discovered
till long afterwards.

SEABORNE MAILS.
[l7 signifies that the mails are sent front the General Poet-0113es
by the night—and M by the morning—dispatch.]

When made up in From what
PLACES. ;General Post-office port dis- 7;_;"`'"
owe.
London; patched.
America (by Brit. pkt.)N Jan 23 .. ;Liverpool .• 'Jan. 29
America (by U.S. pkt.) N Jan. 27 .. ,Liverpool •• Jan. 14
America (by U.S. pkt.) Southampt.
Africa (West coast)" Nll4th of the month Plymouth Feb. 3
Alexandria* Nil9ila & 30th of mo., Dover .. Jan. 18
Belgium .. NiDaily • • .. Dover .. Daily
Brazil M 9th of the month I Sonthampt. Feb. 16
Buenos Ayree M 9th of the month ;Southampt. Jan. 16
California(viaCkagres) M 2d ik 17th ef month Southam pt. Jan. 20
Cape of Good Hope 1,7114 th of month ;Plymouth.. Feb. 3
Constantinople* N.,7t1117th 27th efmolDover ,Jau. 20
Central America .. Mi ad & 17th of men. iSouthampi..'Jan. 20
Channel Isles • • .. *Men., Wed., & Fri.; Southampt. Ta. Tk.Sat
Chili 31117th of the month ISonthampt. Jan. 20
France M & Nlwice daily .. ;Dover Twicedally
Greece* .. • . With 17th 27th of mo ;Dever .. Jan. 20
Hamburgh N,Tuesday & Friday ;London Taos. Sat.
Holland MjWednes. & Satur.,Londen Mo*.Thur
Honduras .. . N 17th of the month Southampt. Jan. 20
Ireland .. M& N Twice daily liolyhead..lTwicedally
India (via Sonthamp.) M.2oth of the month,Southanapt. Jan, 23
ladia(viaMarseilles) NBth& 24th efmonth Dover • . Jan. 18
Mediterranean (via
Southarcnton) M 20th of the month 'Southampt. Jan. 23
Meditenanean (via
Marseilles) .. N Bth& 24th of month' Dover • • Jan. 16
Mexico M 2d of the month.. I Southampt. Feb. 9
Madeira • • • • .. M 9th of the month Sonthampt. Jan. 16
Malts.* 1i1th,17th,12t14,27th / Dover Jan. 18
& 30th of month
Naples* .. • • •• 2,7,6 th 15th 25th ofme,Dover • • Jan. 12
Papal States* N 'Stli 15th 25th ef me; Dover .. Jaa. 12
Peninsular.. • • .. M 7th 17th 27th of mo'Southampt. Jan. 16
Peru .. • M 17th of the month Southampt. ;Jan. 20
Tuscany* .• N sth 15th25thofmo Dover • • ;Jan. 12
West Indies 17th of the month Southampt. IJan. 20
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) kr 2cl of the month Soathanspt. Feb.i 5
The mails to those countries thus marked (4) are conveyed by
French packet via Marseilles.
The direct Havre mail from London via Southampton during this
month will bo made up three times a week only, instead of daily.
Cautowns.—Mails to and from California, via the United States
are now despatched and due by every American packet
RACING FIXTURES FOR 1852.

FEIIRI

Lincoln Spring

RES FOR 1852.
JABY.
1 Carmarthenshire Hunt 9

Liverp00l Spring
Coventry... 9 Northampton
Doncaster Spring
Warwick Spring
----

APRIL.
Epsom Spring
Newmarket Craven ... 12 Malton
Abergavenny l5 Newmarket F. S
MAY.

Chester Spring
Newmarket S. S.
Shrewsbury l2
JE
Manchester ...
Ascot .. ................
Beverley
Hampton
Newcastle
Bibury
Jti

Durham
Bath • •
Epsom
E.
Stockbridge
Winchester ......
Knighton
Carlisle
Ludlow

Salisbury ............... 1
Newmarket ..........•••• 6
Worcester ............... 6
Lancaster ............... 7
♦u,

Liverpool
Stamford
Nottingham
Goodwood
UST.

North Staffordshire 3
Brighton
Reading .
BEPTE
Warwick 7
Doncaster
Eglinton Club 2l
Bedford
OCTO
Chester
Yorkshire Union Hunt 6
Wrexham
Newmarket S. 0 ll I
MOVE]!
Worcester Autu

York
Egham

Leicester 22
Manchester Autumn 23
Newmarket F. 0.

IBER.
Holy well Hunt
Richmond
Nowmurkot Houghton 25

imn 2

In the last sitting of the Roman Archooological
Society, the secretary read a letter from the Bing of Prussia,
announcing his acceptance of the title of bonorarY member
of the society in the class of sovereigns.