The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-13 00:00:00

LAGOS.

In consequence of internal wars scarcely any trade
was being carried on. Hostilities still continued
between the Egbas and the Ibadanes ; whilst Da-
homey and his army on the 7th of March were re-
ported to be within nine hoars' march of Absokuta,
so that the attack upon the town may take place at
any time.

The Egbas, more especially the inhabitants of
Abeokuta, have been behaving so badly of late, by
murdering and kidnapping the people of Lagos, as
well as plundering the goods of English merchants,
that Governor Freeman has considered it necessary
to issue a proclamation ordering all British subjects
to leave Abeokuta, and at the same time to establish
a blockade, in order to prevent the natives obtaining
supplies from the coast, and although the force ho
has at his command is totally inadequate to the
requirements of the colony, still he has, by judicious
measures, so inconvenienced the Egbas that there is
every reason to believe that they will be brought
to reason in the course of a short time.
There has lately been some sharp fighting at Epe",
in the Zebu Ode country, about 30 miles from
Lagos. It appears that one Popoo, a refractory
chief of the Kosokas, established himself at Epe,
when the ex-king and his chiefs returned to Lagos,
and lately he has been attempting to levy duties on
trade within British territory. Complaints of this
nature having been made to Governor Freeman, he
went on the 14th March, down to Epe in her Ma-
jesty's ship Investigator, Major Leveson, the colo-
nial secretary, having preceded him, via Palona,
with 40 armed Houpas (a warlike tribe of Mussul-
men from the interior). After three days' fruitless
negociation, during which Popoo, ill-advised by
certain foreign traders, refused to hold any com-
munication with the goverhor. Accordingly on the
morning of the 17th February, Major Leveson and
Commander Lefroy, of the Investigator, received in-
structions to deliver him an ultimatum, as it
had been reported that Popoo was prepar-
ing to fight, and that a large force had
been collected during the night. Commander
Lefroy took with him three officers and eleven
blue jackets, armed with rifles and revolvers,
whilst Major Leveson was accompanied by his
Houpas. Fearing treachery, the Houpas, who
showed that they were well accustomed to bush
fighting, felt their way, creeping stealthily through
some thick bush that lay to the right, lest the party
might fall into an ambuscade, and whilst thus ad-
vancing a heavy fire of musketry was suddenly
opened on Commander Lefroy's party from a patch
of bush about 200 yards in the front, by which a
marine was slightly wounded in the throat. This
volley was promptly returned by the blue jackets,
who steadily held the ground, and with good effect.
In the meantime Major Leveson and his party, ad-
vancing unseen through the bush, came upon some
300 of the enemy, collected in an open space, and
poured in a volley, taking them completely by sur-
prise. Eighteen of Lefroy's force were drawn into
an ambuscade and killed, several were wounded, and
the rest, panic stricken, took to the adjacent bush.
Some desultory skirmishing then took place, in
which the enemy brought two iron guns loaded
with rivets to bear, but after a few ill directed shots
which hurt no one, they ceased firing, and retired
howling further into the bush. Major Leveson,
although severely wounded, was still able to keep
the field, but his wound was nearly proving fatal.
An iron bullet entered the head below the right
ear, within half an inch of the carotid artery, frac-
turing the jaw and remaining embedded in the
bone. On the return of the boats to the Investiga-
tor, the wounded were sent on to Lagos in a canoe,
the governor giving orders to bombard and burn
the town, which was done effectually.
Commodore Wilmot and Captain Luce, R.N., met
with a very kind reception from the King of Daho-
H eok toldta eA
themb
Abeokuta,
shouldu ta,having
b
swornto
t on
tiy
th attackbb
me
try t
father (before he died) to do so, conseqounee_
at
would not break his word, but havibnaga d
to them.
is, taken the city—he would give it

maintained,
tchoerpsasle lvdee severe ACCRA.
with every satisfactory
At Accra the blockade of the Croboe country is
still strictly
redress, as more than one half of the Government
debt has been collected, and there is every reason to
Holt's g portion will be paid •
country have again bean in
insubordinatelllployed in the Croboe
and muti-
e
nous.
;
detachmentitbahetleVelce;:tuebweriteethenbthat
of hddei
fewh: ragi el::: ih:
if:
.
several Captain Knox, commanding a
Cape Coast
Artillery, the
Captainlife has been threatened
portion of the 2d West India Regiment, has
been obliged to threaten
they would to fire into them before
go to their duty.

711 HE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
j_ Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
can be had Every Evening of
G. R. GLENIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.