The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-23 00:00:00

THE MAURITIUS AFFAIR.

(From the French Papers of Saturday.)
" The Minister of Marine has received from the
Governor of the Isle of Bourbon official reports re-
specting the dispute which arose in the beginning of
September last at the Mauritius between the Governor
of that British Colony and the Captains of the French
ships of war then lying there. The details arc in con-
formity with those published in the newspapers. The
facts of the matter are about to be the object of com-
munications between the King's Government and that
of her Britannic Majesty.—Moniteur.
The Temps gives some further details of the affair at
the Mauritius. After statingthat it was in error in
describing the Greenlaw as a vessel belonging to the
Royal Navy, it proceeds to describe the position of the
flap of the Isere, for the purpose of showing
that no, insult could have been intended, and
states that Captain Driver had, in consequence,
as it was reported, of a wager, placed the French
flig under the head of his vessel, which was only re-
moved by the captain of the port, who went on board
the Greenlaw and forcibly took it down. Captain de
Tinau, of the Isere, who had been absent during the
day, waited on the Governor in the evening, and de-
manded the punishment of Captain Driver. Sir W.
Nicolay expressed his profound regret for the insult
which the French flag had received, but observed that
there was no law, British or Colonial. by ..114,1, 1,„
could compel Captain Driver to apologize, although he
was of opinion that he ought to make reparation. Seve-

ral letters passed subsequently, and on the return of
Captain Laroque de Chanfray from the country the
affair was taken up by him, as being the oldest officer
on the station. At length it was announced that Cap-
tain Driver would consent to hoist the French flag on-
board his ship, but refused, in the most positive man-
ner, to go, as requested, on board the French vessel
to apologise. The Governor observed, at the same time,
that as he had no means of forcing him to do this, he
had ordered a prosecution to be commenced against
him in the Vice-Admiralty Court, on a charge of having
committed an offence calculated to bring about a rup-
ture of the peace. The French flag was, however, finally
hoisted, but, as it was done at an hour when few persons
were abroad, the French officers insisted that as the
offence was committed on a Sunday, when crowds were
present, the reparation should take place on the same
day, and consequently it was performed with due cere-
mony on Sunday, the 15th of September. Immediately
after this, says the Temps, Capt. Laroque de Chanfray,
to his great astonishment, received a letter from the
Governor, calling upon him to offer reparation for an
insult to the British flag on board the Isere. The
Governor declared that he was perfectly satisfied
with the explanations of the French Captain on the
subject, but that several British subjects of the
island did not share that opinion, and insisted
that the British flag should be hoisted in one of the
French vessels in the most honourable position due to a
friendly nation. The French officer replied in the sense
stated in the account already given, to the effect that he
would not comply, as it would be admitting the existence
of an insult where none was intended, but offering to
hoist the flag when he should leave the port, and fire a
salute of twenty-one guns. To this succeeded the me-
nace and the arrest already mentioned. It is stated that
when M. de Tinau wcs arrested, and taken to the
guard-house, Major Wilson, of the 35th Regiment,
waited on the Governor to know what was to be done
with him. The Governor replied that he was then
going to bed, that M. de Tinau must be kept at the
guard-house until the morning, when he would speak
to him. M. de Laroque de Chanfray, when informed
of the arrest of M. de Tinau, wrote immediately to the
Governor, demanding his release ; but the officer who
was the bearer of the letter }vas also taken to the
guard-house, and was not able to take his letter to the
Governor until the following morning at six o'clock.
Tnc Governor then refused to receive the letter, de-
claring that he would hold no communication with the
French commanders, but that M. de Tinau was at li-
berty to re-join his ship. The Governor is stated to have
assigned as a reason for not communicating with the
French officers that they were aliens without papers,
and whom his Government could treat as it pleased. On
the arrival of the Lancier and Isere at Bourbon a
public dinner was given by the Governor of the island
o the officers of those vessels, at which the healths of
King of the French and the Queen of England had
been proposed. The Governor proposed those of
M. de Laroque de Chanfray and M. de Tinau, and pre-
fad the toast svith a speech, in which, after stating
thA a grave insult had been received, for which full
entire reparation had been insisted upon by those
4bers, who had refuted with calm dignity the accuse-
tios brought against them, and refused, under the in-
flue,hce of menace and the display of military force, to
offer a reparation which might have been received as an
acknowledgment of an insult which had never been
committed, he said, " May the responsibility of this
doable offence fall upon
,him who committed it. As to
us: we will reject every feeling calculated to diminish
1.1- lively sympath which we have for our neighbours."
The Governor, having concluded his speech, proposed
as a toast, " To the maintenance of the union between
France and England."
Most"of the French Journals give, without comment,
from the evening Ministerial Journal, the brief official
notice of the affair at the Mauritius. The Temps says
it approves of the reserve shown by the Government,
as it would he h ghly improper to embarrass by untimely
discussion the communications which it is about to open
with the English Cabinet on the subject ; but this Jour-
nal states that nothing short of the dismissal of the Ge-
yer, or of the Mauritius can make atonement for the
insult which has been received. The Capilole and the
Journal de Paris, far from approving of the reserve of
the Government as it regards discussion at home, or the
observance of the courtesies of civilized states in their
proceedings abroad, find in the article of the illoniteur
Parisien a disregard of the national dignity, and a sub-
serviency in the foreign policy:of the Government. Ac-
cording to these Journals the notice of the Monileur
Parisien ought to have contained a fulminating article
against England, instead of adopting the usual course of
demanding explanations first, and reserving a cool judg-
ment to act upon them when made.

SPAIN.

MAS DE LAS MATAS, DEC. 13.
HEAD QUARTERS OF THE DUKE DE LA VICTORIA.

Desertions continue from the rebel ranks. Since the
10th eighteen cavalry and several infantry have given
themselves up at Calanda ; yesterday nine of the latter
rived here, and have proceeded to their homes.
'he day before yesterday a captain of cavalry, be•
longing to tlangostera's party came over. He is a na-
tive of Tortosa, in Catalonia, and had never served in
the Queen's army. He says that every officer of
good connections is anxious to leave the re-
bels, who, he declares, cannot hold together be-
yond the winter at furthest. This officer was imme-
diately appointed to a command in a cavalry corps now
organising by Brigadier Cabanero. He states that Ca-
brera has gone to Catalonia with only a small escort,
with what object it is not known.
Yesterday a very gallant affair occurred at Agua Viva
on the part of a few Lancers of the British auxiliary
brigade. Eleven of them were on duty at the main-
guard, under the command of Lieutenant Lyster, and
went to the river, at a short distance from the village, to
water their horses. A squadron of cavalry, belonging
to the rebel Bosque, had been in ambush, for the
purpose of falling on the defenceless servants ;
and at the moment of the arrival of the few Bri-
tish Lancers, had charged them to death. On the appear-
ance, however, of the red-jackets, they took to flight.
They had already killed a private servant belonging to
one of the officers of the British Auxiliary Brigade,
who had gone to water his master's horses. Our gal-
lant countrymen instantly started at full gallop after
the rebel squadron, who were considerably a-head ; but
the bottom of the English horses on which they were
mounted, and the energy of their riders, soon enabled
five British Lancers out of the eleven, with Lieutenant
Lyster at their head (the other six having been for a
few minutes detained by being encumbered with the
mass of horses in confusion at the river side), to over-
take them, and to kill nine of the rebels and take eight
horses, in which the other six, who speedily arrived, as-
sisted. A party of the Bourbon regiment of cavalry,
who also composed a part of the main guard, presently
came up and killed three more ; the rest escaped.
The British auxiliary cavalry brigade, commanded by
Colonel Lassaussaye, is about to be augmented by 106
men, lately belonging to the artillery of that brigade,
which is broken up.

It is understood that head-quarters will not remove
for the present from Mas de las Matas, which is now
sufficiently fortified. The presence of the Queen's army
in this neighbourhood is, in my opinion, judicious, inas-
much as it gives confidence to the inhabitants of this
part of the country ; and as it is seen that we mean to
keep permanent possession of the territory, the faction
begin to look about them, and to seek for the means of
securing their future lot, as you will perceive from the
numerous desertions to this and other points.—Chronicle.
The Eco d'Arragon of the 16th instant publishes a
letter from Castellon of the sth instant, announcing
that the measure of expulsion pronounced by Cabrera
against the Christino families residing in the districts
occupied by the Carlists was enforced with the
utmost rigour. In Benicarlo the party charged with
its execution shot the widow of a carabineer massacred
by the insurgents in 1385 at Albocacer. All the fami•
lies expelled were obliged to assist at this execution, and
among them were several females upwards of 70 years
of age. In Calix they shot the corregidor, and at Ul-
decona a man upwards of 60, whose son served in the
Queen's army ; at San Mateo, a merchant, named
Bayona, was put to death on account of his liberal opi-
nions ; at Alcorn, two inhabitants of Cabanes, and an-
other of Borriol, were shot for the same reason ; at
Cabanes, two men advanced in years experienced the
same fate, because of their being National Guards ; and
finally, at Almedijar, a woman was butchered on the
mere suspicion of her attachment to the Queen's cause.