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

the garrison consists of 6,000 men, including a
dozen guns and six squadrons of horse. It is pro-
bable, then, that the insurgents, causing the turn-
out of so powerful a force, must be sent down at an
equal figure; if so, &urowski the lost has come to
the surface again. The same advices also speak of
a new struggle at Praszka, a place on the Prussian
frontier, 10 miles distant from Dzialosyce, whence
Ciszkowaki was chased less than a fortnight ago
by the Russians. Another fight near Czenstochow
was spoken of at Warsaw.

It is all but impossible to form a correct estimate
of the Russian troops occupying at present the
western part of the kingdom, from Czenstochow in
the south to Plock and Thorn in the north. There are,
however, sufficient indications to show that the border
and railway lines have attracted most attention, the
interior as well as the province at large being all
but entirely evacuated by their former garrisons.
In that part of the country, indeed, none but a few
district towns seem to ba occupied by the soldiery.
Railway and border together seem to employ a force
of 10,000 men, the greater part of whom are dis-
posed along the Prussian frontier, between Kalish
and Konin, to serve as a check upon the inflam-
mable portion of the wealthy, and hence all the more
dangerous, people of Posen. Taking everything
in to accoun t,we are forced to the conclusion that, from
Kalish and the province of Warsaw generally, few,if
any troops can have been despatched to the south.
By this inference is confirmed the original news,
stating the two northern provinces to have been
drained for the occupation, in force, of the south.
It ought, however, to be recollected that the 80,000
men originally placed in the kingdom are now being
gradually reinforced by 30,000 Grenadiers, and a
swarm of irregular horsemen, variously given be-
tween 5,000 and 10,000 men. Deducting killed,
wounded, and Trion-combatants, it is presumed that
there will shortly be assembled something like
90,000 men to execute the behests of the Czar in
Poland.

A few additional words upon Lublin, Podlachia,
and the north will finish this compressed account
of the actual state of things.

A letter from Kowna contains details of the com-
bats with the Russians in Samogitia :
" A report addressed by the mayor of the com-
mune of Ejragol makes known that several young
men have joined the insurgents, and that they have
been followed by the teacher of the commune, an
Orthodox Russian. The Russian troops pillage,
burn, and give way to every kind of excess. Gen.
Magdell, the Military Chief of the Government of
Kowno, does nothing to check them, and the pea-
sants therefore leave their homes on the approach
of the soldiers. In the night of the 27th March a
band of insurgents disarmed two Russian posts at
Kiejdany. The following morning a Russian de-
tachment, commanded by Col. Dellingshaussen, at-
tacked that town and sacked the palace of Count
Czapski. The soldiers nearly killed the judge of
the district, M. Stathowaki, a peaceable old man,
who was merely stopping for a day at the palace.
He was dragged into the court, where he saw the
soldiers tearing in pieces the rich uniform of the
Count's Chamberlain. He cried out in Russian,
Look how they ill-treat the Imperial uniform.'
These words for a moment diverted the attention of
the pillagers, and the old judge availed himself of

it to affect his escape. On the 28th a combat took
place at Szlapoberze, between the same detachment
and the insurgents under Ponrewicz. The Poles had
12 killed and lost their medicine chest ; the Rus-
sians had 45 killed, including one officer; three
soldiers died soon after from their wounds. After
this defeat the Russians invaded the property of M.
Zaurika, and killed the cook, who was engaged in
preparing dinner. The same day the insurgents,
near Wilki, completely destroyed a company of
Russian Chasseure. The Poles did not lose a single
man."

LOSS OF H.M.S. ORPHEUS.

&DMIRALTY, April 12, 1863.

The Secretary of the Admiralty begs to acquaint
the editor of The Sun that the intelligence contained
in the accompanying document has been received at
this office :.

"Her Majesty's ship Miranda, Auckland,
Feb. 10, 1863.
" My Lord,—ln addition to my first letter from the scene
of the wreck of her Majesty's ship Orpheus, dated the Bth
inst., sent to their lordships, to save the Southern mail, by
the Wonga Wonga, I have to enclose for their further in-
formation the detailed narrative of Lieut. C. Hill, the se-
cond lieutenant, and the senior surviving officer. It is a
clear and truthful account of the whole proceedings of this
melancholy calamity, so far as he and the other cfficers that
are saved are acquainted with them.
" 2. According to my judgment on the spot, nothing can
exceed the exertions of Lieut. Hill, the other officers, and
all the survivors of the crew, who, at the imminent peril of
their own lives, continued to the last to make the utmost
endeavours to save the lives of their shipmates.
" 3. I am informed that the Wonga Wonga was at the
time of the Orpheus striking steaming out of the south chan-
nel of the Manukau. She first steamed outside the bar to
the entrance of the main channel, but afterwards returned
by the south channel, picking up the boats off Paratutai
Point, and towing them to the wreck by the main channel,
"4. Their lordships will observe from the narrative of
Lieut. Hill that from the time the steamer was first ob-
served, at 2 o'clock, until she reached the wreck at 6, the
most critical and invaluable time was unaccountably lost,
but Capt. Renner and all on board the Wonga Wonga were
most kind and hospitable in the treatment of the sufferers
when they reached his ship from the wreck.
" 5. Mr. Wing, pilot, and in charge of the signal station
at the Manukau, informed me that the wreck of the
Orpheus is preisely on the bearings laid down in Captain
Drury's chart and sailing directions, since the publication
of which the middle banks and small shoal on which the
ship first touched have shifted bodily and considerably to
the north.

" 6. With their lordships, I deeply deplore the loss to
her Majesty's service of an officer so distinguished as Com-
modore Barnett ; it appears he met his much-to-be-re-
gretted death when, sitting in the mizen-futtock rigging, the
mast fell over to port, and, the top striking him on the head
when in the water, it is said he never made the least exer-
tion to save himself.

7. I have directed Mr. Sullivan to proceed in her Ma-
jesty's ship Harrier to the Manukau Heads, and to detach
an officer and party as far as he may consider necessary
along the shore, north and south, for the purpose of ,bury-
ing, with such honours as circumstances will admit, the
bodies of any officers and men, late of her Majesty's ship
Orpheus, which may be found, and also to recover such re-
mains of the wreck, public and private, as he may deem fit ;
so soon as he may consider it no longer necessary to con-
tinue on this service I have directed him to conduct the
duties of senior naval officer in New Zealand.
" 8. With the view to save the mail which will leave
Sydney on the 20th inst., it is my intention to proceed at
once under steam to that port with the six officers and 10 of
the crew of the Orpheus who have been selected as the most
able to give evidence relative to the loss of that ship. These
I propose sending to England by the mail steamer; the re-
maining 51 men and boys I have detained for disposal on
the station—the majority have already volunteered for the
Miranda and Harrier. I have sent 25 to the Harrier, for
about which number she has vacancies to complete her
complement.
_

it I have the honour to be me, my lord, your obedient

servant,

" ROBERT JENKINS, Captain and tenior Officer.
" The Right Hon. Lord Clarence B. Paget, C. 8.,
Secretary to the Admiralty."

"Her Majesty's ship Miranda, Auckland, New
Zealand, Feb. 5.

"Sir,—ln obedience to your directions I have the honour
to report, for the information of the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty, that her Majesty's ship Orpheus sailed
from Sydney on the 31st of January. After a fine passage to
the coast of New Zealand, we sighted the land on the morn-
ing of the 7th inst. ; it was my forenoon watch, at about 8
miles from the bar of the Manukau. Steam was got up in two
boilers; we bad been condensing. The ship proceeded at
12 30, under all plain sail, with starboard foretopmast stud-
sail set, towarks Manukan, steering east till 1 o'clock, then
N.E.E., being the courses laid down—so the master told
mein Capt. Drury's sailing directions, keeping the Nine-
pin on with the end of Paratutai. The hands were on deck,
the ropes manned for shortening sail, the commodore, com-
mander,and master on the bridge ; leadsmen in both chains ;
spare tiller shipped, with relieving tackles hooked, and six
men stationed ; gratings and hatchway covers were placed
ready for battening down.

" The wind S. W . to S.S. W, force 5 to 6, with occasional
slight squalls ; high water at 12 20. As we approached the
bar there was nothing more to see, in the shape of rollers or
sea on, than I had been led to expect. The signal from the
pilot station had been flying since 11 30 a.m., Take the
bar;' the commodore and master were very attentive with
the chart on the bridge, and very particular in the steerage
of the ship, and in their orders to the engine-room, to keep
the steam at command, the signal officer and signalman on
the look out. At about 1 30 she touched slightly in the
after part, when the commodore gave the order, Give her
all the steam you can.' At about 1 40 the ship struck for-
ward ; order given, Astern full speed ;' but the engines or
screw never moved, At the same time the commodore

ordered Hands shorten sail.' The ship broached to,
with her head to the northward, lurching heavily to
port, the rollers setting in from the westward, which
immediately made a clean sweep of the upper deck, taking
away port quarter boats (second cutter and jolly boat),
I netting, and bulwark. Sail was shortened as far as
possible, the men not being able to keep the deck; imme-
diately the Fhip took the ground the hatchways were bat-
tened down, which, however, proved perfectly useless, as
the fastenings were thrown up by the bumping of the ship.
"The commodore then ordered the port guns to be thrown
overboard (we succeeded in lightening the ship of four guns)
and the starboard cutter to be manned and lowered, the
paymaster and secretary to place in her his private signals,
the public records, and the ship's books ; but from the heavy
lurching of the ship the men were unable to pass all the
books they wanted ; some were lost overboard. Mr. Fielding
had orders to land what he had got and return. After great
difficulty the cutter got clear of the ship. She was reported
to be swamped tso or three times. When seen on one oc-
casion five hands were observed to be missing. It was about
this time a steamer was seen coming out of the Heads. The
commodore next ordered the pipe, ' Hands, out-boats,' yards
and stays having previously been triced up. The pinnace
was the first boat out. As I was returning from the main-
top Commander Burton ordered me into the pinnace to go
to the assistance of the cutter ; the commodore then came to
the starboard gangway, and on my telling him that I had
seen the cutter all right when on the mainyard he ordered
me to take Mr. Amphlett, paymaster, who was well ac-
quainted with the place on shore, for the purpose of getting
assistance. Mr. Amphlett was then and there told to jump
into the boat—this was at 2 30. We shoved off, and with
great difficulty, from the strong ebb, cleared the ship. As
we proceeded I observed the smoke of a steamer to the
southward, going seaward. After a two hours' pull against
a heavy rollingsea, we weared the Ninepin, when I spoke
Mr. Wing in the pilot boat. We learnt from him that the
steamer in sight (now seen coming up the South Channel)
was the Wonga Wonga, returning to the Heads, that he had
no boat to send to the Harrier to report our distress, that
there was a lifeboat hauled up en shore, but no hands or
means to get her afloat ; it would take 12 men a consider-
able time. The cutter now came up with us ; Mr. Wing and
his Maories came into the pinnace, while Mr. Amphlett,
two sick men, and two boys, and two others started off in
the whaler of the Harrier.

" We pushed on to the steamer, now between the Heads,
waving, signalising, and making every effort to gain her
attention ; after some delay she turned round and closed us,
taking pinnace and cutter in tow, proceeding to the wreck,
which we reached at 6 p.m. I found her very much lying
over to port, the masts allstanding, the crew in the rigging
above the tops, the sea at times sweeping as high as the fut-
tock rigging ; the sails had been cut away from the yards,
it being impossible to furl them. Taking, in addition, the
pilot's boat crew, four young Maories, with the pinnace be-
ing to windward of the wreck, we dropped down to about 30
or 40 yards on her ataiboard bow, hailed the men on the
bowsprit and jibboom to jump off and swim for it. I picked
up seven or eight; having drifted to leeward, the steamer
came and towed me to windward. I dropped down a second
time with the cutter in company. This time three or four
men were taken in in the pinnace, and four or five in the
cutter. It was now about 7 o'clock; the flood tide had made,
the rollers soon became very high and dangerous on the
change ; the jibboom broke off short by the cap ; it was
quite impossible, with safety to the boats, to remain any
longer by the wreck. As I was going back I shouted to
the wreck to make a final attempt, but none would venture.
" The steamer picked up boats and anchored close to the
north aide of the South Spit, distant from wreck about three
quarters of a mile, This was at 8 o'clock. At 8.30 the masts
went. Boats returned to the wreck. The Wonga Wonga
kept burning the blue lights, blowing her steam whistle,
and ringing her bell. The pinnace picked up six or eight.
and returned to the steamer with one or two in the last stage
of exhaustion. On again nearing the wreck I found the
ship completely broken up. It was a beautiful clear moon-
light night, and masses of the wreck kept passing in with
the flood, clinging to which Lieut. Yonge and six or eight
men were saved. The cutter got so far to leeward that she
made for the land, the pinnace returning to the steamer.
We remained on deck the whole night, keeping a sharp
look-out. At daylight nothing could be seen of the ill-fated
Orpheus but a stump of one mast and a few ribs.
" From the commencement and during the whole proceed-
ings nothing could exceed the coolness and decision of Com-
modore Burnett, C. 8., the commander, and the officers, all
in their stations, sentries on the spirit room and store
rooms ; while the good feeling and steadiness of the men
was beyond all praise, remaining at their posts until ordered
by the commodore to mount the rigging. Many were washed
overboard in obeying orders.

,6 I must not forget to mention the gallant conduct of the
Maori crew; they were first and foremost in saving lives.
On going ashore in the cutter Mr. Hunt and Mr. Barkly
(midshipmen) were picked up, one Maori taking Mr. Barkly
on his back and carrying him along the beach to his hut.
They afterwards gave them food and put them in their own
beds for the night.
" William Johnson (captain of the mizentop) three times
jumped out of the pinnace with a rope to the rescue, and
was the means of saving three drowning men.
" On board the Wonga Wonga, which officers and men
reached cold and naked, the greatest kindness and hospi-
tality were shown and continued by all on board, until we
were transferred to the Avon, where I had reported myself
to you.

" I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
" CHARLES HILL,
" Lieutenant her Majesty's ship Orpheus."

"LIST OF SURVIVORS.

" Officers—Lieutenant Charles Hill, Lieutenant Duke D.
Yonge, Mr. E. A. Amphlett (paymaster), Mr. Bernal W.
Fielding (midshipman), Mr, C. George Hunt (midshipman),
Mr. H. M. Barkly (midshipman), Mr. W. Mason (boats-
wain), and Mr. James Beer (carpenter).
Seamen—Ropert Carpenter, William Fisher, William
Johnson, George Turtle, Charles Weir, W. Cooper, W.
Clews, Alfred I' ilbeam, Samuel Bannister, Noah Wells, John
Quinton, James Parsons, Henry Walker, John Nicholson,
Joseph Jorden, George Roberts, William Russell, James
Summers, Henry Holmes, James Taylor, George Ward,
James Kennedy, William Langrish, William Paein, Patrick
Daley, Edward Briggs, Arthur Tilly, Thomas Smedden,
George Seal, Charles Fox, Thomas Burton, William 011ert,
William Ball, Henry Graham, Joseph Boland, Henry Port-
bury, James J. Brown, James Wilson, Thomas Herbert,
John Cochrane, Alfred Ankett, Henry Bentell, Henry
Brown, Frederick Butter (belonging to Harrier), Henry
Stuffie, James Graham, John Finnies, Edward WO,li,
William Mayes, Henry Newman, Thomas Rusgell, George
Young, John Hall, John Morby, William Geary, James
Sparshott, George Hurlestone, Rich. Roe (marine), Joseph
Crowson (drummer), William Herbert (boy second class),
John Ideson (boy), William Horrigan (commissioner's ser-
vant), picked up at 1 o'clock on the Bth by a coaster off
Peeponga.

" List of Men left behind at Sydney—Sergeant Carter
(Royal Marines), George Monday (gunner Royal Marine
Artillery), Stephen Hedge (private Royal Marines), George
Tarpler (boy first class), James Ashwood (boy first class),
Thomas Rees (ablebodied seaman), William Barnes (boy
first class).

" CHARLES HILL,
" Lieutenant her Majesty's ship Orpheus.'

(From the New Zealander, Feb. 9.)

Yesterday (Sunday) morning, at an early hour,
the inhabitants of Auckland were horrified by the
intelligence that her Majesty's ship Orpheus, for
some time back expected on this station, had been
totally wrecked in attempting tocross the Manakau
bar, and with the awful loss of 185 souls out of a
ship's company mustering 256 officers, seamen, boys,
and marines. The Orpheus (a fine new corvette of
21 guns, 1,706 tons, 400 horse power, sailed from
Sydney on the 31st of January, and after a fair pas-
sage, under canvas, fetched the land off the Ma-
nakau heads on Saturday, at noon. The ship was
at that time under all plain sail, and within eight
miles of the entrance, the signal flying on Paratutai
"Take the bee—Commodore Burnett and the mas-
ter being at the time on the bridge. Steam was got
up at once, the commodore determining to go in.
The lead was kept going ; a sharp look-out was
observed, the ship steering east until one p.m.,
and then north-east by east, the Ninepin rock, on
with Paratutai, being in accordance with Drury's
sailing directions in the New Zealand Pilot. At 20
minutes past 1 the ship bumped slightly, but still
went a head. At half-past 1, however, she struck
hard, and orders were given to back astern full
speed. The engines never moved. The ship fell off
broadside to the rollers, the sea knocking away her
sternpost, port bulwarks, and boats, and making a
clean sweep over all. The wind was from about
S.W. to W.S.W., a stiff breeze, with occasional
puffs. In this dismal plight Commodore Burnett,
whose coolness and decision were the theme of ad-
miration among his officers and men, gave orders to
Mr. Fielding, midshipman, to take a cutter with the
records, ship's books, and other articles ; but, on
losing sight of her, fearing she was swamped, the
pinnace was got out, and, with Lieut. Hill and Mr.
Ampblett, paymaster, was despatched to her assist-
ance, with instructions to push on towards the
heads, in the vain hope of obtaining relief through
White's lifeboat, known to be stationed there, but,
alas, without a crew to launch or to man her. It
was an awful moment, but it is gratifying to know
that even in this extremity all hands, officers and
Tien' spoke in praise of each other, andof their gal-
chietwwhaosexgporteosyseedr determinationatheside
.tho men
benthto
lay out anchors, in the hope of makinge
wl g
last to quit the wreck. After the
pinnace had left
the llt
launch
fast to haul into smooth water. The ebb
tidrePuPnhagp-
pily swept her under the bows, alin s
where she was stove,