The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-06 00:00:00

STEAMERS AT ABO.

No. 410. Duke of Wellington, Led Sund, Aug. 27.
SIR, —Having received information that Russian troops
Nnd gun-boats were amongst the islands, I sent Captain
So At with a suiali squadron, its per margin*, to find them
out, and I beg to enclose his very able report.
2. Captain Scott threaded his way through the islands
in a most persevering manner, as their lordships will see
by the clrirt I send; his ships were repeatedly on shore,
and the Odin no less than nine times, before they disco-
vei ed the enemy's gun-boats and steamers lying behind a
floating boom, supported on each side by batteries and a
number of troops, covering the town of Abo, where they
have co)lected a large force.
3. I take this opportunity of bringing under their lord-
ships' notice the very great exertions of the surveying offi-
cers, Captain Sulivan, assisted by Mr. Evans, master
of the Lightning, and Commander Otter of the Alban ;
and I have no hesitation in saying, that it is owing to their
exertions this fleet have found their way, with compara-
tively little damage, into creeks and corners, never in-
tended for ships-of-the-line; day and night have they
worked successfully. Commander Otter is an old officer,
and well worthy of promotion, and Captain Sulivan and
his assisting surveyor deserve the protection of their lord-
ships.—l have, &c.,

CHAS. NAPIER,
Vice• Admiral and Commander-in• Chief.
The Secretary of the Admiralty, London.

Enclosure No. 1 in Sir Charles Napier's Letter
No. 410.
Her Majesty's ship Odin, Led Sund,
August 25, 1854.
- -

Sir,—l have the honour to stato that in pursuance of
your orders, dated the 18th of August, I proceeded with
her Majesty's ships Odin, Alban, Gorgon, and Driver, un-
der my command, towards Kumbliuge, and the islands
east of it.

2. Having procured a pilot .at Dagerby, we felt our
way on with boats, and leach through a most difficult
and intricate navigation, in the course of which every
ship has been on shore (Gorgon and Odin frequently), but
we hope with no further injury than that done to the cop-
per in various places.
3. At Kumblinge and the adjacent islands I was unable
to obtain any information of troops or gunboats, but learnt
on Sunday, at Asterholm, that a small fast steamboat from
Abo was in our immediate vicinity.
4. Rather than return to your flag without intelligence,
I resolved to attempt a passage to Abo, and on Monday at
daylight, leaving the larger ships at anchor, I took all the
, masters in the Alban, surveyed and buoyed off a passage
for ten miles to Bergham, and then returned for the other
ships, but the Gorgon grounding, delayed us for that night.
5. On Tuesday we,matle our way iu safety into the com-
paratively open track to Abo, beyond Bergham ; at two
p.m., observed a small steamer watching us, and at three
p.m., several gun boats moving a body of troops from the
point (o.te and a half miles to the north-west) up to the
chain across the narrow entrance to the harbour.

-6.—Having
approached to within 3,000 yards the Alban
stood in to sound. The entrance of the hal hour was closed
by two impediments, the one in front appeared to be a chain
laid on a floating platform, the other a stakes and booms,
between which the gun-boats were stationed at regular
intervals, and the steatn-vessels (four in number) were
under the shelter of the points.
7. About 4 p.m. the Alban fired the first shell, which
burst over one of the gun-boats. I then commenced firing,
and was followed at intervals by Gorgon and Driver, bu'
with little or no effect that we could discover, except that
of fully answering my purpose in drawing a return from
the niaskod b.itteries and gun-boats. Only one of the for•
iner at the end of the boom mounted a gun or guns of largo
calibre and long range, but which was concealed from our
view by a point of land. The others, three in number,
about one mile to the west of the boom, as far as we could
judge, did not in any one case mount more than five,
or less than three small guns. A fort, of apparently,
eight or nine large guns, at a distance, constructed to en-
filade b.,th passages, tired repeatedly, but the shot iuvaria
bly fell a very short distance beyond the south end of
Little It- ckbolin.

8. As my object was not to attack Abo, but to examine
its defences, 1 contented myself with firing a shot occa-
sionally at the gun boat., or whatever looked like a masked
battery. In the meantime Com:aander Otter, in the most
zealous and gallant manner, after going as close as it was
prudent in the Alban, pill:NI in with his gig, soundimi just
within range of the gun boats and batteries, which were
all the time keeping up a constant fire.
9. The sum of the information I have been able to obtain
with his assistance, and that of Commanders Creeroft and
Hobart amount to this—seventeen row boats, two guns
each, and about twenty oars on each side, four steam ves-
sels (all small), two having the flag with cross anchors in
it, and another was observed steaming away through
the Channel to the eastward of Beckholm. Three (if
not fonr) masked batteries, and another I think in course
of construction, for the position of which I refer you to
the very clear delineation executed by Commander Otter.
10. Thu Channel appears to be very narrow, wid the
thick woods were evidently full of sehliers. We learnt
that our arrival had been anticipated (as we expected,
knowing that we had been watched by a steamer for some
days), and that four thousand additional troops had been
sent on the previous day, and five thousand more were ex-
pected to arrive on the following day ; that there wore
six steamers, five small and one large (the latter we did
not see), and eighteen boats and two guns, and eighty men,
besides soldiers in each.
The weather was so bad on Thursday, that I was de-
tained under Berge, and went into Botnarsund this morn-
ing ; when, having communicated with Captain Warden,
and received his despatches, I proceeded to join your flag.
I have only to add my very anxious hope that my pro-
ceedings may meet with the approbation of the Corn-
manderdn-Chief.—l have, &c., . .

FRANCIS SCOTT, Captain,
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8.,
Commander-in-Chief, &e. &c.

Enclosure No. 2 in Sir Charles Napier's Letter, No. 4!0.
Her Majesty's ship Odin, Led Send,

Aug. 25, 1854.
Sin,—ln returning to your flag from detached service
with the squadron you did me the honour to place under
my orders, it is my gratifying duty to express to you how
well and ably I have been supported by Commanders
Otter, Cracroft, and Hobart, in their respective ships,
during my late examination of Abo and its defences, and
engagement with the batteries and gun-boats at that
place ; and I beg to offer my humble testimony to their
ability, zeal, and great exertions during a week of very
difficult and harassing duties.
I desire most particularly to call your attention
to the services performed by Commander Otter during
that time. Nothing but the most unceasing and labia-
"rious efforts of a clever, indefatigable, and zealous officer
could have performed the.thities I required of him, and
which alone enabled me to obtain the information here-
with enclosed, and to examine a place so difficult of access
and so little known as Abo, in the limited time to which I
was restricted by you.
Under the above circumstances, upon public grounds,
and for the advantage of the naval service, which I know
you have so much at heart, I beg to urge your recommen-
dation of that officer and Lieutenant William Mould,
senior and gunnery lieutenant of this ship to the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty for that promotion their
constant and valuable services have so long entitled them
to expect and hope for.—l have, &c.
FRANCIS SCOTT, Captain.
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K .C. 8., &o.

* Odin, Alban, Gorgon, Driver.

THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.—The &edt relates the
following affecting story :—Some* years ago, the widow
of a manufacturer in the country, who had left her in
bad circumstances, established her,elf with the aid of her
friends in a hotel, with a table d./tote, which succeeded
admirably. She had an only child, a very pretty girl,
who received a good education, but in 1849 she was se-
duced by one of the lodgers, and they left the place
together. From that time until the last week the
mother heard nothing of her daughter, and all attempts
to discover her were in vain. About a fortnight ago,
the mother came to Paris on business, and walking along
the quays she saw a young woman almost in rags, who
was sobbing piteously as she was being taken between
two soldiers to the office of the Commissary of Police.
The signs of excessive grief of the prisoner excited
great pity from the crowd, and attracted the particular
attention of the widow. Drawing near, she recognised
her daughter, and fell upon her neck, bathing her with
tears. A coach was called, into which the mother en-
tered with her child and the guards, and in a few
minutes they were in the presence of the commissary.
lithe charge was merely vagabondage, and the mother.
undertook to receive and provide for her daughter, the
• soamiugry ordered her to IPedigolargul from raitqd
Y!

THE RECENT EXTENSIVE 'CONFLAGRATIONS
AT TWOLESALE DRUGGISTS IN THE CITY.

SPECIAL VERDICT.

Yesterday afte-snoon Mr. Payne, jun., the deputy
coroner for Isindon, held a lengthened inquiry in the
vestry roir_os of St. Maenus's Church, Lower Thames-
street, " for the purpose of ascertaining how and by what
meassa the premises of Messrs. Baiss, Brothers, and
several others, lately became burnt."
Owing to not fewer than three fires having taken ptace
at the establishments of an equal number of wholesale
drugsi4tSt carrying on business in the city of London,
within the space of a few days, the inhabitants naturally
became alarmed, and those in the immediate vicinity of
Messrs. Baiss's got a requisition, numerously signed, re-
questing the coroner to summon a jury, so that the ensue
of the fires might, if possible, be gleaned. Considering,
at the same time, the vast amount of inflammable stock
generally kept in such houses of business, the requisi-
tionists were of opinion that the present inquiry might
possibly lead to the removal of such dangerous businesses
out of such densely-populated neighbourhoods as the city.
Judging from the verdict of the jury, and their
addenda thereto, there is little to fear but that active
measures will be resorted to by the proper authorities to
remove every objectionable house of business that can
be touched by the arm of the law.
The learned Coroner briefly explained to the jury why
they had been called together, and at the same time
showed how necessary many persons residing in the
neighbourhood thought such inquiries were.
The facts of the case, which have already appeared,
having been adduced,
The learned coroner summed up, and
The jury, after consulting for nearly three quarters of
an hour, returned the following spacial verdict : " That
the premises of Messrs. Baiss were burned, but as to
the cause of the fire there was not sufficient evidence to
say. The evidence, however, clearly showed that it
commenced in Messrs. Baiss's premises, and the jury
strongly reprehend the dangerous practice of keeping or
manufacturing articles of an inflammatory character in
such populous neighbourhoods."
The jury having passed a vote of thanks to the coroner
for the great care and attention he had paid to the in-
quiry, the proceedings terminated.