The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-07 00:00:00

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES

FROM
SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

[FROM A SUPPLEMENT TO TUESDAY'S GAZETTE.]
ADMIRALTY, SEPT. 6.
Despatches, of which the following aro copies or ex-
tracts, have been received from Vice-Admiral Sir Charles
N.tpier, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's
ships and vessels in the Baltic :
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ENEMY'S GIIN-BOATS AND
STEAMERS AT Al3O.
No. 410. Duke of Wellington, Led Sund, Aug. 27.
SlR,—Having received information that Russian troops
and gun-boats were amongst the islands, I sent Captain
Scott with a small squadron, as per m&rgin*, to find them
out, and I beg to enclose his very able report.
2. Captain Scott threaded his way through the islands
in a must persevering manner, as their lordships will see
by the chart I send; his ships were repeatedly on shore,
and the Odin no less than nine times, before they disco-
vered 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 collected 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 9tter an old officer,
and well worthy of promotion, an Captain Sulivan and
his assisting surveyor deserve the protection of their lord-
ships.—l have, &c.,

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

Enclosure No. 1 in Sir Charles Napier's Letter
, No. 410.

Her Majesty's ship Odin, Led Sand,
August 25, 1854.
Sir,—l have the honour to state 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 Kumblinge, and the islands
east of it.
2. Having procured a pilot at Dagerby, we felt our
way on with boats, and leads throug 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 unab:e
to obtain any information of troops or gun-boats, but learnt
on Sunday, at Asterholm, that a small fast steam-boat 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 made our way in 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 (one 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 harbour was closed
by two impediments, the one in front appeared to be a chain
laid on a floating platform, the other of stakes and booms,
between which the gun-boats were stationed at regular
intervals, and the steam-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, but
with little or no effect that we could discover, except that
of fully answering my purpose in drawing a return from
the masked batteries and gun-boats. Only one of the for-
mer at the end of the boom mounted a gun or guns of large
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 both passages, fired repeatedly, but the shot invaria-
bly fell a very short distance beyond the south end of
Little Beckholm.

8. As my object was not to attack Abo, but to examine
its defences, I contented myself with firing a shot occa-
sionally at the gun boats, or whatever looked like a masked
battery. In the meantime Commander Otter, in the most
zealous and gallant manner, after going as close as it was
prudent in the Alban, pulled in with his gig, sounding 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 Cracroft and
Hobart amount to this—seventeen row boats, two guns
each, and about twenty oars on each side, four steam ves-
sels (all small), twa having the flag with cross anchors in
it, and another was observed steaming away through
the Chafnnel to the eastward of Beckholm. Three (if
not four) masked batteries, and another I think in course
of construction, for the pogiticrn of which I refer yon to
the very clear delineation executed by Commander Otter.
10. The Channel appears to be very narrow, and the
thick woods were evidently full of soldiers. 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 were
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 Bergo, and went into Bomarsund 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 Com-
mander-in-Chief.--I have, &c.,
FRANCIS SCOTT, Captain.
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8.,
Commander-in-Chief, &c. &o.

Enclosure No. 2 in Sir Charles Napier's Letter, No. 410.
Her Majesty's. ship Odin, Led Sund,
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 bog 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 labo-
rious efforts of a clever, indefatigable, and zealous officer
could have performed the duties I required of him, and
which alone enabled me to obtaii 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, 5.C.8., &c.

* Odin, Alban, Gorgon, Driver.

THE TENTH HUSSARS.—Although it was contem-
piatedto withdraw the 10th Royal Hussars from the East
Indies for service in Turkey, the idea is abandoned, and the
corps will remain its due time in the East Indies. The
draft of this and other regiments are waiting ready to
embark for Bombay, per the Earl of Balcarras.
TRIALS IN THE SUPERIOR COURTS.—The following
important provision appears in the Second Common Law
Procedure Act, which will take effect on the 24th of
next month :—" It shall be lawful for the court or judge
at the trial of any cause, where they or he may deem it
right for the purposes of justice, to order an adjourn-
ment, for such time and subject to such terms and con-
ditions, as to costs and otherwise, as they or he may
think fit."

PLAGUE OF LOOIISTS.—A letter from New York says :
—" Recent advices from Central America announce the
visitation of the langosta, a species of flying locusts,
throughout the States. This has resulted in as total
a destruction of the crop of this season as occurred
to that, by a similar calamity, of the last. The conse-
quence of this has been the threatened starvation of
the inhabitants of many of the States. The district of St.
Barbara has been particularly the scene of great suffer-
ing. This, however, has been in a great measure re-
lieved by the assistance of the Honduras Railway Com-
pany, who had caused to be sent out from New Orleans
a cargo of corn to be gratuitously distributed among the
inhabitants. With the ravages of famine, the political dis-
turbances of these distracted States seemed to keep pace.
The political " langosta" oontinue their devastations in
the the states of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Honduras has sent aid to the assistance of the liberal
party in Nicaragua, which, by its recent success, has
been enabled to defeat a contemplated conspiracy be-
tween the ex-dictator of that state and the dictator of
Guatemala, to subject the liberal Government of Hon-
duras."

THE BEST WINE.—It may be said that beer contains
much saline matter, wines contain very little, and
spirits contain none at all. Each year our knowledge
of the chemical composition of these fluids will increase,
and with advancing knowledge we shall obtain more
clearness regarding the dietetic and medicinal pro-
perties of all fermented liquids. At present the an-
swer to the question—Which is the best wine ?—cannot
be given, because of the imperfect knowledge which
we possess of the chemical composition of different
wines. But, even when full knowledge is ob-
tained, no universal answer can be given ; for that
wine which is best in one state, or for one person, may
be the worst in a different state, or for another person.
Generally, however, it may be said that that wine is beat
which contains least alcohol, least acid, least sugar, and
highest flavour. This is the best for a person in health.
—Dr. B. Jones, in the Medical Times and Gazette.] But
for the " highest flavour," ow might have thought the
doctor meant to recommend Adam's Wine,"