The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-16 00:00:00

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES

SIR CHARFIIM NAPIER.

(From. the London Gazette of this Evening. )
itft • - FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 16.
rt,,, It is hereby notified, that a communication has been re-
;2,.,ceived by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, from
Vice-..ldiniral Sir Charles Napier, commanding her Ma-
io, iesty.'s naval, forces in the Baltic, dated Hang() Bay, 28th
,7,4layi 1854, informing their Lordships that the ports of
• Liban and Windau, on the coast of Courland, and other
r ports, roads, havens, or creeks, from lat. 55' 53' north, to
• as far north as Cape Dagger Ort, including the ports of
Riga, Pernau, and all other ports, roads, havens, or creeks.
in the Gulf of Riga were then in a state of blockade by a
competent force :
That. all ports, roads, havens, or creeks, eastward from
, Cape Dager Ort, including Hapsal, Worruso Island, Port
• Baltic, Revel, and other intermediate ports on the coast of
• Esthonia, as far as Ekholm Light [situated in lat. 59' 43'
north, long. 25° 48' east] • and from thence in a north-
, - west direction as far as lielsingfors and Sveaborg, on the
coast of Finland ; continuing westward, Baro Sound,
Hung Head, Oro, and Abo, including the Aland Archi-
...i„.,pelago and intermediate ports ; from thence north,lud-
_ d
• .ing Nystad, Biorneborg Christinestadt, Vase, ai Ig-run
). Islands, Little Carleby, 'lacobstad, Great Carleby Lahts,
Kalmvki, Brahestad,
Uleaborg, Karim Island, Ti, Ges-
, tila, Tornea, Ned. Tornaa, [situated in let. alc)out)6s° 50'
• north, long. 24' 15' east,] and all intermediate Russian
ports, havens, and creeks in the Gulf of Bothnia, and all
the before-mentioned ports ands laces, are and were then
- •in a state of strict blockade by competent force.
And it is hereby further notified that all the measures
• authorised by the laws of nations and the respective tree-
• ties between her Majesty and the different neutral powers,
will be adopted and executed with respect to all vessels
which may attempt to violate the same blockade.
- ADMIRALTY, JUNE 14.
are copies, have been
•• . •Despatches, of which the following
received from Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, Com-
- mane,e:-in-Chief of her Majesty's ships and vessels in the
Baltic.
Ench sing 2% copy of Captain Key's Despatch (and
thereto), relative to the capture of Libau.reply
Duke of Wellington, Hango Head,
May 30, 1854.
request you will lay before their lordships the
enclosed copy of a despatch I have received from Captain
Key, of the Amphion, senior officer on the coast of Cour-
land and Livonia, giving an account of the measures he
adopted to effect the surrender of the town of Libau, and
the shipping in that port, which was happily accomplished
Without having occasion to fire a shot.
Eaclosed I have the honour to transmit a copy of my
reply to Captain Key's despatch.
I have, &c.'
CHAS. NAPIER, Vice-Admiral and
Commander-in-Chief.
To the Secretary of the Admiralty, London.

~ . :~

Enclosure No. 1 in Sir Charles Napier's Letter No. 107.
Her Majesty's ship Amphion, Coast of
Courland, May 18, 1854.
Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that I arrived off
the port of Libau on the evening of May 10, in company
with her Alajesty's ship Conflict, and having received in-
formation from various sources that the town was defended
by only 500 or 600 soldiers, and two or three guns, and
that several Russian merchant vessels lay dismantled in
the port, I determined to bring them out.
On the morning of the 17th we stood in towards the en-

trance of the river, and by careful sounding with boats
- ahead succeeded in anchoring both ships within gun shot
-of part of the town. I then directed Captain Cumming to
take a summons to the Governor, under a flag of truce,
calling on him to surrender the merchant vessels within
, • three hours. The Governor refused, but said that a final.
, answer would be seat before the time specified in my let-
: ter. At 3.30 P.M., Captain Cumming, who had informed
me that there was a considerable body of troops in the

• town, again landed to receive the answer—aletter, which I
eaeloso. On ascertaining its contents I took the armed boats
4 of both.ships, withCapt.Cumming in command of those of the
Conflict, into the river. With the exception of one or two the
..soldiers kept out of sight, and not a shot was fired. It was
.well for us that they did so, as we puled up the creek,
which was fifty yards broad, for one and a half miles
before arriving .ac the shipping. I desired the authorities
to point out the Bussian vessels, of which I then directed
Captain Cumming and Lieutenants Wodehouso and Hure
to take possession. I detained a small steamer (originally
-Russian, now owned by a Dane), got her steam up, and