The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-16 00:00:00

TIIF.

REPORT OF THE VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE OEVEK FLEET,
OEOROE SACTOURI, TO THE GREEK OOVERNMENT•
Off Samos, S (17) August 'pc 11 o'clock, p.m.
Participate in our joy, dearest fellow-citizens : this has been,
for the Greek navy, a day of glory and exulfSiOn• We will
relate to you very satisfactory intelligence. Besides the action
which took place yesterday, the result of which was as disad-
vantageous to the enemy as it was glorious for us, our fire-
ships have this day destroyed a frigate, and a corvette of Tri-
poli, of the first rank, and a brig of Tunis, in full sail, be-
tween the Capes of St. Maria and Colons, with several trans-
ports, which the enemy had previously prepared for tale trans-
porting of his troops. The action took place as follows :
After we had compelled the enemy to retreat in a shameful
Manner in the two first attempts to approach us, he yesterday
;mule? third attempt, with all his chips of war, to .the number
of n. The combat commenced tit lial4ist 11 A. M. The
enemy first approached with all his lance vessels, and then
with his smaller ones. As we had not yet prepared our flie_
ships, we ordered only la vessels of Hydra and Sperria, which
had just arrived, with an Hydriot fire-ship, and a vessel of
Captain Canaris, which had also just atri•ed to oppose them.
The combat was obstinate on both sides, and the tactics of our
Hydriots and Speaziots were displayed its a moat brilliant man-
ner. Our fire-ships, accompanied by our vessels, sailed against
the ships of the enemy, and threw them into complete disorder,
obliging them to retire with disgrace, much farther than in
their two former attempts.
You may easily conceive with whit courage this happy re-
sult inspired our men, and on the contrary how discouraging it
was for the enemy, and principally for those troops which had
been collected on the mountains of Asia Minor, and were now
witnesses to the defeat of their fleet.
But a inure signal victory awaited the Greek fleet ! This.
morning we saw the enemy making an approach towards us
' with the wind in his favour. We immediately ordered all oor

fire-ships to set sail, accompanied by different ships of war.—
About 10 A.M. the fire-ship commanded by Captain Deme-
trius Zapli approached a frigate of the first rank off Cape-St.
Maria, and grappled her. There was a slight breeze, and
the frigate helped in some manner by it and towed by four
galleys, escaped the danger which threatened her, and our tire_
ship did not -succecbti, but it afforded an opportunity to the
brave Captain Canaris to go against the same frigate in the
tire-ships which ha himself commanded, and he succeeded, to-
wards eleven o'clock A.at. in grappling her whilst in full
sail. In a short time she was all In flames, and the tire hay-
ing penetrated to the powder magazine, soon blew her up,
and the sparks and pieces or wood, which flew on all sides,

not only destroyed all who were on board, to the number of
600, but several on the neighbouring coasts, and burned nearly
20 transports, which were in readiness to transport the troops to
Samos.

Towards ten °eclair, Captain George Batiquiottis went
-Against s...htig of.:rtinis with .his Urs.ship, and suceettled in
burning it; and, at 11 o'clock, Captain Demetrius Rafalias
went against a corvette of Tripoli with hii fire.ship, and at the
same time another fire.ship went against the same corvetp, so
that in a short time it was all in flames. Captain Ittonposi
went also against a frigate with his tire.ship ; he grappled her
well; but the wind and the galleys which towed her assisted
her in escaping the danger, and consequently the tire-ship
was lost. If Captain Homposi had not attacked the frigate, he
would without doubt have burned a brig, , which was nearer,
and which would have been an entry prey. His courage was un-
exampled.

11y duty obliges ma to recommend to your benevolence
all the captains and seamen of our fire-ships, since all, with-
out exception, displayed most astonishing energy and bravery,
exposing themselves to the 'teary fire of the enemy's vessels,
and succeeding in destroying them whilst in full sail and open
day-light.

You can easily imagine what terror must have taken posses-
sion of the enemy, and of Topal Paella himself, to whose eyes
the conflagration and destruction were doubtless 'no pleasant
sight, and his courage was not so great as to induce him to
assist them.

We hope, therefore, that the plans of the enemy against
Samos have failed, since, when he had lost nearly 3,000 men in
the vessels which were burned, we saw that the troops which
were on the continent had taken to flight; and we are fully
persuaded that none of those who witnessed this engagement
would dare to embark. During these two daye—daya which
will be for ever memorable in our naval history—a French
schooner was present, which, we trust, will relate all that oc-
curred. We should have wished that other Europeans had also
been present at that time, but not on board the Turkish ves-
sels, like those whom we saw WI into the sea from the vessels
which we destroyed—a worthy recompense for their praise.
worthy sentiments and their Christian feelings ! May all those
who seek to injure our unfortunate country experience a similar
fate I We have burnt all our gre-ships : we therefore request
you to send us others without delay ; we are also in want of
powder, which we beg may be sent imined:ately.
Worthy fellow-citizens 1---We have several times experienced
that our fire-ships are our beat weapons, and by their, means we
hope to effect still more signal triumphs during this campaign.
Our seamen are inspired with the greatest energy, and possess
considerable abilities ; every one of,them is at present a lion ;
whilst, on the contrary, our enemies are filled with fear and dis-
couragement. We only lost two men on board of Captain
Canaris vessel, and oneon board of Captain Romposis. Capt.
Demetrius Zapli was burned in thelace, but he will be easily
cured.

The rest of the Turkish fleet is become a prey to terror, and
we hope that this night will witness its flight.
There arrived here yesterday nine vessels front Spezzia and
one from Ipsara, and there are just arrived three more from
Spezzia, and four froM litsara.
We have just been honoured with your esteemed dispatches
of the 30th ult., in which you order us to send seven vessels to
Cape Coloni,.and to leave here eighteen others. We shall exe-
cute your commands, but we take the liberty most respectfully
to suggest to you, that it seems advisable to assemble here .AN
many vessels as possible, and all the fire ships, to attack and
entirely destroy the fleet of Constantinople.—DOW that fear has
seized it ; and afterwards we will proceed with all the vessels to
encounter the .}:gyptian fleet. 1' have the honour to be, Your
most obedient anti respectful servant,
(Signed) OBORGE SACTOURI, Vice. Admiral.
Napoli di Romania, 12th (24) Aug. 1824.
(Copy agreeable to the original)
(Signed) 1(01.)1(:)S Secretary-eienertl.

FOR THE SUN.

ERUPTION OF A 'MUD VOLCANO:JN firCILY.

The eruption of the mud volcano-of Terrapi.
tats, in Sicily, which occurred in *March, 1W2.3,
was witnessed by D. Oregnrio Uarnaba La Via,
who has described it in a geological account of

the neighbourhood of Caltli4setta.
This volcano, not very -Afferent in gazious
emanation from the:. fainousitlacatubba of Gir-
genti, and always iii action ,ittr. a temperatufe of
about 100 deg. Fali. formytworn its erupted
matter, numerous small coneS,;trotn the centre of
which flow saline water, mud, tnid hydrogen gas.
The surrounding laml 'Presepts'llollllce cilf-Vege•
tation, from whence it takes its pante..
On the sth of May, 1823, whilst. the tiorth
wind blew in strong gusts, the sky being serene,,
a'few den* clouds, in long pointed'stria, Appeal:od
in the' west, the temperature was 53 deg. Fah.
when five shocks of an earthquake succeeded
each other in nine seconds; the first front beloW
upwards, the others' undulating. The author re-
paired, to the volcano of Terrapitata with several
'persons. On reaching it, it was found that the
whole elevation was divided by many splits from
ten to one foot and a half wide: that the small
volcanos were greatly increased ; and that instead
of ejecting water, clay,and hydrogen gas, as usual,
some were throwing mud to the distance of some
feet, with the emission of gas; others. only blew
out hydrogen gas ; and others, again, leaving.a
space of a foot in diameter, and five feet deep,
vibrated from that depth with the force of the
eruption.
Having applied a torch to one of those whist-
ling cones, there arose immediately a blue flume,
five feet in height, which would have remained
for a long time, had not the wind, which was
powerful, extinguished it. The crack was then
noticed which had been fist pointed out ; it
joined with the greater number of the small vol.

canoes, being about one and half feet in width,
intersected the valley of Icoputore, and the bor-
der of the mountain of St. Anna, being there
about four inches wide ; cutting the quarter of
Piedigrottu, it ascended to the church of St.
Flavin, about fifteen lines in width, and traversing
the Delia Gratin, terminated insensibly in the
neighbourhood of the church of St. Petrunillo.
After live days of violent actions, during three
was no abaterneq, the eruption began gradually
to diminish, and ultimately returned to its usual
state.