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London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

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His Excellency Rear-Admiral
Sir James Stirling, Kt.

(Signed)

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[PRICE 4D. STAMPED SD•

attack by boats, would have blown the boar dors up ; for
no sooner did our shot pass through her, than the crew
took to the water, aud, landing with spears, made for the
hills ; ono man remaining aft, threw a fire-ball forward,
and sprung overboard immediately, before the explo-
sion took place. This completed twenty, out of a well-
provided daring fleet that we were enabled to destroy, be-
sides probably having inflicted considerable damage on
many that escaped us during the thick weather of the 19th
ultimo. On different occasions, when the boats were em-
ployed, they were under the command of the Second Lieu-
tenant Mr. Brooker, Master Mr. Turner, and Acting Mate
Mr. Todd, whose names I am glad to bring forward for
favourable consideration.
8. I have troubled your Excellency somewhat fully, as
the strengths of the armaments of these vessels, with
their crews averaging not less than fifty men each, and the
apparently established fact that Europeans have joined
them, proves the extent to which piracy has arisen, and
the formidable scale on which it is now conducted.
am convinced a merchant vessel could only have escaped
such a fleet by out-sailing it, and the frequent calms
of this season would have rendered her fate more cer-
tain, for these pirates sweep with ease three and four
knots, and with wind free, many of them distanced the
Bittern. That they would not hesitate to attack mer-
chantmen is evident from the vigorous manner they opened
and maintained their fire upon us; their guns, six or
seven to fourteen and upwards in each, vary rom 21-
pounders downwards ; perhaps an occasional 32-pounder
may be met with, but a nice sort of medium 18 is the
most common in use. This fleet, all of which is called
the west coast build, and of from I should say
to upwards of 200 tons burthen (excepting two,
which seemed considerably larger), had a hide crow's nest
(said to be musket ball proof) at the main and foremast
head, capable of sheltering men who sling the stink-pot to
a considerable distance ; vast quantities of these were
found, and an almost incredible supply of ammunition,
pikes, knives, &c.. on board those captured.
9. It is impossible to estimate the amount of trade
thrown open for the present, if Chinese are to be credited,
fully to the value of two or three millions of dollars; the
prisoners talked of two hundred thousand dollars having
been amongst the fleet, and assured us a considerable por-
tion of it went down iu the largest of their vessels which
had sustained their fire with such spirit; it would have
been well to have brought away the heavier guns, but the
delay would have cost us some of the fleet; the officers
saw quantities of rich furs and other booty on board those
vessels which they burnt.
10. I am happy to say none of our people wore wounded,
one only was hurt in a trifling manner; a round shot took
an awkward score between two and three inches deep out
of the bowsprit, besides rending the spar ; the carpenter
tells me it can be rendered permanently secure by a fish
we have prepared.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) E. W. VANSITTART,
Commander.

Winchester, at Hong Kong,
October 30,1855.

Sir,— I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the sth September, in which you report
that her Majesty's sloop under your command, accom-
panied by the Confucius and Pavushan steamers, the
former manned and armed from the United States frigate
Macedonia, and the latter employed by the parties inte-
rested in the object of your intended expedition, and
supplied by the Chinese authorities with necessary
officials, pilots, and informers, had proceeded to the
head of the Gulf of Leotung, and had accomplished the
capture or destruction of 20 junks, whose piratical out-
rages had for some time previously infested the coast of
China to the north of the Yaugtszee-Kiang, and greatly
obstructed the legitimate channels of trade.
I cannot but express the satisfaction I feel at your re-
port of the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Brooker and of
Messrs. Turner and Todd, nor can I allow the present
occasion to pass without conveying to you the expression
of my high opinion of your own personal merit in the
direction of the expedition, the success of which reflects
the greatest credit on all concerned ; and it will afford me
great pleasure to forward to the Admiralty a copy of your
communication and of this reply.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) JS. STIRLING, Rear-Admiral, Ize.
Commander Vansittart,
Her Majesty's sloop Bittern.

Her Majesty's sloop Bittern,
Sheipoo Harbour, September 22, 1855.
Sir,—lt is my painful duty to report thedeath, at 8.55
a.m., of Mr. Charles Turner, late master of her Majesty's
sloop, under my command. Being in tow of the Pavushan,
Mr. Turner on board that steamer had successfully piloted
us into post on the 18th instant, and it was some time
after, during the heat of the action, whilst altering the po•
sition of the steamer, he was led to pass outside of us
into the direct line of all the piratical tire that went over
the Bittern, when he received his death wound from a
round shot which torn away part of his right side.
Your Excellency is well aware of the loss her Majesty's
service sustains in the premature death of this valuable
officer. A thorough sailor and a first rate master, doubt-
less when represented by his commander-in-chief, his
services will be favourably considered by the Lords Com-
missioners of the Admiralty in awarding some pension 01
assistance to his family. His mother, Mrs. Turner, the
widow of an old Lieutenant who died a• Retired Com-
mander, resides in Parker's-place, Exmouth, Devon, and
with two daughters was, I am informed, chiefly dependent
on the support she received from the late lamented officer
and auothei son in the merchant service.--I have, Sec.,

E. W. VANSITTART,
Commander.
His Excellency Rear-Admiral Sir Jas. Stirling,
Kt., Commander-in-Chief, (Sic.

Her Majesty's sloop Bittern, Shanghai, Oct. 5.
Sir,—T have the honour to report the return last evening
of her Majesty's sloop, under my command, from the con-
templated cruise mentioned in my letter of proceedings of
11th ultimo. On clearing the Yang-tze-kiang the follow-
ing day, instead of steering for Ningpo, as intended, we
were induced by information that morning received, to
make direct for Chusan. and iu Tinghai harbour found
five doubtfull-ooking, well-armed, west coast boats, a
part of the Niegpo batch in Imperial Bay. We then
learnt how a strong squadron of piratical craft had lately
blockaded the island of Potoo, on which some English
ladies were at the time, and in Sinkeamoen Channel,
only a few miles distant, captured an Englishman's
boat, with European passengers, bound fions Ningpoo
for Potoo ; and further, that the pirates had just gone
southward, as supposed, to their favourite haunt of Shei-
poo ; so hurrying across to Ningpo, we anchored off Chin-
hae on 15th ult., and found there the Pavushan merchant
steamer, which vessel had again bzen placed at my dis-
posal. This was most fortunate, for the information re-
ceived from the Chinese at Chusan proved correct ; the
ladies were in great danger; some of their friends, with a
Mr. Russel, had again been taken within sight of Potoo,
making the case far too urgent to await the assistance of
the much-hoped-for steamers-of-war, and the towing
power of the Pavushan, little as it is, enabled us to pro-
ceed to Sheipoo with more confidence.
2. Taking the time of slack water, we entered the secure
and beautiful harbour of Sheipoo by its N.E. pass, on
opening which the piratical craft were seen, bearing many
difloreut banners, moored in an excellent defensive posi-
tion close off the village of Sheipoo ; with crowded decks,
nieu at their guns pointed for the passage. I ordered Mr.
Turner, the Master, who on board the Pavushars was tow-
ing ahead and piloting us in, to keep her at fullest speed,
and with sail on the Bittern to the last moment, we were
still exposed for more than ten minutes to a heavy raking
fire before a shot was returned, and the ship could be
b:ought up and sprung into position ' • then we found our
port broadsides engaged at about 500 yards with a line of
22 west coast boats, lashed head and stern, the left wing
ofewhich was sufficiently advanced to cross their fire; this
they kept up with astonishing spirit for some time, and it
took more than an hour to silnce them altogether ; fortu-
nately, being much within their first range, we suffered
less than might have been expected.
3. On deserting their vessels the remains of the crews
collected in bodies, with gingalls, spears, and other arms,
and made for heights overlooking the village. A body of
forty or fifty tried to escape in one of their captured ves-
sels. This we dismasted and drove on shore ; the pirates,
scrambling up some rocks, were seized or destroyed
by country people. Another body attempted to
escape in a like boat, by passing round the small islands
opposite Sheipoo village. The Pavushan chased her out of
the harbour and drove them on shore. On taking possession
only one of the whole twenty-two vessels was found unin-
jured enough to move ; she had eleven guns bearing on us,
which had evidently been well served. A larger craft,
pointed out to me early in the action as working fourteen
guns, was singled out for our best shots, and was quickly
sunk. I cannot resist bringing to your Excellency's notice
the beautiful practice and cool management of his gun by a
young able seaman, John E. Matless, who had been raised
to the situation of captain of a gun, from my experience of
his proficiency when exercising en a target. We removed
all the guns practicable from such of the squadron as had
not been sunk or blown up, and buret tho whole of the re-
mains of the hull at low water.
4. The only prize I have brought into port was saved by
the pirates having lashed a merchant vessel on ber engaged
side laden with mud, coals, &c., sunk deep enough just to
admit of their firing over her. A double tier of bales of
cotton on the deck completed this perfect fender and bat-
tery, through which our shot could not penetrate. A shell
had fired part of her upper works. Two other merchant
craft moored in like manner, but nut laden, had proved
useless as fenders. Vast quantities of powder, stinkpots,
iron-pointed rocket arrows, Ste., were destroyed, and about
100 guns brought away, these varying from longlB-pounders
downwards, some larger could not be removed, and many
were lost in vessels sunk or blown up. From the country
people and a prisoner whom I have kept, as he volunteered
information, we learn that the fleet had about '2OO guns,
with about 1,000 men, chiefly Cantonese ; that 12 of them
had met us to the northward, and that their chiefs had given
out some days before they expected the arrival of a war
brig and sea
mer ; that it would be seen how they, the
' pirates would handle them.
" On the 19th ult., the morning after the action, I
landed a strong party, under the second lieutenant, to dis-
lodge a body of some 300 of the escaped pirates that had es-
tablished themselves in a gorge overlooking the town of She.
puo, which they threatened. The mandarins, greatly
alarmed, were powerless, and explained through Mr. In-
terpreter Sinclair the evils that must befall all honest
people in the neighbourhood, should I leave these men
then become desperate, at large. I desired the officials to
be in attendance to receive prisoners, and the force turn-
ing the pirate flank escaped a fire of gingalls which were
pointed down a causeway leading into the town, and over-
powered theta without any serious casualties. The exces-
sive heat, however, told ; one marine has since died from
its effects, and the second lieutenant suffering. This town
of Sheipoo is about a mile further south than the village
off which the pirates were moored, and in which many of
them resided. I much fear the village is thorougkly pira-
tical ; but seeing crowds of children, women, and old men
about during an armed expedition, I agreed with Mr .
Sinclair that it would be impossible to deal severely upon
the doubtful evidence collected, so warning them of the
risk all incurred who had anything to do with pirates, we
required them to deliver up all guns and munitions of
war, and continued the search of saspcsted spots on either
side of the harbour.
. 6. We received three European anchors, the smallest
fitted for an iron stock, of about 16 cwt., without mark,