The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-24 00:00:00

TVIE ::.:jj:,,, LONDON, WEDNESDAY. EVEN I NG, 'IINIARCII-7.: 24, 1858

order to induce them to refuse the right o!
llC-
tuary to political refugees—a favour of 'Pr) itch
the French EMPEROR shared largely himself it
the

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

MEETING THIS DAY.

The quarterly general court of proprietors of East
India Stock was held this day at the India House,
Leadenhall,street.
R. D. Mangles, Egg., occupied the chair.
THANKS TO SIB J. MELVILL.

Mr. HELPS, in a highly eulogistic speech, moved a
vote cf thanks to the late Secretary cf the Company, Sir
J. Melvin, who had occupied that situation with honour
for upwards of half a century.
Mr. LEWIN had very great pleasure in seconding the
motion.

The vote was agreed to unanimously.
THE EAST INDIA. COMPANY BILL.

Captain SHEA asked the Chairman whether he could
give the proprietors any information relative to the bill
about to be brought into Parliament for placing India
ly under the government of the Crowe ?

The CHAIRMAN replied in the negative.
THE ALLEGED MUTILATIONS.

An Hon. PROPRIETOR drew the attention of the
divectors to the report which had appeared in the public
pa pera with respect to several cases of mutilation having
taken place in India, and asked the directors whether
they had received any information on the stibji •. ?
The CHAIRMAN said the subject had not escaped
attent ion, but, on the contrary, a very searching in-
quiry had been instituted, the result of which was that
in all the instances, with one exception, nothing of the
sort had, it was believed, taken place. With
respect to the exceptional case, a most rigid
investigation would be instituted. (Hear, hear.)

&TEST NEWS.

INDIA.

The following telegram was received at the India
House this morning, a 6 one o'clock. It will be
observed that it is dated at Calcutta prior to the
last received from Bombay. The intelligence is
not, therefore, fresh, but it contains a few parti-
culars which have not hitherto been published. It
was probably sent from Calcutta by the wrecked
steamer Ava

(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)

From H. Beadon, Esq., Secretary to the Govern-
ment of India, to the Hon. the Secret Committee.
CALCUTTA, FEB. 22.

The Governor-General assumed the government
of the North-Western Provinces on the 9th inst.,
and Mr. Grant has returned to the Presidency and
resumed his seat in Council.
The Commander-in-Chief is still at Cawnpore
with his force, consisting of 15 regiments European
Infantry, three regiments Native Infantry, three
regiments European Cavalry, three regiments and
detachments of two other regiments of Native
Cavalry, with 80 heavy guns and mortars, and 63
field-pieces, has crossed the river, and is in pro-
gress to Lucknow.

It is expected that the attack will commonce
about the 27th inst., when Maharajah Jung Baha-
door's and General Franks' forces, consisting of
12,000 men, will also have arrived.
General Franks expected to attack the rebels at
Chantlo., on +ha 9(11-h, and .frt ha Ah. Snito.npnro (,11
the 22d.

The Maharajah was to cross the Gogra at Phool-
pore on the 18th.
The greatest cordiality exists between Jung Ba-
hadoor and the officer with his camp.
The road from Mirzapore to Bombay, by Job-
bulpore and Saghore, and the road from Agra to
Bombay, via Indore, are opened.
Brigadier Walpole commands a force for the de-
fence of the Doab from Futtyghur downwards.
The rebels are strong and active on the Oude side
pore.
of the Ganges from opposite Vuttyghur to Cawn-

A regular chain of communication is kept up be-
tween
The Bareilly
and Lucknow.
rebels the Etawah district have been de-
feated by police and zemindaree levies with the
t h
loss of 125 men and all their guns.
On the 10th instant, Colonel 111‘Ca.usland, com-
manding the Ghoorkas Regiment at Nynee-Tall,
defeated the rebels, about 4,000 strong, at Buheree,
in the Bareilly district, with a loss of 250 men and

four guns.
Lieutenant Osborne has taken the forts of Run-
warsa and Tyerag
oogurh, capturing 17 guns. The
forts have been dismantled.
All well in the Punjaiab, Saugor, Hyderabad,
and Southern India.
The fort of Rotas has been occupied by Colonel

On Cammor (?) the mutinous companies of the
34th Native Infantry have been almost entirely
annihilated.

Some progress has been made in suppressing the
insurrection in J umbulpore.
Her Majesty's 6th Regiment has arrived from
the Cape, and will garrison Fort William.
Her Majesty's 64th Regiment marches to
Benares.

Commodore Watson, with the Chesapeake, is
still at Calcutta.

Tho Pylades is also here, and the Shannon and
the Pearl, whose
„ 14.7• Bri-
vuue and ac,,,,.1,-nnrA
he Pelorus and the gunboats of the squadron

are at Rangoon.
Captain Seymour, with a party of 300 seamen
and marines, have gone up the Irrawaddy to the
Meaday frontier.

V. MONTANARO.

Malta, March 23.

The following telegram, from Acting-Consul-
General Green to the Earl of Malmesbury, was
received at the Foreign-office on the 23d of March,
at 10.30 p.m.

ALEXANDRIA, MARCH, 19, 1858.
The steamer Nubia arrived at Suez, from Cal-
cutta, on the 17th instant at 10.30 p.m.
She brings no intelligence from India more
recent than received. from _Bombay by last mail.
Her Alljesty'sships Shannon, Chesapeake, Pearl,
and Pylades, at Calcutta.
Yeh, a prisoner on board the Inflexible, was at
Hong Kong on the 15th February, on his way to
Calcutta.

The blockade of Canton was rased on the 10th.
The Russians and Americans have joined the Eng-
lish and French in their demand on the Chinese
government. The letters of the four Plenipoten-
tiaries have gone up to Shanghai, and by the
middle of March it will be known what line China
takes.

This telegram arrived at Malta from Alexandria
by the contract steam packet Euxine, at 7.35 p.m.
on the 23d March.

LYONS, Admiral

MALTA, MARCH 23, HALF-PAST 8, NIGHT.
The Euxiee arrived an hour ago from Alexan-
dria, bringing the Calcutta and China mails, and
leaves to-night for Marseilles, whence the Vectis
arrived with the outward mails on the night of the
21st, and left for Alexandria early next morning.
The Malabar arrived from Southampton and left
for Alexandria on the,2lst.

The Australian mails, per Wye, arrived on the
20th from Marseilles, and on the 21st, per Tamar,
from Southampton, which carried same on to Alex-
andria on the same morning.

The Caradoc, with the Siamese Ambassadors,
left for Alexandria on the 20th.

It is reported that the squadron under Lord
Lyons will leave for a cruise on the 10th of April.
The Euxine has brought the following, wLich
ought to have reached via Corfu this morning, the
Au-trian steamer having arrived there at midnight
yesterday :

" ALEXANDRIA, MARCH 19.

"Calcutta and China wails leave to-day with
intelligence from Calcutta, February 23 ; Madras,
Fvbruary 28 ;
Ceylon, March ; Hong Kong,
February 15 ; Canton, February 15.
" Canton was quiet.

"America and Russia bad joined the alliance,
and a course of common action has been agreed

upon.
" Tito four representatives were about to pro-
ceed to a rendezvous at Shanghai.
" Trade had reopened at Canton, and the site of
the new factories had been marked out.
" The Chinese authorities receive the duties.
" The 70th Sepoy Regiment had arrived, and
was quartered within the walls of Canton.
" No other reinforcements had arrived.
" The army had crossed the Ganges at Cawnpore
to besiege Lucknow on the 11th.
" GAnnonade expected to open on the 22d of

February.
" Sir Colin Campbell had 160 first-class guns.
" col, M`Cau•land, with 1,000 men, defeated

Rohilcund mutineers, 4,000 strong, near Morada-
bad, on the 10th of February. The enemy fled
across the river. Ten Europeans were killed.
" General Inglis defeated the Gwalior muti-
neers near Calpee on the 4th of February.
" Jung Bahacloor, waiting for boats, had not
crossed the Gogra on the 19th of February.
" Hope Grant's column in Oude had cleared the
left bank of the Ganges and destroyed the strong-
hold of the enemy, who fled northward.
" The Agra convoy of women ate close to our
camp—all well.
" Fresh attack on the Alumbagh on the 21st,
supported by Outram."

The Paris Correspondent of the Morning
Post (second edition) says:—

15th.

" A report was circulated to-day in Paris, and
particularly at the Bourse. that the French navy
was showing an amount of activity which created
some anxiety. I believe there is no reason for
alarm. It certainly is true that, an additional
sum of money having been voted for turning more
sailing vessels into screw steamers, one or
two of the ports are looking animated. It
is the season too when relief squadrons are
preparing to put to sea, and when under any
circumstances ships are manned. In conjunction
with this report a telegraphic despatch (says the
Presse) has been transmitted to the maritime ar-
rondissements and sub-arrondissements, ordering
a levy of men from 20 to 40 years of age, who
have not served four years. But there is nothing
extraordinary, I learn, in these orders, and cer-
tainly nothing that can be construed into " war-
like preparations."

THE WRECK OF THE AVA.

(BY ONE OF THE PASSENGERS.)
The steamer Ava left Calcutta for Suez on the
morning of the 10th of February. On board of her
were Lady Inglis, the wife of the General late
commanding at Lucknow, and her three children ;
General Michell, bound for Bombay ; Colonel
Greathed, the hero of the Delhi flying column ;
Captain James, the saviour of the Lucknow gar-
rison ; and many other ladies and gentlemen lately
besieged there ; altogether the passengers num-
bered upwards of 60. After the Ava left Calcutta
it transpired that she was engaged on the part of
Government to take up treasure at Madras and
convey it to Trincomalee, thus making a deviation
from her course. She arrived at Madras at 4 p.m.

of the 14th January, took in some more pas,en-
gers—chiefly ladies and children—and the treasure,
and left for Trincomalee at the same hour on the

At 10 a.m. on the 16th the ship was running
about 11 knots and a half in the hour, and the

captain calculated that he was about 79 miles from
his destination. At about 4 p.m. the rocky coast
of Ceylon was discerned ou the starboard bow.
Without changing her course the vessel gradually

approached nearer, as the coast bulged out consi-
derably at this point. A little after 5 o'clock the
captain imagined he must be nearing the port, and '
accordingly altered the course a point towards the
shore. A light was there visit e', and it appeared as
if there were a settlement of some kind on the coast.
Half an hour had not elapsed after this had been
done before a large rock was visible, immediately
in the course of the ship. The ladies at this time
were sitting on deck, perfectly unconscious of dan-
ger ; the gentlemen walking up and down, or
smoking on the forecastle. They were suddenly
roused from their occupations by cries, immediately
following one another, of " Hard starboard,"
" Stop her." The words were scarcely out of the
Captain's mouth before the ship struck hard and
fast on a rock. The passengers were all aware that
something serious had happened—they did not
know what ; they, however, acted, for the most
part, in the most exemplary manner under the
c.rcumstances—ethey remained perfectly quiet. One
or two gentlemen, who happened to be forward at
the time, noticed the water rushing in furiously in
that part of the vessel, and at the same time the
crew were observed quietly lowering the boats. All
this was ominous enough, and it was, almost at
the same time, rendered more so by the Captain
quietly passing an order for all the ladies to con-
gregate on the deck. These arrangements were
completed without the slightest disorder or confu-
sion, and the six boats belonging to the steamer
were lowered without a single accident. Into
these, the ladies first, the gentlemen afterwards,
many of them scarcely conscious of their danger,
were hurried, and in fifteen minutes from the time
the ship struck, all the passengers had been
safely placed in the boats. The orders issued
to the several boats' commanders were to keep
near the ship all night. Fortunately, the night
was not dark, the breeze was moderate, and there
was no sea on. Between the ship which they had
just left and the shore was, about a mile of water,
studded with breakers, and it was absolutely ne-
cessary to obey the captain's orders most strictly,
and to keep near the ship. Our situation can be
imagined. Upwards of 70 passengers (some
having been taken in at Madras), besides stewards,
ship's officers, Chinamen, and children, were
crowded into six boats at 7 o'clock in the evening
to cruise in a space about one hundred yards square
for nearly 11 hours ; to be careful to approach
neither too near to the ship on one side, nor to the
breakers on the other. The sea was sufficiently
rough to cause the most uup!easant sensations
amongst many the passengers, and sea-sickness
raged in all its horrors. All this time signals were
being made from the ship ; guns were fired,
rockets discharged, and blue-lights burned, all
without the slightest effect ; for, although a light
was visible ou the nearest coast, it proceeded only
from fishermen, and these made not the slightest
effort to come to our assistance. The Captain
(Kirton), assisted by some of his officers and the
Lascars, remained on board ; their presence there
was attested about 11. p.m. by the fall with a tre-
mendous crash, of the fore and main masts with-
out, however, injuring any one. All this time the
fore part of the vessel appeared sinking, whilst
the stern was high above the water. This was
visible to the passengers from the boats, as they
sat waiting for the dawn which was to disclose
to them more fully their own position. At
last the day broke, and the wind gradually
increasing made the waves rise higher. The
prospect was by no means cheering. Between the
boats and the coast were breakers in abundance—
many visible, others just showing their heads above
the horizon. Trincomalee el f was about twelve
wain. esuive,o, Lnau tale
boats with ladies in them should make for Trinco-
malee, making a large offileg to avoid the rocks,
whilst the others should attempt the coast. This
course was adopted ; three boats with ladies and
their husbands put out to sea. One of these, the
cutter, arrived at Trincomalee about noon, and
gave the first intelligence of the disaster; the other
two, being slower sailers, heavy boats, and with a
tired crew, were picked up by a native cutter bound
for Trincomalee, where they arrived about 3 p.m.
The other boats managed, after one or two at-
tempts, to reach the land. The residents sent on
conueyances to meet them on the first intimation of
the disaster, and all arrived safely before the
evening.
It would be impossible to convey an adequate
sense of the kindness and hospitality of the resi-
dents of Trincomalee, and of the measures taken
by them to make the disaster light to the sufferers.
It is a little place with from 20 to 30 European
residents. On these were suddenly thrown the task
of entertaining some 70 unfortunates, possessing
only the clothes on their backs. And yet they did it
—in such a manner, too, as to impart a reai pleasure
to those who availed themselves of a hospitality
evidently so genuine. Mr. Monis, the Government
Agent, Col. Weir and the officers of the 50th, and
Mr. Cooper, took the lead in this, as well as in
those other measures necessary for affording shelter
to the officers compelled to remain near the ship,
and protection t• the baggage which might be
washed on shore. Everything that could be thought
of was done, and in the welcome which they
received the passengers forgot alike their misfor-
tunes and their losses.
These losses were of no ordinary nature. Many
of the passengers belonged to the Luckuow garri-
son. They had arrived in Calcutta unpossessed of
anything in the world. They had been fitted out
by the Relief Fund in Calcutta, and the resource
thus obtained was gone. But there was perhaps
even a greater loss. Many of them have kept
journals of the siege : most of these bad gone the
way of the rest of the baggage ; only one, so far as
I have heard, was discovered. A few boxes were
subsequently washed on shore, but their contents
were entirely spoiled by the salt water, and for the
week that the passengers remained at Trincomalee
they were dependent for a change of linen entirely
on their kind hosts.
The account of the accident was despatchel with
tLe utmost promptitude by the Government Agent,
Mr. Morris, to Galle. It fortunately happened that
the Granada had arrived at that port two days pre-
viously, en route for the Lie of France. The nee s
reached her at 5 p.m. on the evening of the 19th.
She was then partially laden „with coffee. How-
ever, at 7 p.m. her cargo was unladen, and she
was steaming for Trincomalee. She arrived there
on the morning of the 21st; left the same evening,
and then started on her return to Galle. Gallo
was reached on the morning of the 23d. The
shipwrecked passengers were there able to procure
clothes of some sort, and the ladies again expe-
rienced the kindness which seems to have taken
root and to be indigenous in the island, having
shown itself not only at Trincomalee and Galle,
but at Colombo also, by the despatch thence of
necessaries for ladies' use. These acts can never
be forgotten by Uwe on whose behalf, strangers
as they were, they were perpetrated.
The Ava we visited on the 21st ; she was then
just below water her back had broken on the
evening of the 17th,
and since then she had gradu-
ally sunk down. Whatever might have been the
conduct of the Captain in running the ship on the
rocks, it must be admitted that subsequently to the
accident no man could have exerted himself with
greater energy or daring. The Captain and the
Admiralty Agent remained on board to the very
last moment ; the latter in the hope, perhaps, of
aviug his mails, but they were submerged almost
immediately after the first strike. Conspicucus
also was the conduct of leut. James, of Lucks ow
renown, who was ( n board when the vessel need°
her firs tremendous crack in the centre ; and for a'
minute or two he was actually alone on board—the
others having pushed off without him. By Capt.
Haswell, R.N., and by the various officers in charge
of the boats, the greatest coolness and self-po-ses
skill were shown. It is to the display of these
qualities, indeed, that it was owing that not a
single life was lost, although nearly half the passen-
gers consisted of woven and children.
It is unfortunately necessary to add one testi-
mony of au opposite nature. The vessel had no
sooner struck than the Lascars and others of the
native crew rushed down to the cabins and com-
menced rifling them. On the following morning,
when some gentlemen returned to the ship, they
found the boxes iu the still-accessible cabins broken
open and their contents scat'ered. Every valuable
had been abstracted. These had been necessarily
left on board, the boats having been sufficiently