The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-11 00:00:00

THE ..IRMY.

Orders have been issued from the War Depart-
ment to the officers commanding the East India de-
pot battalions, directing the following troops to be
held in readiness to embark at Gravesend to-mor-
row, on board the Gertrude, for Calcutta, for the
purpose of reinforcing the British regiments now
serving in Bengal, viz., 1 officer of the 19th Regi-
ment, 1 officer of the 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers,
and 9 men of the 35th, from Chatham ; 1 officer of
the 6th Dragoon Guards, and 1 officer of the 9th
Lancers, from Maidstone ; 1 officer and 65 men of
the 7th Hussars, and 10 men of the 90th Light In-
fantry, from Canterbury ; 1 officer and 20 men of
the 'lst battalion 6th Regt., 1 officer and 30 men of
the 34th, 30 men of the 37th, 12 men of the 88th,
and 14 men of the 97th (Earl of Ulster's), from Col-
chester ; and 1 officer and 66 gunners of the Royal
Artillery, from Woolwich.
Yesterday 38 non-commissioned officers and men
belonging to the 3d (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon
Guards,(King's Own), 18th (Royal Irish), 33d, 56th, 72d,
78th,
83
dl,4h
8t
6t
h, Lightan Dragoons,
a 05th Regiments, who have re-
cently arrived at Chatham from India, where they
were wounded or disabled, proceeded from St.
Mary's Barracks to Fort Pitt Hospital for medical
inspection, in order to ascertain the number of men
to be recommended to a Chelsea board for discharge
on account of their un6iness for further service. At
the conclusion of the inspection 20 men, *ho were
pronounced convalescent, received orders to hold
themselves in readiness to join their respective regi-
ments.
The two battalions of Royal Marines stationed at
Woolwich, in command of Col. Stransham, recently
appointed commandant of that division, were yes-
terday brigaded on Woolwich-common, and were
subjected to a lengthened course of heavy battalion
movements, the whole of which were performed
with admirable precision.
Gabriel Bryans, a private of the Woolwich divi-
sion of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, recently
convicted by garrison court•martial of being absent
from duty, and of having made awaywith his kit,
was sentenced to undergo the punishment of 50
lashes, and to be further imprisoned in the gaol of
Fort Clarence for 84 days. The prisoner has been
many years in the corps, has suffered every kind of
punishment and disgrace, and is pronounced irre-
claimable. On the recommendation of the comman-
...... Vaac p "'A S.
commuted to 42 days' imprisonment, making a total
of 126 days' confinement in Fort Clarence.

ABRIDGED NOTES OF A CRUISE BY
HER MAJESTY'S SHIP IRIS.

Her Majesty's ship Iris, Captain Loring, arrived
on the 6th inst. from her cruise to the South Sea
Islands, principally to inquire into the murder of
the crew of the Gazelle, by the natives of Wood-
lark Island ; and the death of Captain Outtrim, of
the Ann and Jane, who was killed while landing
at Tana. The following is an extract from her
report :
June 30.—Anchored of Black Beach, Tana ; the
Terror, Edwards ; New Forest, Mare, Hirondelle,
Rodd, were at anchor, trading with the natives.
Seised Wan-Attaway, chief of the Wagus tribe,
who murdered the captain and part of the crew of
the schooner Anne and Jane.

July I.—Moved to Wagus, fired a few rounds of
shot and shell to clear the savages from the woods;
the small-arm party then landed under the com-
mand of Lieutenants Deane and Bell, RN., the
marines under Lieut. Bent, R.M., accompanied by
the boats of the sandal-wood traders. The party
burnt several villages, and destroyed great quanti-
ties of cocoanut and bread-fruit trees, also bannana,
yams, &c. Unfortunately Mr. Edward M. Tupper,
mate, Capt. Barrack, and two men were separated
in the dense underwood from the main party; sur-
rounded by great numbers of savages. Capt. Bar-
rack and one seaman made their way through them
and regained the party. Mr. Tupper and Mr. Ken-
nedy, captain of hold, were killed. Mr. Tupper's
body was immediately after recovered ; Kennedy's
we never saw. About two p.m. the party re-
embarked. - -

July 2.—Landing party again proceeded on
shore, and continued the work of destruction, the
savages not attempting to molest them. Made sail,
and buried Mr. Tupper's body. Anchored off Black
Beach. It is impossible to ascertain even the pro-
bable number of savages killed, their own reports
being the only authority ; but as the only object
was to destroy property, and not life, it is not
likely that many were killed. The effect on the
islanders, we hear, has been very good ; they now
dread the visit of • " fighting. ship."
July B.—Anchored in billon's Bay, Erromango,
landed Wan-Attaway, chief of the Wagus tribe,
and placed him in custody of Capt. Edwards.
July 21.—Arrived at Woodlark Island ; going in
the ship struck upon a rock; the harbour is dan-
Ferous, being full of detached rock, and the passage
intricate ; for several days the strong trade wind
prevented our doing anything.
July 27.—The landing party, under the same
officers as at Tana, proceeded on shore, burnt the
villages, canoes, and other property of the Guasup
tribe, as a punishment for the murder of the crew
of the Gazelle, in 1855 ; the savages offered no
opposition. The canoes and houses of the Wood-
lark islanders were much superior to any of the
other islanders. It was clearly explained to two
of the natives. who understood a little English, the
reason this punishment was inflicted.

The Sydney Morning Herald remarks on the
above as follows :

Her Majesty's ship Iris has returned from a cruise
in that part of the island-world known as Melanesia,
undertaken for the purpose of investigating and
punishing certain murderous attacks upon white
traders in that quarter. Only two places, however,
have been visited for this purpose Tana and
Woodlark Island. At Tana (one of the new He-
brides) a good many islanders have been killed,
the village and trees destroyed, and the chief
of the offending tribe carried away. At Woodlark
Island, a village and canoes, &C., have been de-
stroyed. The people of three villages at this island
were combined in the cold-blooded slaughter of the
Gazelle's crew, but only one has been visited with
punishment. Of the two white captives said to be
detained at this place we hear nothing. At Tana
two officers of the Iris were cut off by the natives
from the main body and were killed. The people
of Tana have long borne a very bad name. Like
the rest of the New Hebrideans, they are of the
Papuan (or Polynesian Negro) race ; their stature
is very low, both physically and socially. But we
have heard rumours of some terrible acts of cruelty
among these people by white visitors and traders,
in times not very remote, and it is hard to say how
far some of the worst acts of the Wanders may not
have been of a retaliatory character, rather than
the outbreaking of sheer bloodthirstiness. The
visit of a man-of-war was necessary, and if these
visits were more frequent it would be better.
It is probable that ere long there will be a
British consul resident at the new Hebrides, where
such an cofaceZ is much needed.