The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-13 00:00:00

TILE ABM]:

Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. L. Pennefather, K.C.8., late
Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Malta, has
arrived in town from the Continent, and will forth-
with succeed Lieut.-Gen. Sir H. G.W. Smith,Bart.,
G.C.8., in the command of the northern districts.
On Monday afternoon the Duke of Cambridge
visited Sheffield for the purpose of inspecting the
84th Regiment, recittly returned from India. His
Royal Highness was accompanied by Major-Gen.
Foster, Col. Wilbrahatn, Deputy Adjutant-General
of the district ; Col. Clifton, A.D.C., and Col.
Hamilton, of the Royal Engineers. After mi-
nutely inspecting the condition of the men, his
Royal Highness addressed the regiment in very
flattering terms on their excellent appearance—
than which, he said, nothing could be better—so
soon after their return from India, where during
the late rebellion they had gone through more
hardship than alFost any other regiment, having
been the first to take the field and the last to leave
it. His Royal Highness afterwards inspected the
barrack rooms, hospital, &c., and having lunched

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

with the officers, proceeded by train to Manchester
in the evening, to inspect other regiments.
On Tuesday last the 9th Lancers, now stationed
at Exeter, were inspected by Major-General Hut-
chinson, the newly-appointed. Commandant of the
western district. The barracks were visited, an I
after a minute examination Alajor.General Hut-
chinson expressed himself much pleased with their
condition. To-day (Thursday) the regiment will
be entertained at a public dinner by the citizens of
Exeter. The Mayor will preside, the High Sheriff
acting as vice-president. There is also to be a
short special. service at the cathGdral immediately
before the lianqUet.
On Monday 4 officers arid 132 non-commissioned
officers and privates, and 107 horses belonging to
the 13th Dragoons embarked on board the Iberia
steamship, at the Northwall, Dublin, for Glasgow,
and thence to Edinburgh, where the regiment will
he stationed until further orders.
Detachments of the Royal Marine Light Infantry
have left Woolwich during the past few days in
draughts ranging from 30 to 160 for service in
China. Yesterday a draught of 50 trained recruits,
having been inspected by the Colonel commanding
the division, departed for Plymouth for similar
service.

In addition to the Survey of the marshes between
Rochester and Gravesend, the authorities at the
War-office have directed Col. W. 'Williams, tho
comManding Royal Engineer at Chatham, to exa-
mine several other localities in the neighbourhood
of Chatham, in order.that a selection may be made
of a spot which presents the best advantages for
being converted into w rifle range for the nse of
the troops of the Line, the Royal Engineers, and
the Royal Marines belonging to that garrison.
Yesterday both regipients of Essex Militia were
disembodied after three weeks' training and exercise.
The Essex Rifles, which have been assembled at
Colchester, have mustered 23 officers, 27 sergeants,
9 buglers, and 491 privates. The West Essex Re-
giment, which has been lying at Chelnisford, is
about 459 strong.
The half-yearly inspection of the Ist Stafford
Militia took place yesterday on Southsea-common
by Sir James York Scarlett, K.C.8., commanding
south-west district.

DESPERATE ENCOUNTER WITII CON-
VICTS ON BOARD SIIIP.

(From the Overland Bombay Standard, Sept. 10.)
The story of the Ararat, now in Bombay harbour,
would have satisfied us when, in our schoolboy days,
we thought nothing more inspiring than such
" Tales of the Sea," as narrated the bloody deeds of
pirates, and the righteous retribution that some-
times overtook them.
The Ararat is a bark of 290 tons, owned by Hajee
Saleb Mahomed Arbee, of Bombay, and commanded
by Capt. J. M. Correya. On the 30th of January
last Elle left Bombay with convicts for Penang and
Singapore. Having landed the men, and disposed
of hie cargo, the captain tendered and was accepted
for convicts for Bombay, 12 of whom were ready
for deportation from Singapore, and as many from
Penang. Just as the vessel was ready to leave,
Captain Correya was informed that he might have
a batch of pirates, the Esk having brought them in.
It Seems that, shortly before the Ararat's arrival
at Singapore, complaints had been made of two
piratical junks prowling about the China Seas, and
the steamer Hooghly, of her Majesty's Indian Navy,
Captain Wright, was sent after them. Coming up
with (them among the islands, the steamer's boats
were:sent in chase, but on coming within range of
the kinks' guns, each vessel carrying 10 or 12 6 to
12-pounders, they were met by such a fire as corn:
pelled them to return. The, Hooghly's armament
consisting of only two six.p.ounders, the captain did
not think himself justified in proceeding further in ,
the matter, and steamed back to Singapore. On
his report, her Majesty's steamer Esk, Captain Sir
It. Maclure, was despatched in search, with the
mate,of the Hooghly as a guide, and was happily
sureeesful. On the junks catching sight of the
Esk, there being men on board them who were well
up as to her armament, discretiOn was thought to
be the better part of valour. A boat was lowered,
withlsome fellows who Gould speak a little English,
and pulled for the Esk. On coming on board they
showed Sir Robert a Singapore port clearance, in
ballast. But Sir Robert being far too old a salt
to allow any one to be put on his tail, coolly
gave the order to " Go a-head." In a twinkling the
Esk was alongside the junks, the crews were taken
onboard, a draught to each junk made from the
Esk, and the gallant vessel, with the junks in tow,
steamed away for Singapore. These were the fel-
lows whom Captain Correya was told he might have
in addition to the ordinary convicts. They were
tried on shore, 52 in number, by a special session,
two being acquitted and the remainder sentenced to
transportation to Bombay, some for 15 years, some
for life. On the judge passing sentence they assured
him that if, they got an opportunity on the voyage
they would not fail to take advantage of it and
murder every soul on board. They would rather be
hanged at once than transported.
With these 50 pirates on board, 12 ordinary con-
victs, a guard of 15 European Madras Artillerymen
and eight Sepoys of the Marine Battalion, the
Ararat left Singapore on the 19th of June, and ar-
rived at Penang in the evening of the 24th. 12
convicts were here added to the gang, making 74
in all.

The Ararat left Penang in the evening of the
25th, a junk leaving at the same time, and doing
her best to keep up with the ship. Captain Cor-
reya, not liking the appearance of things, dodged
his satellite, and finally lost sight of the craft on
the evening of the 27th. A few hours later the
Ararat was some 60 miles from Penang. The 28th
broke gloomily, very dark, and sharp gusts of
wind. At 245 the captain ordered the mate to set
top-gallant-sails if the weather should clear, and lay
down again on the poop. His rest was of short du-
ration. Ten minutes later he was aroused by a
noise, such an one as wakens a man broadly in an
instant. The noise, a crash as of something giving
way, followed by a shout, startled the mate also as
he was standing by the break of the poop. There
was no doubt as to the cause—the convicts had bro-
ken loose. Quick as thought, the captain leaped to
the deck and brought his arms—a revolver and two
pistols—from the cabin. The mate as instantly
aroused the guard, at the same time hailing the
sentry forward, but received no reply. He remained
by the night-guard muskets until the guard turned
out, before which the captain's revolver spoke from
the poop. The captain on reaching the deck could
just discern that the convicts were making their
way aft. They had advanced as far as the stern of
the long-boat when he fired into them. Still they
came on, a tumultuous rush, yelling like fiends, and
heaving before them blocks, hand-spikes, holystones,
firewood, curry-stuff grinders—anything, in fact,
they could lay hands on. Captain Correya was
severely struck by some of these missiles, as were
also several of the guard, who had by this time
joined the captain (the crow, Lascars and Spaniards,
being, altogether without arms, having made their
way into the rigging) on the poop. The gal-
lant party had no thought, however, of acting
on the defensive, but jumping to the quarterdeck
commenced a hand-to-hand fight with the scoun-
drels. Both the captain and guard fired into them
as fast as they could load, using also their cutlasses
and bayonets to keep them at bay. They had
desperate men to deal with. No sooner was a mus-
ket fired than a rush was made upon it before it
could be reloaded, but in no instance did they
i suc-
ceed in wrenching it from the grip that held t for
life or death. One bayonet was their only spoil.
During the whole time they kept u
p a shower of
the missiles described above, and it is only won-
derful that more mischief was not done by them.
Inch by inch, however, the captain and his party
gained ground, advancing purposely with caution,
lest from behind the water casks a rush might be
made upon them, and their arms—their salvation
—be seized. And here we have to record an in-
stance of courage as rare as heroic. Some 10
minutes or so after the outbreak, amid an uproar as
if of hell let loose, arising from men who were
thirsting for blood, the captain's wife took her part
in the fray, by loading and continuing to reload
her husband's pistols, and passing them up from
the cuddy skylight. As each hatch was gained it
was seized by the guard and fastened down. After
an hour's hard fighting the convicts were driven on
to the topgallant forecastle, where they were charged
with the bayonet and several run through or driven
over the bows. Two or three were seen to lay hold
of the foretopgallant studding-sail, which was lying
on the forecastle, and jump overboard with it. They
were shot from the poop and quarterdeck, as well
as the darkness permitted their being made out.
The deck now being clear, lights were brought—
many attempts had been made to get lights during the
fight, but as soon as one appeared it was knocked
over by the convicts, and the whole work was done
in almost solid darkness. The sights which the
lights revealed were of the horridest. Here a man
with a gashed face, there another cut almost in
two, there another riddled with the bayonet, there
one—yes, yet living, with four bullets through
him. The aspect of the place was that of a slaugh-

_ 7 „
/ZA
ter-house. tght dead 1144 wei-&, fcgala on-die
forecastle, and three on the main deck, including
-the European sentry and Portuguese cook. it wast7-k!-:'
now apparent why the sentry had not atiewarid
the hail of the mate—the poor fellow was fo=und
have been stabbed to the heart. There seems, nn:-;
fortunately, to'be no doubt that he had left his pest
below, and come on deck, where he iS,aupposed to
have fallen asleep, being stabbed without awaken-
ing even to fire his pistol, which was in his hand as
he lay. Had he been at his post, or even awake on
deck, alarm might in all probability have been
given sufficiently early to have prevented4the con-
victs gaining-the deck-, gall.
The poor cook was shot by accident, being mixed
up with the convicts. The carpenter, and an Arab
passenger, jumped overheard. The former fell
into the bight- of the lee fore sheet, got into the
fore chains, and made his way aft. The Arab was
never seen again.
At daybreak a man was found hanging on to the
rudder. A rope being let down he was hauled up,
and was found to have:been shot through the leg,
On search being made below, five more bodies were
found of men who, on receiving enough, had gone
below to die. It was found that the convicts had
escaped, by cutting through with a knife, of which
they had somehow gained possession, a bar of a
prison door forward, then partly cutting through
the inside partition bar on the port side, which
enabled them to burst the door in altogethes. They
then shouted the rest in other cells 'to folk*. them,
which, with the exception of 14, whom the guard
were enabled to keep down, they did.
At six the convicts were mustered, when it was
found that 28 were dead or missing---L2B out of 60
who came on deck. The remaining 32, with the
exception of three wounded, were treated to three
dozen. At half-past :nine the sentries gave the
alarm that some of the convicts had slipped
their leg irons. The guard was called'and secured
them. On overhauling the remainder, it was found
that Many of the irons were too large,- and they
were accordingly reduced. A welcome sight must
Bombay have been to the Ararat.
The captain speaks in high terms of the Euro-
pean sergeants and guard, and of the Marine Bat-
talion also, the havilder especially singling himself
out by his valour.
What shall we say of the captain himself ? What
would have been the result had he been a man of
leas courage and pluck than he showed himself to
be ? The vessel would have been taken, every soul
on board murdered, ,and these desperadoes have
found their way to the China Seas again, to the
destruction oP—who can say how much life and
property ? It is sq very exceptional a case that we
doubt not the Chamber of Comnierce will take some
notice of it. Capt. Correya has earned for himself
a life renown, and should be dealt with in a way be-
coming this great commercial pert, and a chamber
of commercial men.

THE LOS'S THE UNITED STAT.E.V
STEAMER FULTON.

Some interesting particulars of the loss of the
Fulton will be found in the following extract from
a private letter, dated September 16 :—" The
Fulton sailed from Key West on Saturday last
(September 10) for the coast of Cuba. The captain
was sick with fever when we' left, as -also • the
master and one or two others. On the 12th the
captain broke down, but refused to give up com-
mand among the Cuban reefs. He consented that
evening, however, to have the first lieutenant take

the ship to Tortugas Islands, the nearest healthy
home port. We made for them accordingly ; but
the weather began to threaten, and we could get no
sights, and were exposed to baffling currents, and did
not reach our ports as expected. On the morning of
the 14th, in the Gulf Stream, to leeward of the Tor-
tugas, it began to blow, and was doubtful if we could
reach them. It was necessary to batten down
hatches to keep out the seas. The lieutenant thought
we could reach Pensacola, as the wind was fair for
that port ; so, on the evening of the 14th, we kept
off for it. The gale increased and became very
violent, and we had to scud before it without
sights, 14th and 15th. Last night it blew with
fury, and the seas were more dangerous. We feared
we were nearinc, land, and council was held to
decide what to do.' It was determined that if the
attempt were made to ' lay her to' she would be
lost; on the other hand, if there had, been no cur-
rent we should be more than 100 miles from land,
and our best chance was to run on, in the hope of
not reaching land before day. In the mid-watch,
the gale increasing still, it was again consulted
about, and at a quarter before two a.m., while
every one was up and anxiously canvassing our
fortunes, the vessel slid en shore, in the smoothest
and easiest manner possible, upon the sandy beach.
When day dawned we were lying broadside to the
shore, which was only about 20 yards distant, with
a fearful surf beating against us outside. The
kind hand of Providence only has saved ns. Not a
soul is lost or hurt. We are getting our men and
provisions on shore as fast as possible."—Nes.
York herald.

:~;,~..
3

ROYAL ENOLISH OPERA,
COVENT-GARDEN.
Gnder•the management of Miss L. Pyne and Mr.W. Harrison.
THIS EVENING, DINORA H. Messrs. Santley, H.
Core, St. Albyn, and W. Harrison. Misses Pilling, Thin--
wall, and Miss Louisa Pyne.
Conductor, Alfred Mellon.
DIVERTISSEMENT. Mdlles. Lequine, Pasquale, Pier-
ron, and Mons. Vandris. _ _