The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-03 00:00:00

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST PIRATES,

The following letter hata, been forwarded to us
from the Admiralty for Fablication
" Calcutta, off Singapore, March 29.
sir, A-o.eib-ca from Mr
Caldwell, the Registrar-General at Hong Kong,
that a fleet of pirates had assembled near the old
haunt at Koolau, I despatched her Majesty's ship
Niger, Acting Captain G. T. Colvile, and the two
gunboats Clown and Janus, on the 11th inst., to
endeavour to effect their destruction.
"2. The accompanying despatch from Acting
Captain Colvile, dated the 16th, will show the im-
portant service rendered by that gallant and ener-
getic officer, and by the officers therein mentioned.
" 3. I beg particularly to recommend Commander
Colvile to their Lordships' favourable notice as a
most excellent officer, well worthy of promotion, and
whose good services I have already brought to their
Lordships' notice.—l have the honour to be, your
most obedient humble servant,
" M. SEYMOUR, Rear-Admiral and
Commander-in-Chief.
"The Secretary of the Admiralty, London."

" Her Majesty's ship Niger, Hong Kong,
March 16, 1859.
" Sir,--I have the honour to lay before you the
results of my late cruise after pirates, and to congra-
tulate your Excellency on the success of the under-
taking.

" Acting on received information at Macao, the
whole of the 12th inst. was spent in searching for a
fleet of piratical vessels cruising in the vicinity of
the Tang Rocks, but, failing to discover them, I
weighed towards evening, and anchored late off
Koolan, with the intention of visiting Tsoochoong,
under whose batteries a formidable fleet of piratical
vessels were known to be lying, the depredators of
several valuable cargoes, an owner and master of
the captured junks acting as pilots under the able
and effective assistance of Mr. Caldwell, Registrar-
General.

" Accordingly,at seven on the morning of the 13th,
I proceeded with the boats* (as per margin), in tow
of the gunboats Clown and Janus, and after ,a run
of about 14 miles came within sight of a large
flotilla of heavily-armed junks and row boats hauled
under the protection of what we subsequently dis-
covered to be regular defences, consisting of a water
stockade, with a double ditch and high stockaded
embankment, armed with 36 guns, protecting the
whole sea face and flanks of Tsoo-choong.
" ' Directing Lieut. Wells in the ten-oared cutter
to examine a suspicious junk to windward, while the
Janus overhauled two others to leeward, I took the
remaining boats directly in towards the central
force of junks, leaving the Clown to cover our move-
ments, with peremptory orders to fire only in case
the shore batteries opened on the boats.
" However, it soon became evident that the enemy
were preparedfor a determined resistance. The crews
of the junks joined the villagers, who, with violent
ejaculations and waving white flags, on which the
character " Hoong-kin-Wong " (Triad King), was
prominent, invited us on. At the same time a heavy
fire was opened on our advance, of round and grape.
" ' Forming behind a knoll of land insulated by
500 yards of shallow water from the left extreme of
the stockade, leaving the pinnace to cover the land-
ing, and much assisted by the very excellent shell
practice of the gunboats, the storming party dashed
waist deep at the stockade, and, receiving a fire of
grape, entered the embrasures of an eight gun bat-
tery, bayoneting the defenders who crowded the
inner ditA, who appeared paralysed by the vieour
of our proceedings. After a short hand to hand
encounter they retired precipitately; and now
was seen the extraordinary sight of sixty Blue
Jackets and Marines chasing fully 500 armed men
through brakes and narrow acclivities for nearly
two miles in the rear of the works.
"' In this movement great numbers of the enemy
were killed, and it had the effect of turning the sea
defences, thus rendered comparatively harmless.
The storming party were now joined by the men
under Lieuts. Blake and Wells, who, by a judicious
detour to the right, had materially assisted in the
discomfiture of the pirates.

Every house in the town was a magazine, in
which large quantities of arms and munitions were
stored; I consequently directed the village to be
burnt. Eight large piratical junks and 11 fast boats
shared a similar fate, their guns having previously
been sunk in deep water. The 36 guns of the land
defences were also destroyed.
Considerable resistance was offered by two of
the junks. The boats were repeatedly hulled.
When I bring to your Excellency's notice the
very large force of men, consisting of at least 1,300,
effectively armed, with a necessarily perfect know-
ledge of locale, and the determination they evinced

*" Pinnace.—Lieut. Blake ; Mr. Lanrinson, Assistant-
Surgeon; Mr. Pearce, Second Master; Mr. Markham,
Midshipman; Mr. Buck, Master's Assistant. First Cut-
ter.—Mr. Price, Midshipman. Second Cutter.—Mr. Smyth,
Midshipman. Third Cutter.—Lieut. Wells ; Mr. Wesley,
Midshipman ; Mr. Potter, Gunner • subsequent to the de-
struction of Tsoo-chooug, Lieut. Villiers."

51).

in opposing our landing, I cannot but feel astonished
at our good fortune; not a casualty occurred, where-
as the loss to the enemy could not have been under
180 men.
" After communicating with a mandarin junk
force, just arrived from Macao with the information
that seven pirate junks were at anchor off Sie-wan-
moon, opposite- Moto, the boats returned to the
ship at Koolau. •
" ' 14th—Having despatched the Niger to await
my arrival at Macao, I proceeded with the whole
boat force to examine the numerous Crannies to the
west of Broadway en route to Sie-Wan-moon.
" 'ln Syke.e, a bay opposite Koolan, four piratical
junks, with guns numerically formidable, were
driven on shore and burnt by Lieut. Villiers. IN
the largest an English red ensign was found.
" In a deep inlet to the north of Souchan, three
others were captured and destroyed.
"'Arriving at Sie-wan-moon, I was informed
that the seven junks had slipped a few hours pre-
viously, and run higher up the creek. The villagers
in pointing out their position, were graphic in their
account of the barbarities they were committing,
and hailed our arrival with the most enthusiastic
rejoicings. A hamlet hag been sacked and a passage
boat taken that very morning. Advancing until dusk
I anchored, and prepared (by getting pilots) for
prosecuting my search in the morning.
" 15th—Weighed at daylight, and, piloted by
boatmen who had been robbed by these pirates on
the evening of our visit, threaded the remainder of
the tortuous reach connecting Broadway with a
river running in a parallel direction.
" The piratical squadron were shortly discovered
ahead, using every effort to escape.
" When the sternmost, oue, mounting 24 guns,
was captured she proved In have been a riceboat
captured in January laEt from the Hong Kong
Chinese merchant who accompanied Mr. Caldwell.
I caused her, therefore, having previously removed
the guns, to be restored. Seven large passage
boats were likewise released.
" The gunboats now unfortunately taking the
ground, I despatched the boats to capture the re-
mainder, a service, I am bound to add, most ably
executed, the pinnace, under Mr. Blake (the senior
Lieutenant present) after a running fight of one hour
and a quarter, driving one of nine guns on shore,
her crew being immediately pounced upon by
Mandarin soldiers. Another junk of 12 guns,
after a vigorous resistance, in which two stinkpots
were thrown into the boats of the Janus, under
Lieut. Knevitt, was carried by boarding; and three
others—mounting respectively seven, nine, and 22
guns--were captured by Lieut. Villiers, with the
two cuttars in co-operation with the Clown.
" Exclusive of the crew who fell into the hands
of the Mandarins, 21 pirates were killed on thls
occasion by the fire from the boats, and the guns,
mostly 18 and 24 pounders, of American manufac-
ture, were sunk beyond means of recovery. I then
returned to the ship at Macao, arriving at midnight,
whence I proceeded this morning to join your flag.
In bringing before you the great results achieved
by the zeal and gallantry of the officers of the boats
and their crews, I beg to record the great assist-
ance derived from the gunboats; to Lieuts. Leland
Knevitt, and the Second Masters, IVles;--rs. Gilpin
and Warsteid, so unceasing in their attention, every
praise is due, yet to Mr. Caldwell thesuccess attend-
ing this expedition is mainly owing ; without his
experience and adept method of gaining informa-
tion, I fear our endeavours would have been futile,
—I have, &c.,

" • GEO. T. COLVILE, Acting Captain.'
" ' His Excellency Rear-Admiral Sir M. Seymour,
Commander-in-Chief.'

THE NAVY.

Her Majesty's screw 'steam frigate Termagant,
25, left Portland Harbour at 9 p.m. on Tuesday for
the Channel Islands to pick up seamen volunteers
for the navy. The Dasher left for the same destina-
tion during the night. The Biter gunboat arrived
at Portland early on Wednesday morning.
The new screw steam vessel Lord Panmure, built
by Messrs. A. Leslie and Co., of Gateshead, for the
service of the Military Store Depdrtment of Wool.
wich, to replace the vessel of the same name run
down at the mouth of the Channel in December
last by the Steam Navigation Company's vessel
Derwent, on her first voyage from the builder's
yard, went down the river from Woolwich on
Wednesday on a trial trip, for the satisfaction of
the War Department, in charge of Mr. George
Hindhaugh, commander. Mr. Anderson and Mr.
Fraser, inspector and assistant-inspector of machi-
nery; Mr. Parkyn, deputy military storekeeper of
Woolwich Arsenal; Mr. De Burgh, from the War
Department, and other officers accompanied the
vessel, together with Mr. Leslie, the builder, and
Mr. Morrison, who supplied the engines. Her
average speed with and against the tide was ascer-
tained to be 10 miles per hour, the engines making
at the time 82 revolutions per minute, with steam
on the valves at 161 b. per square inch. The machi-
nery possesses all the modern improvements, and
her engines are nominally of 165 horse-power;
producing a consumption of coals of 31-Ib. per horse-
power per hour The vessel, which is under orders
to take her first cargo of 350 tons of shot fbr
Devonport, had embarked 90 tons of her cargo prior
to the trial trip, and yesterday continued her ship-
ment. Mr. H. Moore, late of the paddlewheel
steamer London, has been appointed to the com-
mand of the Lord Panmure, and will sail on Mon-
day for Devonport. The Balaklava, a sister vessel
in the service, but of lesser dimensions, sailed on
Thursday for Portsmouth, laden with 250 tons of
war stores.

The Melpomene, *5l, screw steam frigate, had
steam up in the steam basin at Portsmouth to
proceed to Spithead yesterday, but was detained
owing to counter orders received from the Com-
mander-in-Chief.

The Himalaya, screw steamship, Commander
John Seccombe, yesterday disembarked her troops.
invalids, &c., as noticed in The Sun yesterday,
alongside the dockyard, Portsmouth. The 45th
Regiment proceeded from Portsmottth by rail, at
five p.m., for Preston.

The Colossus, 80, screw steamship, in the first-
class steam reserve at Portsmouth, was docked yes-
terday in No. 7 Dock.
The Agamemnon, 91, Captain Thomas Hope, is
receiving her guns at the north quay of the steam
basin.
We are informed that numbers of able-bodied
young men have been lately refused as volunteer
landsmen on board one of the ships in Portsmouth
harbour on account of their being nalf an inch under
the required height, and that those men have been
gladly received on board another ship in the same
harbour. The fault is stated to lie with the subor-
dinate officers in carrying out their instructions too
literally, and who on finding the man wanting in
the " half-inch" tell him he is rejected, without
allowing him to see the surgeon or commanding
officer of the ship. A like circumstance has lately
occurred at Gosport. Forty men of the Wiltshire
Militia volunteered for the Marines (which
corps
at present we believe has not above a dozen men in
Forton barracks fit for embarkation), and 26 out of
th7loruwietirng erefofursete
refused fora similar
of Royalimilarreas
i‘oinar.
Infantry is still proceeding with great
spinirie t i
ag
nh
dt
parties of fine young men are almost daily joining
the headquarters of the first division at Chatham.
Yesterday and the previous day upwards of 20
recruits were sent up from the London district.
The average weekly number of recruits joining the
headquarters of the four divisions, at Chatham,
Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Woolwich, has consi-
derably exceeded 100 for some weeks past.
The following circular from the Admiralty was
yesterday promulgated at Chatham :
" Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty to acquaint you that the Royal Marine pen-
sioners who may volunteer for service are, if fit for service,
to be received for any rating for which they may be pro-
perly qualified ; and they may also be received for harbour duty in the steam ordinary.—l have the honour, &c.,
" W. G. ROMAINE."
In order to encourage the entry of mechanics and
seamen for her Majesty's service a notice has been
posted at Chatham dockyard gates to the effect that
the Lords of the Admiralty will give a gratuity of
£1 to every person bringing a shipwright, caulker,
or seaman to the dockyard, provided the person
brought is fit for her Majesty's service. The sum
of 10s. will also be given to any person bringing a
seaman under 25 years of age who shall be entered
as a first class ordinary seaman.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :
Captain—Charles J. F. E wart, to the Melpomene.
Master—John Richards (additional), to the Fisgard.
Paymaster's-Assistant—Arthur ',Cumming, to the Mel-
pomene.

Clerk—William Crump, to the Arrogant.

The communication between Trieste and Con-
stantinople, which had been interrupted by the withdrawal
BotfhthbeyAthuse Greek steamer.
Austrian Lloyd
The head-quarters of the Emperor Napoleon are
now established at Vercelli; his Majesty only made a short
stay at Casale on his way from Alessanthia,