The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-14 00:00:00

JOSEPH WOLFF,

NOTE BY CAPTAIN GROVER

" An opinion appears to prevail that the King of
Bokhara is beyond the reach of our vengeance ; I
think, however, that I shall be able to show that he
may be reached, and punished without difficulty.
"Fearing that at the present day the question of ex-
pediency must be first discussed, I will endeavour to
establish that point.
"There is no principle in diplomacy more generally
admitted than this :—The greatest injury—the greatest
insult a nation can suffer, is the murder or imprison-
ment of an ambassador.
" All jurists are agreed on this point, and I think no
one would dare even to hint that it would be expe-
dient' that the British nation should submit to this
degradation.
"After the Cabul disaster, I am aware that it was
not thought 'expedient ' to attempt to punish the mur-
derer of our envoy, but rather to save our rupees,
abandon the prisoners to their wretched fate, and sa-
crifice the honour of the British army.
" Now, my Lord, had this disgraceful decision been
acted upon, I have no hesitation in saying the result
would have been the ultimate loss of our Indian
empire.
" Have the rupees General Sale's expedition cost
the nation been advantageously employed ? I am sure
your Lordship will say, 'Had the cost been tenfold,
the murder of the envoy ought not to have passed un-
avenged.'

" Assuming, therefore, that it is ' expedient' to
maintain the national honour, I will endeavour to
show, how, in my humble opinion, this may be
achieved.
" The employment of a British force I place out
of the question.
" Your Lordship is aware that both Khiva and
Kokan are at war with Bokhara.

" I had the honour of submitting to your Lordship
a letter from the Asof-ood-Dowlah, uncle to the
King of Persia, Governor of Khorassan, from which
it appeared that he had assembled between Mero and
Meshed the most powerful tribes of Saralths, Mashal,
Mero, &c., and that he was ready to march to
Bokhara to punish the Ameer, with the permission
of the Schar, if he had the authority of Great Britain.
" The King of Bokhara being such a horrible
tyrant, and considered by his sub,ects as a madman,
they might possibly reflect upon Cabul, and save us
the trouble of deposing him.
" Now, the plan I propose is this :

" England should proclaim to all nations her in-
tention of punishing the Ameer of Bokhara for the
murder or imprisonment of her Ambassador, and to
set at liberty all English, Russian,,and Persian slaves,
the number of which is enormous.

" To carry this resolution into effect, your Lord-
ship will only have to say the word to put a Persian
army in motion. This army should be accompanied
by a British officer, as her Majesty's Commissioner,
and he ought to have one or two squadrons of British
dragoons or Company's cavalry, with a few light
guns as an escort, which would give an English cha-
racter to the expedition. In case of success (of which
I can entertain no doubt), England would reap the
honour—should it fail, of course the blame would lie
with the Persians.

" The expedition should be directed against the
Ameer alone, our policy requiring that Bokhara
should be strengthened instead of weakened.
" I trust your Lordship will not consider me pre-
sumptuous in offering these remarks ; at all events, I
feel that I am merely doing my duty ; and, in con-
clusion, I beg leave, through your Lordship, to make
a tender of my dutiful service to her Majesty to be
employed in any way in this glorious enterprise, al-
though I am sure your Lordship will find many
officers quite as willing, and better qualified than I
am.—l have the honour to be, &c.,
" JOHN GROVER, Captain Unattached.
"I would send the British force from Bombay to
Bushire dismounted, and purchase the horfel
Persia."

This proposition was declined by the Earl o 1
Aberdeen.

„,,,„
...,
ANO THE; it -DREADFUL COLLISION
SINKING OF THE BRIG BLUNDELL
OFF THE MAGAZINES.
(From a Second tdition of the Liverpdtg I:Standard.)
It is with exceeding s'ortow that we babe tigdin tti
record opt' of tlicw casualties which have of late been
of but too frequent occurrence, and which it would
almost appear no human aid can avert. The Blundell,
a fine brig, bound to Trinidad, started from this port
on Saturday—and on putting back blunt in cntitact
with the American ship Perenia; Mid kink althost
immediately. 'the following particulars communi-
cated by the captain, Mr. Townsend, of the Blundell,
will, we doubt not, be found interesting :
The brig Blundell sailed from Liverpool for Trini-
dad on Saturday, at half-ebb, with wind about -14.1. N. W.
At midnight the pilot left her, the 11. W. Light-ship
bearing at the time S. by W. Stood on for two
hours, and then stood towards the light. At two
o'clock tacked ship, and stood four hours heading W.
and W. iS. At eight o'clock made the Great Orms-
head ; wind light.
About eight o'clock on Sunday night a breese
sprung up from the northward and westward, which
freshened till midnight, when a sudden gust carried
away the jibboom. The hands were at the time
reefing the maintopsail. At four o'clock made Lynas
light, broad on the lee bow, distance about eight miles.
Wore ship, and at half-past eight o'clock, the sea
running tremendously high, and the ship labouring
and straining dreadfully, carried away the foretop-
maststay and foretopmast, which, with all the gear,
hooked the foreyard, and split the foresail to pieces.
To save the vessel, the wreck was immediately cut
away, when it was found necessary to keep the pumps
constantly going. Stood on till twelve o'clock, head-
ing N.E., the wind still blowing tremendously in
heavy gusts, when they spoke the fishing-boat Eliza
and Betsy, which stopped by them.
At ten o'clock passed the Rock Light; saw a ship
to the eastward (the American ship Feronia), and a
collision took place before there was time to clear her.
The brig had a light up, and the watch was, we learn,
on the deck of the Feronia. The Feronia's bowsprit
hooked the mainmast of the brig, and her cutwater
struck her just abaft the main rigging with such a
tremendous crash that it carried away a great portion
of her side. At half-past ten the brig was cleared
from the ship, and almost immediately went down,
head foremost, in 9i fathoms at low water.
At this time the vessel was drifting bodily to le
a-
ward. About four o'clock a man came on -boar ;t pilot, the N.W. Light-ship bearing about S , 04st:east
a Quebec, and
about twenty miles. Got the ship to we-Ar ; t tighnt A.M., and ran her through the Victoria
'The hands had
The Feronia was inward bound fror (Jhannel, - '
was anchored off the Magazines.
ne Blundell be-
a' ad Higgiuson, and
barely time to save themselves. T.
longed to Messrs. Barton, Ham,
is, we learn, fully insured in the I}larine Tn
office. , _ •
. , Aurance-

The above letter was received open by Colonel Shiel
at Tehran, and only reached me• on the sth instant.
When Dr. Wolff wrote that letter he considered him-
self in great danger. Had its import been known to
the Aineer, the good Doctor would have undoubtedly
been sacrificed; he was, however, incapable of prac-
tising a deceit to save his own life, but was willing to
offer himself up as a sacrifice to others. The circum-
stance of his sending this remarkable letter open, by
averting suspicion, probably saved him. Many months
previous to receiving the document, I thought
it my dutpto address the following letter to the Earl
of Aberdeen :

" Army and Navy Club, Aug. 1, 1844.
"My Lord—At the interview with which your;Lord-
ship honoured me on Saturday last, I was about to say
a few words on the outrage committed by the King of
Bokhara, when
twe were interrupted by (I believe)
the Chancellor of the Exchequer; I therefore presume
to submit the following observations for your Lord-
ship's consideration :