The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-22 00:00:00

TIIA CHINA SQUADRON.
HONG KONG, NOV. 3.—Her Majesty's steam-
sloop Fury, Commander Willcox; the Columbine,
12, Commander J. C: D. Hay ; and the Hon. Com-
pany's steamer Phlegethon arrived here on the Ist
inst. from Hainan, having met with splendid succe.s
in their expedition against the piratical 'junks which
had so long been committing depredations on the
merchant shipping unmolested.
Her Majesty's ship Mariner, 12, Commander
Matheson, arrived here on the same day from Shang-
hae, with ten invalids from her Majesty's ship Arab,
12, Commander Morris, which she left at Chusan in a
very sickly state. Her assistant •surgeen, Mr. R.
Butler, and seven of the crew had died in a single
month. The Mariner sails this evening for Wham-
pea, to relieve the Medea, which is also in a sickly
state. The Pilot, 12, Commander Lyons, remains at
Amoy, and the Arab at Ningpo. The Amazon, 24,
Captain Troubridge, is at Singapore, and the Alba-
tross, 14, Commander Farquhar, is in the Straits of
Malacca.- Her Majesty's ship Cleopatra, 26, Cap-
tain Massie, the screw-sloop Reynard, 11, Com-
mander P. Cracroft, and the Apollo troop-ship, Com-
mander Rawstorne, are expected this month from
England. The only change in the squadron since
the packet sailed is the appointment of Lieutenant
H. J. Grant, additional of the Hastings, to the Ma-
riner, vice Nicholson, invalided.
NOVEMBER 29.—Her Majesty's ships Cleopatra and
Reynard, from England, and the Pilot, from Amoy,
arrived here on the 15th inst. Previous to the arri-
val of the Cleopatra, Captain Morgan, of the Hast-
inga, had been carrying on the•cluty f senior officer
in China, but he was relieved by Captain Massie, who
is senior to him, and has made several changes, espe-
cially among the junior officers.
On the 26th instant the Pilot sailed for Shanghae.
and on the 2d of December the Reynard will proceed
to Amoy, to replace the Pilot. The various reports
which had reached this station during the last year
relating to the Reynard, had excited much interest
respecting her, especially among the naval commu-
nity, and since her arrival she has been an object of
universal curiosity. The Chinese, who have never
before seen a screw steamer, though familiar enough
(to their cost) with others, regard her with infinite
amazement, exclaiming, " Hi yaw," as they pass ber
long, lor, mysterious- looking hull. Notwithstanding
all her detractors, her variant; performances from
point to point of her long voyage from England will
challenge comparisOn with any that can be adduced by
other vessels in similar circumstances. Her sailing
qualities have proved infinitely superior to what might
have been expected from report., rendering it neces-
sary to test her steaming qualities much ; but the
screw did much service in towing her Majesty's ships
Cleopatra and Tweed out of the bay of Rio de Janeiro,
and again in picking up the former (becalmed and
short of water), and towing her from the Straits of
Banca to Singapore. She beat up to her anchorage
in Hong Kong roads against the north-east mon-
soon and a strong ebb-tide in such an, admirable
manner as few vessels except the opium clippers could
equal. Lieutenant J. H. B. Wainright came out in
her to join her Majesty's ship Hastings as Flag
Lieutenant to the late Rear-Admiral Sir F. Collier,
but not having arrived until after the Admiral's
death, he has joined the Hastings as an additional
Lieutenant. The Mariner, 12, Commander Mathe-
son, is at Whatnpoa ; the Arab, 12, Commander
Morris, is at Ningpo ; the Pilot, 12, Commander
Lyons, en route to Shanghae; the Amazon, 24, Cap-
tain Troubridge, and Albatross, 12, Commander Far-
quhar, in the Straits of Malacca. The Fury, steam-
sloop, Commander Willcox, sailed for India on the 3d
inst., to look for Commodore Plumridge and bring him
on to China, should he decide on coming here, in
which case he will hoist a brand pendant as Com-
modore of the First Class on board the Hastings.
The ships at present here are the Hastings, 72, Capt.
Morgan; Cleopatra, 26, Captain Massie; Columbine,
16, Commander Hay; Royalist, 10, Commander
Bate, about to proceed on a surveying cruise to
Borneo; Reynard, 11. Commander Craycroft; the
Minden, store-ship, Master-Commander Mitchell;
and the Alligator hospital-ship, Dr. Bankier. The
Medea steam-sloop, Commander Lochyer, is also
here at present.
I must tell you the pirates have for some time
defied the Chinese Government. Leu, the Imperial
Commissioner, sent two mandarins and twenty-three
large armed junks to capture the,m. The pirates
took them all, and he (Len) had to pay 2,000 taels
of silver for their ransom Lately he offered the
Chief Shap'ng-tsai a red button (the highest rank
of mandarin) if he would take a commission in the
Government service for the protection of the coast
against piracy, and for protecting the revenue. Leu's
envoy was treating with him at the time her Ma-
jesty's ships Columbine, Fury, and Phlegethon made
their appearance, and thinking there was treachery
on their part, and that they had shown those ships
their rendezvous, he had them all lashed and secured
below, and they were blown up in a vessel.
Captains Lyons, of the Pilot, Farquhar, of the Al-
batross, and Hay, of the Columbine, having been
promoted by the Lords .of the Admiralty expressly
for the especial service rendered by those officers
against these pirates, it is earnestly hoped that Com-
mander Willcox, of the Fury, will receive a similar
reward. He has ever been foremost in readiness with
his vessel, which has been kept in most efficient order,
and always ready to go on any ditty ; besides which,
the last official letter written by the late Admiral
contained one expressly soliciting the Lords of the
Admiralty to promote Commander Willcox. This
was before the affair of the last piratical expedition
enhanced further the claims and merits of that officer.
The following letter will also show Commander Will-
cox's deserts as appreciated by the gallant late Com-
mander-in-Chief :

" Her Majesty's ship Hastings,
Hong-Kong, Oct. 5, 1849.
" Sir,—Having received from Commander J. C. D.
Hay, of her Majesty's ship Columbine, a report of the
operations of the Ist inst. against a formidable piratical
force in Bias-bay, in which he states that to Commander
Wilcox, of the Fury, must be given the principal honour
of the day, and that to the Fury's unrivalled accuracy
of firing must be attributed the bloodless termination to
us of this affair, I have to express to you my warm ad-
miration of your judicious and gallant conduct through-
out these operations. I W 33 perfectly satisfied, from the
high state of dicipline •of the Fury, and her excellent
gunnery order, that she would distinguish herself if the
opportunity were allowed, and it gives me the highest
FratiOcation to see how fully my opinions have bsen
justified. You will express to the officers, seamen, and
marines of the Fury, who were engaged in the late
operations, that their steady and -gallant conduct has
merited my warmest approbation.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" F. A. Coulee,
" Admiral, Commander-in-Chief.
" To Commander Willcox,
of H.M.S. Fury."
The day the Fury left Hong Kong the merchants
of China held. a meeting and 'got up addresses, and
voted thanks to Commander Hay, of the Columbine,
and Commander Willcox, of the Fury, and also voted
each a service of plate, as marks of their grateful ap-
preciatiOn of the services rendered by those officers to
the mercantile interests of China by their successful
attacks upon the pirates.
The following changes hive taken place among the
officers of the squadron in China :
Lieutenant—H. B. Everest, late in command of the
Royalist, to the Columbine, invalided for passage to
Europe.
Mates—F. A. Close and E. Chambers, from the
Hastings to the Columbine.
Midshipmen—W. H. Wright, A. Broadhead, J.
Murray, to the Pilot, lent pro. tem. from the Has-
tings ; E. J. Webb, ditto, the Reynard.
Naval Cadet—J. C. Grant, from the Reynard to
the Hastings.
Masters'-Assistants—W. May, from the Hastings
to the Royalist ; G. Nixon, from the Hastings to the
Fury; David Brown, from the Fury to the Colum-
bin°.

Assistant-Surgeon—ll. D. Speer, from the Alli-
gator to the Columbine.
Mr. Arthur Price, Secretary to the late Com-
mander-in-Chief, goes home overland by this mail.
Woomvicu, JAN. 21.L-.The Megtera, 10, steam-
frigate, of 350-horse power, is to be navigated from
Woolwich to Sheerness, to be kept in the ordinary at
the latter port.