The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-28 00:00:00

DR. WOLFF'S IMPRISONMENT AT

BOKHARA.

Captain Grover has communicated to us the fol-
lowing account of Dr. Wolff's imprisonment at
Bukhara :

The last letter written by Dr. Wolff, while at
liberty, was written at Bokhara, on the 16th of
April, before he entered the city. He had no writing-
paper, and this letter is written upon scraps torn
from his memorandum•book. A Turcoman had
just arrived from Merv, bringing him a lamb as a
present, and he took advantage of his return to send
a few hurried lines. He is surrounded by people of
Bokhara, Kokan, and Taschkand, and, therefore,
says his information may be depended upon. He
trembles somewhat for Stoddart and Conolly, for they
are not seen at Bokhara, and the person alluded to
in M. de Ghersi's dispatch, he has ascertained to be
a Persian, and the European young man with him is
an Italian watchmaker, named Giovanni. However, he
says, " nobody has witnessed the execution of Stoddart
and Conolly, whilst Youssaf Khan, &c., were publicly
executed. The Khaleefa (Holy-man) of Merv, tells
me positively that Stoddart was alive. Ido not feel
much apprehension for my own safety, but should I be
detained, pray get the Queen herself to write a letter
to the Ameer, for he felt deeply offended that his letter,
which he wrote by Stoddart to the Queen, was answered
by the Governor-General of India. Get also the Em-
peror of Russia to write. Whatever happens pray
take it as coining from the Lord. Did not our Lord
suffer ?"

The man sent by the Assef-ood-Dowlah to com-
mand the escort which was to protect him
against the Turcomans, turned out a great
scoundrel, and the Doctor was obliged to ap-
peal to the Turcomans for protection against his
escort. Between them, however, the poor Doctor
was plundered of everything, and, on entering the
city, he was deserted by all except one man, named
Hussein, and he was looked upon as a man whose
d'iom was sealed. When, however, the King ordered
Nayeb to receive him into his house the scene changed,
and all predicted that danger was over. He was in-
troduced to the King, kindly received, and he plainly
told the object of his visit. The following day the
King's Chamberlain, accompanied by the Comman-
dant of the arsenal, ordered him to write in their
presence the letter in which the King de-
clares that he put Stoddart and Conolly to
death in the month of July, 1843, and of
this letter he had to make a translation in Persian,
He was then told that he was free to depart. The
letter having been dispatched to Captain Grover, the
Doctor received an intimation that he would be de-
tained. Having a slight fever he wished to be bled;
this being communicated to the King, permission was
refused, the King saying that bleeding was not
good for him. Dr. Wolff had recovered Co-
lonel Stoddart's " official seal." The Doctor writes,
" pray for me, and thank God with me, that he bath
hitherto helped me." At first he wore his clergyman's
robes, and rode about the town unattended, which, he
says, the Russian Ambassador, who had just left, was
not allowed to do. In another letter he says he has
adopted the Bokhara dress, but does not say whether
this was done from choice.
On the Bth June he writes two lines to Colonel
Shiel, in which he says, that in spite of all the pro-
mises of the King, he is now a prisoner at Bokhara,
and that he has not the least hope of being soon re-
leased.

ONE WORD TO CAPT. WARNER'
Sin,—Your deeds in the Press have of late cer-
tainly been very great; your challenge in the daily
papers, which is now before me, is a curious spe-
cimen of evasion or want of straightforwardness.
You say that at five miles' distance you will destroy
the largest vessel across the Goodwin Sands, without
having had any previous communication with her,
but you do not say that you will have no communi-
cation with the position the doomed vessel is to
occupy. Why should you know where the vessel is
to be before you go to it ? Why do you fix the
position across the Goodwin Sands ? Because, if
ignorant of the place, you could not previously set
your trap to catch the mouse ; and secondly, if in
deep water for five miles, your line of communication
would sink too deep, perhaps break by its own weight,
and your doomed vessel escape destruction. The
Goodwin Sands would, however, support it near the
surface, and ensure the explosion. What wonder is
there in this ? Why could you not have said a hundred
miles at once? Because that would have divulged
your means of communication. Now, Sir, I could
blow up St. Paul's (God forbid I ever should), and
be in Manchester at the time. There is nothing to be
wondered at even in that ; but I must first lay my line
communication. All these things were practicable
before you, Sir, commenced studying the subject.
But are they applicable, economically applicable, to
the practice of war ? Certainly not. If a squadron
lay in an enemy's harbour, can you blow them up ?
Yes, you will say, but you must lay your trap first!
And, query, is there not equal danger in laying the
trap as to the mice, when caught ? Will you, Sir,
engage to go on board a Government vessel without
knowing her destination ? Will you, on being con-
veyed to within five miles of an object, whether ship
or fort, without any previous communication with
that object or the position it occupies—will you then
blow it up at the moment of command ? I fancy I
hear you say, No, that is not your mode. Now,
Sir, the darling object of your dreams for years past
can be done, and by means, the application of which
is perfectly simple, and which you, Sir, cannot accom-
plish. There is an individual who will perhaps be
shortly called upon to prove this position, and that
person would have no objection to go on the vessel
prepared for you, and with a piece of ordnance of long
range, if allowed to have one shot at the doomed
vessel, and almost at double the range the piece is
usually effective, will so far destroy the doomed
vessel as to leave you, Sir, nothing to do. That
person, too, will perform his experiment before
assembled thousands. No trickery will be resorted
to—all will be plain and above board ; and, what Is
infinitely of more value, the means are not onlyap-
plicable, but easily adaptable to the present engines
of warfare, can be managed with perfect ease and
safety by those already in the employ of ordnance,
and more economical than even the present admitted
system now generally practised. Again, the main
secret can be kept from others by Government, whilst
yours, Sir, could not be kept six hours ; indeed, I
may say it is well known (at least in its general
principles) even now, and as a discovery for general
application, not worth one farthing. I, wish for no
better position than to prove yours an infernal of
little use. As I have no doubt the world will soon
be acquainted with the comparative effect and value
both of your invisible and my visible means, I shall at
present leave the subject, remaining, yours, re-
spectfully, CRITO CURIOSA.
Manchester, August 26.