Star.
London, England, 1829-07-31 00:00:00

DETENTION OF THE SHIP LONACH.
• LETTER OF CAPTAIN NOAKS TO "THE TINIES."
Sra,—As you have, in the leading article of your paper of yes-
sudsy, most unjustly traduced my character, I think the least you
can dmieto offer me sufficient space to explain my conduct, and to
state that thrielter of the 13th instant, signed by the owner of the
ship Lomb and myself, neither contains, nor was intended to con-
tain, a contradiction of any one fact detailed in my letter to the
Secretary of Lloyd's of she 25th June laii, 'off the Stan, relative
to the boarding and detention of the ship by the commanding
officer and a detachment from a Portuguese frigate cruising off the
bleed of Terceira.
Being called upon to de so, I substantiated those facts at the
Admiralty st.a personal interview, and further confirmed them byl
aft-enact from my log ; and the owner of the Louth having com-
municated with the agent here of the defied° Portuguese Govern-
ment, I was requested to sign such letter of the 13th, not in contra-
diction of my former letter, to which I always have and still du
adhere, but in consequence of misrepresentations stated to have
been made relative to the conduct of the Portuguese officers and
people who boarded the Lamb, particularly that personal
indignity bad been offered to the British lag, beyond the an
of hauling it down, and other conduct personally offensive to
myself, all of which in justice I felt myself bound to declare,
and I now repeat, is untrue. It will net, I suppose, be
contended, that it belonged to the owner of the Lomeli or
myself to redress the affront to our lag, nor 1111111 I compe-
tent to determine the question of the legality of the seizure and
detention of the ship, against which I considered it to be my
dotty to protest. I have no interest whatever in the ship, having
taken dm command of her upon an emergency, in consequence of
the illness of the Captain, when on the point of sailing on the out-
ward voyage; but I am at a loss to understand upon what ground
the owner is to be condemned for seeking redress of the de farm
Portuguese Government, and accepting compensation of that Go-
vernment, if such be the fact, which is not within my knowledge,
for the loss which I consider be actually sustained by the detention
of his ship. I am, Sir, your humble servant,
London, July 29. EDWARD NOAKS.

LONACH.

We have seen in the Courier of the 27th inst. an
racial letter dated from the Admiralty on the 27th inst. communi-
cating to the public a statement, or declaration, or letter, for we
really are at a loss to know under what denomination to class it
correctly--signed by W. Drisall, owner, and Edward Noska,
commander of the Lonach. The object of this publication. as
anomalous in its character as it is unsatisfactory in its contents, is
to create an impression on the public mind that the statements
hitherto made, and first published on the authority of a letter dated
on board that vessel, and bearing interma evidence of having been
written by the Commander himself, or some other Officer who
had access to the ship's log, were false—but without venturing
to support each an insinuation—for it is palpably nothing
more—by an appeal to facts—by an honest, unvarnished, and
unprbled statement of facts. It endeavours to confound by
mysticism what it is impossible to deny with truth. It talks of the
politeness forsooth of the Portuguese ofilr.ers, as if politeness could
gild the depravity of the act—it pretends to say that no insult was
offered to the British flag or British nation, and that they the said
owner and the said commander are perfectly satisfied with the
treatment they have experienced. That they are perfectly satisfied
is a point we do not presume to gentian ; indeed the publication
before us would alone serve to convince us, as it must convince all
others who are two degrees removed from idiotism, that
those gentlemen have abundant grounds for being satisfied—even
without the golden compensation we were taught to
believe Lords Melville and Aberdeen had obtained for
than from the Portuguese agent in London ; but however
solid the satisfaction of these gentlemen may be, the public,
who have at kast an equal claim to satisfaction, will net be so
easily contented at, like the slily gulls, to confound the froth with
the substance—the shadow with the reality ; to take lame User.
don for solid proof, or equivocation for evidence. We therefore
beg leave to suggest a few not unimportant questions which should
be early and honestly answered, without equivocation, restrvadon,
falsehood, or disguise of any sort, and may serve to put the public
in possession of the true bearings of the case, and how far Captain
Noah.' mention, that no insult was offered to the British lag, is
borne out by facts.
1. By whom was the letter dated on board the Loasch, of Ply.
mouth, on the 25th of June last, written? and bow far are the
dates and facts contained in that letter at variance or in accordance
with the entries made in the ship's lug on the 13th day of June and
the following days ?
IL Has. or has not, any attempt been made, or attempted to be
made to alter the coteries made at the time in that log, so as to
adapt them the more conveniently to a change of circumstances