The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-01
Our Naval Correspondence.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP MIN!

UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP MiNNfSOTA,l
MAuRrus, Isle OF FRANCE, Nov. 16, 1857. \
The United States 4eamship Minnesota in Gae-Deser
ton of Fire Sailors at Cape 7otA few Words doos1
the Grog Retions-7Ae Coolie System compared NTH
American Sla,vry-Scces and Sights in Mduri''s, DC
Feeling confident tibet eny from us, however sirht
may be- will be gratifying to friends and those con-
pected the navy hasten to inform you by the mail
that leaves that we arrived IN this port on
the l4,h instant in fifteen and half days from Cape
Town The nrstve days of the passage were very rough
On the Sd instant we heavy northeast gale, which
lasted thirty six hours which, with the assistance Of the
current kicked up trem ugly sea- We found was
casy part Of the time keep the ship six points of
of her course order to her engines during the
blow Our good ship proved herself to be most strong
and substantial boat She is just the kind OF snip
that is needed the coast Of America in the winter
months TO give aid the vessels that ere in
distress during our winters She probably is the
best towboat in the navy, and therefore well hited
for our coast when we left Madeira we took the
Germantown tow and good ship run off eight knots
by log Just easy she did after the Germ town was
cast off Our upper works leak badly this is attributed to
the fact that her caukng done the winter season
She will require recaung all over above the water line on
her arrival Eopg Kong We shall leave here immediately
after get coal and water board for Batavia and
Singapore We anticipate reaching Hong Kong about the
10th Of January next While at Cape Town We lost FIVE
men by desertion, not one or whom was an American
Four of them we're as worthless a set of etc
Uncle Sans SAX horse and bread They were that kind
of men who probably left their country for their
countrys good The fifth q native of England,
and had been In our service years He had been on
our lick report for about month and was rapidly i'm
proving At his request he was permitted to go on
shore for a few He not on shore two hours
before he was terribly intoxicated having spent what
money carried shore five dolars) and sold the
| was madG k66Ss BACK As soon as hls SITUATION
his ship where during hs painful Illness he had received
eey attention from tho medical officers Of the ship The
THIS hapnened four days before we len Cape TOWN. and
my object Of mentioning II Is this-thas the Cape Town
papers to be rather Preudced against our navy
and will doubt attempt 70 make out great case
because this man James Williams, seaman, WAS LETT
behind. IL he came 70 wanta.tcr he le, he has no one
to hame but himself and King Alcohol BY the way,
il is the wish Of a large number Of the
board OF this ship that the next Congress, which
soon Washington will abolish that hlihy half
gin Of whiskey which served out board Of
ships Of Abolish this snd will be great blessing
70 Of our ssoDa @ ne, Inc ~ .,
the appetite of those Who love 20 drink: this done and
they to get drunk when they go on shore stop
this half gill and their craving Eppettes will sooa cave
IN and chances out q ten mere or less OF them will
reform scd become good Temperance men-an ho1or 10
continue enjoy their usus good health. Captain Nchol
determined 10 have everything rcsdy an in
shenld be esed upon 70 axe par. in any Of the var
Gus troubles now going On, We shall DC ready
The drilling of all hands u still strictly followed UP.
Our band, thSough the energy Of Captain Reed 81 the
Marines has been Handsomely anfxmed, aud by Inn
every day gut through course OF sprouts by way OF
drill We have now been out eighty SIX days from New
York, twenty and ahalf Of which we have spent in
port, followa-Funcha five and q half days, ~.
Helena ak Cope Town days Leaving sixty four
and a half sailing days, during which We have sailed
oyer ten thousand niles Not day OF our time mas been
spent in i6eness since we left the uaed staies When
the wind has been the least favorable our sails
have been spread and with steam ana canvass we have
pufcd ourselves along without wasting any time There Is
report current here ga, the Chinese prstes are getting
quite thick and quite bols in these waters part OF our
duty will be- suppose 70 cruise and capture these sea
Ia eun brig No Ancricas vessels in port-the American
ship Palestine, which brought coal here for as. sailed
few days There larfe number Of vessels 10 port
Of all except American Business Is pretty good
here weather delightful There Is but 500 troops &c the
forts all that could ~ spared rsvng been cent TO India
The Engsh portion OF the population Of the island i've
the greatest fear. II almost Impossible TO get them
70 say word IN regard to the difficulties IN
favorable ke silent By Of Governor stephens
who by the has just been sent OUT here from hng
land large part OF The merchants are tfenoh and
Chinese, ans they are ways backward ~ expressing
their hatred 10 the English government there are on the
island sixty thousand naves besides zen thousand
and Indians which have been brought here from
Calcuits by order OF the British government he |
greatest alarm exists here for fear that these pe 7pk.
aided ey .se frSnan VII o. soon ss%r, 70 ,sr.
are brought here from Calcutta against their
will, and are then bound out 70 service for ave
month out Of which they have to pay the East India Com
pany for their passage "a passage unsought cor by these
pcos naans) al the end Of five years They what
ternoed ice ticket and sent back 10 their own
country, each zoe bedf 70 pay MS own passage
msuey rather bis OF her master rays ]. gu. q .ncir
hard earnings Good Cod sir 10 this not slavery 10 the
very letter. Men, women and children taken from their
own tountry, carried 10 distant island aud there bound
out to scrv,e for Ave years against their VIII And they
are not half well clothed as the slaves that
have seen in our southern states Before Queen VIC
and her advisers attempt 10 NEEDLE with our southern
institutions would be well Tor them TO set free her
thousands upon thousands Of coolies that she has IN and
alb her provinces the different parts OF the globe
PERHAPS our crest Northern anti slavery such
Horace Greeley Seward Banks and Chas sumner, would
do well 10 take trip las Joint coninttee 10 England
md advise Queen Victoria 10 abolish her slave or ccobe
traffic In the Indian ocean More this subject In my
The cholera is raging At the Quarantine grounds
Fiat Island, thirty miles from this town was brought
here emffsnt ship from India number Of the poor
slaves coolies the English gentry term them, nave
died with H. The authorities exettng themselves 10
prevent Us reaching the town The Grown laws are rigid
" enforced after eight O'Clock in the evening TIE streets
deserted, every being obliged 10 be housed by
that time aud you info, unate as 10 be out after
that hour you most likely would have 70 lodge N ,ne
guardhouse. Nothing induce the inhabitants to open
their doors after that hour The police which nearly
all composed OF black natives continually marching
through the various streets dressed in green Hckets and
cap with the letter in froat Of H. Here and hcre the
most noted places such the public and the Tower
nor palace to be seen red coated soldiers pacing
their allotted space Of ground There are two forts
here-one OF which is on high emnenoe back OF
the town; the other the lett of the town and In
situated small neck Of land running out into the har
Dor and Ia called Fort George and u mounted with two
guns twelve powders The barrack inside Of the town
and near the palace. about sir acres OF
ground and is fine establishment and capable Of &C
comrnoda,ng Eve thousand troops, with their families
Al eight clock this morning bosted the English flag
al our fore and sauted II with twenty one gins, which
was returned from Fort George should men
formed nv the tascars Good mechanics NJ all trades,
such AS carpen,css masous painters &c, command six
20 eight dollars per day nearly all the buildings built
VIII te tlnptt