The Sun. — 1853-11-01 (London, England)

OUR ADMIRAL IN CHINA.  The late mail from this station brought the particulars of a most savage massacre of the passengers and crew of a Straits vessel (the Arratoon. Apcar), which left Hong Kong harbour on her voyage to the south (Singapore), the particulars of which are, doubtlessly, fresh in the remembrance of our readers. The following,- extract from the China Mail, of August the 11th, shows how the authorities met the case. We have before had to comment freely upon the vagaries of the naval Commanderin-Chief on the China station, but we never anticipated being called upon to denounce such discreditable and culpable inactivity as that exhibited by Vice-Admiral Sir Fleetwood Pellew in the matter of the Alja,tooti Apcar. Here is the article from our ChiriNdoiltemporoxy I, Very ikeneral, and, we conceive, not undeserved, indignation has been expressed at Admiral Pellew's and the harbour-mastipr's inaction regarding the Arratoon Apcar. The N.riesabl, with her ensign reversed and boats wanting, came slowly into the harbour on the morning of the 6th, and anchored, about eight o'clock, within no great distance of the flag-ship. Yet half an hour must have elapsed before she was visited by a boat from the Winchester, and it was long after that that the harbourmaster sent off, if indeed lie sent at all. The police were still more behind, for it was past ten o'clock before the information reached the Central Station ; and thus, probably, proofs were lost that would have been of great importance in the investigation now going on. Among private individuals there were some who exhibited more interest and activity than any of the departments whose duty it is to take iikagnisance of such matters, and the vessel had hardly anchored before she was visited by Mr. Murrow and Mr. Tarrant, the latter to pick up materials for his paper, the former to dispatch expresses to the Governor of Macao, to Whampoa, and to Cum•ingmoon, which was done before the ship had been officially boarded. And as the admiral did not appear to be making any preparation to dispatch a steam-vessel, Mr. Walker, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's superintendent, got the steam up in the Sir Charles Forbes, and put that vessel at the free disposal of Admiral Pellew, the Government, the police, or the agents of the Arratoon Apcar. But the day passed without any one using the advantage, and when Mr. Walker took the Sir Charles Forbes alongside the flag-ship, and sent in his card, he was told the admiral was at dinner, and could not see him I But that important duty accomplished, the qatastrophe on board a British vessel, within a few miles of a British squadron, would seem to have been taken into consideration by the naval commander-in-chief, for at seven o'clock in the evening, twelve hours after the Arratoon Apcar had returned, the Styx was dispatched in the dark in pursuit of the murderers, and returned next morning without having found them."  This article appears slightly inaccurate, as we find in a subsequent number of the China Mail (August 18) the following : -  " Mr. Walker, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's Superintendent, conceiving that the newspapers, in discussing matters connected with the Arratoon Apcar, have, at the expense of the authorities, given rather more credit than was deserved to the company and himself; has requested us to state, in reference to what he said on the subject, that it is true he twice ordered steam to be got up in the Sir Charles Forbes on the 6th, in expectation that] her services would be required, but that he did not put that vessel at the free disposal of Admiral Pellew, the Government, the police, or the agents of the Arratoon Apcar ; nor did he take the Sir Charles Forbes alongside the flag-ship ; although he was prepared to place the. vessel at the free disposal of the authorities or the community, or to chatter:her to any firm or private individual, had a requisition-been made for her services.' In the afternoon, Mr. Walker received a verbal message from the admiral, through one of the officers of her Majesty's ship Winchester, and as, from the nature of this message, it was evident that the naval Commander in-Chief was labouring under some mistake as regarded the Sir Charles Forbes, Mr. Walker, to save time and avoid further misapprehension, proceeded across the harbour, and sent in his card to the admiral, but was unable to have an interview, as his excellency was at dinner. Several messages passed and repassed through an officer, and Mr. Walker came away without any arrangement having been arrived at with respect to Sir the Charles Forbes.'"