VESSELS OF WAR FOR CHINA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIV, Issue 1442, 27 July 1860, Page 2

VESSELS OF WAR FOR CHINA.

TnK Singapore Free Press of the 3rd May, contains the following notice of the arrivals at, and departure of ships of war from, that port, for China. His I. Majesty's fitcamcr La Niervo, Monsieur D. St. Armand, euiled for China on the 25th ultimo.

Her Majesty's steam transport Powerful, Capt. Richards, sailed for China on the 28th ultimo.

Her Majesty's steam, gunboat Grasshopper, Captain Tucker, sailed for China on the 29th ultimo.

Her Majesty's steamer Urgent, Captain Hire, from Portsmouth the Ist January last, arrived here on the 25th ultimo, having on board 24 ofii- ! cers and 400 men of H. M.'s 2irl Kegimcnt, and sailed for China on the 29th, with two shipi, an.l a gunboat in tow. Her Majesty's steam gunboat Bouncer, Captain Owen, arrived here on the 2>th ultimo, from Portsmouth the let January last, and sailed for China on the 29th.

The British steam transport Oriental, Captain King, from Calcutta the 10th ultimo, arrived here on the 26th ult. with stores, and volunteers Royal Artillery, and proceeded to China on the 28th, with a ship and two gunboats in two. Her Majesty's gunboafe Havoc, Captain Fairholme, from England the 10th November last, arrived here on the 2Cth ultimo, and sailed for China on the 23th.

Her Majesty's steamer Bentinck, Capt. Hodge, from Calcutta the 12th ultimo, arrived here on the 27th, having on board seven officers and 710 men, en mute for China.

The British steamer Scotland, Captain Kendall, arrived here on the 28th ultimo, having left Bombay on the 10th, and Galle the 17th, -atid sailed for Hongkong on the Ist current. Her Majesty's gunboat Weasel, Captain Howard, from PiyimuYh the 17th' November last, arrived here on the 28th ultimo, en route for China. , Her Majesty's steam gunboat Hardy, Captain Bugle, from England the 11 th November last, arrived here th'u morning, <?•>» route for China. The greater part of the force, naval and military, intended to form the expedition to China, has now passe \ through our harbour, and the resources of the local authorities have been taxed to the utmost in supplying its wants. Although the Duke of Somerset, in answer to a question put to him in the House of Lords by Lord Ellenborough, stated that ample preparations had been made at Singapore and elsewhere for provisioning the troops, yet we believe the fact, is that no instructions oa the subject was sent to the authorities at Singapore. They have been left to their own resources, pecuniary and otherwise. At St. Helena, on the 10th of February, a brigantine, name unknown, arrived in charge of Mr. Hamilton, midshipman of the screw steam corvette, Archer, 13, Captain Richard W. Courtenay. She was seized off Lungo Bonda, January 30, when her crew where so reduced by' fever that they asked to be removed to tho Archer for medical treatment. On the 13th a barque captured by the paddle-wheel steam vessel Triton, 3, lieu-tenant-commander Robert H. Burton, was condemned by the judge as a prize. When captured she had 453 male and 141 female negroes on board. When condemned there were 398 men and 114: woman; all tho others died in the interim.

The United States steamer Mystic, Captain Le Roy, had left St. Paul de Loando for St. Helena, with a requisition from commander Inman, its Governor, to give up the Captain and the crew of the barque Orion, a slaver which had been captured with 871 slaves on board, by her : vlajesty's ship Pluto. A week before her capture she had been boarded by the Mystic, but all her papers being in order she could not be detained. At the request of the captain, Morgan, who feigned sickness, the Orion was towed by the Mystic to tho mouth of tho Congo, the Mystic lying near her; liut this vessel being suddenly ordered off with despatches, the Orion took advantage of the circumstance, and in "thre-3 hours shipped her cargo of nearly 900 slaves. The drunkenness of an old African chief alone prevented her getting 1200. She had mado about 100 miles to sea, when the Pluto caught her becalmed, and took her to St. Helena. Her cargo originally consisted of 08 women, 128 girls, 227 men, and 308 boys, 152 of whom died before she reached St. Helena, namely ] 60 boys, 40 men, 24 girls, 8 women, and 20 un. known before capture. — Onpt Advertiser, May 14 <

LOSS OF THE SHAMROCK STEAMER. This steamer, so well known as trading on this coast to the Hunter, Melbourne, Launce.ston, and Moreton Bay, was lost on the coast of China ®n 22nd March last. She was sold by the A. S. N. Company and left Newcastle for China under tho command of Captain Sullivan, in December, 1857. The following particulars of her loss were received by Mr. John Fife, aen., from his son, Mr. Alexander Fife, who was chief engineer on board at the time of her loss. The letter is dated Hongkong, 24th April : — '• The old Shamrock gave us all the discharge on the 22nd March, at half-past one in the morning, on the coast of China, becoming a complete wreck. We were running with a strong fair wind, all anil set, at full speed and smooth water, about 8 J knots, when we ran on the sandy beach on the main land at the full of the tide. I n?ed not enumerate the particulars, as I expect to see you about as soon as this letter reaches yon. We had to remain on board three days and nights, contending against 1000 native savage^, ready to jump on board at first opportunity. .Fortunately for our preservation, one of her Majesty's gunboats came to our assistance on Sunday morning, 25th March, when we all embarked, the gunboat keeping an occasional firo on the Chinese. No lives were lost on our side ; of the Chinese there were twenty killed. I saved all my effects, and suffered littleioss. We arrived at Amoy on the 2'> th, and remained there awaiting a conveyance till 6th April, when we took our departure in the Hellespont, arriving at Hongkong on the Bth ; left same day for Macao, and reached the; - e the following day, the 9th. Mr. Fernandez," the owner, determined to go to the wreck, to endeavour to recover the engine. I was then passed along with a company on board a ateamer, on the 12th" On our arriving at the wreck, we, found it swarming with Chinamen, breaking up tho vessel. A few guns discharged dispersed them. On our landing, I found all her machinery bad been removed, and two-thirds of the ship broken up by them and taken away. There wna nothing left worth a cent to any white man. Wo re-embarked immediately, and returned to Hongkong, were we arrived on the 21st." — Sydney Herald.