one of the gang named John Frances, a ticket-of-leave
convict, transported from Sheffield, turning approver.
They evaded the vigilance of the police until the 11th
of August, when four of them, including the approver,
were captured. Another of the gang committed
suicide. The sixth has not been taken. Melville was
taken on board the Madagascar, which was about to
sail for London. Frances and Wilson had also arranged
to leave by the same vessel. Some boxes of gold
belonging to them were found on board, in all upwards
of £2000. The prisoners were then brought to trial at
the Criminal Superior Court, found guilty, and
condemned. Neither of them made any confession as to
their guilt.

The advices from Jamaica are to the 26th of December.
In many respects the position of affairs in the island
remained to ail appearance much the same. For several
days before the packet sailed, the House of Assembly
had been engaged in discussing the question of responsible
government. The committee appointed to consider
the Governor's message had made a report, and the
House, in committee, had debated the sections of that
report seriatim. The Assembly stood adjourned to the
17th inst. Prior to the adjournment, the House came
to a determination on the question of responsible government,
having decided to introduce a bill authorising the
governor to appoint two or three gentlemen from the
Assembly and one from the Council, to act as Ministers;
each is to get £800 per annum, and £500 are to be
allowed the Ministry for the expenses of office. This
scheme seems to have given very general satisfaction, and
will, no doubt, be acted upon by the governor
immediately after the recess.

The advices from Hong Kong are to the 27th of
November. The principal piece of news is the capture
of Amoy by the Imperialists; who perpetrated horrible
atrocities on the non-combatants and inoffensive people;
it is said that 1000 were slaughtered in cold blood. The
army of Taeping Wang was last heard of about two
hundred miles from Pekin. It was rumoured that a
force of 270,000 Mogul Tartars had entered China, and
that 70,000 of them had penetrated nearly to Nankin.

A serious affray has taken place on board the
Winchester, the ship of Admiral Sir Fleetwood Pellew, the
commander on the China station. It appears that on the
8th of November last the crew of the Winchester, then
lying at anchor in Hong Kong harbour, made application
to the rear-admiral, through the usual channel—
their captain and the first lieutenant—for leave to go on
shore, a "watch" or a "quarter-watch" at a time, no
leave having (it is said) been granted for many months.
The admiral immediately and firmly refused the boon.
About sunset that evening the hammocks were piped
down, but not a man would stir from the lower deck to
come up and fetch them. The word was then given to
"beat to quarters," and on the men refusing to come to
their guns, the officers (with their swords) and the
marines (with their bayonets) were ordered to drive the
people off the lower deck. The ship's company were by
this time throwing their mess traps and furniture, as
well as "round shot," about the lower (or berth) deck.
The captain, it is said, was struck by a missile of some
kind on his going below, and an affray immediately
ensued between the officers and marines on the one side
and the ship's company on the other. The latter in a
short time came to terms, but not, it is stated, before
some fifteen or sixteen were wounded. On the following
day ten men were sent to the hospital ship, and the
remains of one are stated to have been buried on shore;
but I must add that it was not known—on shore, at
least—whether or not the deceased had been one of the
mutineers, and had come to a violent end. The admiral
is reported to have addressed the ship's company on the
morning following this astounding business, and said
that the men should "cut him to pieces before they
should go on shore." There had been, it seems, some
flogging on board the Winchester previous to this
outbreak. Sir F. Pellew has been recalled.

NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

Accounts from Constantinople state that the whole
French and British force, with the exception of two
ships, has, under the command of Admiral Dundas,
sailed into the Black Sea. This movement appears to
have been consequent upon an application by the
Turkish minister to the French and English
Ambassadors. On the 5th of December, the following note
by Reschid Pacha was transmitted to Lord Stratford
de Redcliffe and Gen. Baraguay d'Hilliers: "It was
announced to the ambassadors some days ago by an
official note, that Russian ships of war had been seen
cruising in the vicinity of Sinope. The Taif steamer
had just arrived from that locality, and it results from
the report of the captain, that on Wednesday last,
29th Sépher (November 30), three Russian three-
deckers, two two-deckers, and two frigates entered the
port of Sinope, and attacked a division of the Ottoman
fleet anchored there, and consisting of six frigates, and
three corvettes. Although the result of the action is
not yet known, considering the situation of our ships
and the superior force of the enemy, it is presumed
that a great disaster has ensued. The English and
French fleets have been sent to the Bosphorus with the
sincere intention of protecting the shores of the Ottoman
empire. This recent occurrence proves sufficiently,
that it is the determination of Russia to attack by
means of her fleet those points against which operations
may be best directed. The impossibility, however, of
defending so vast an extent of coast without a sufficient
force in the Black Sea is perfectly evident; and although
the Sultan's government has the intention of sending
thither the fleet, it will be inadequate to the object in
view. Hence the Sublime Porte considers itself under
the necessity of having recourse to the effective solicitude
of the two allied governments. This notification
is made accordingly and at the same time to the
ambassadors of England and France. RESCHID."—The
combined fleets entered the Black Sea on the 3d inst.
The following notice of this movement having been
previously transmitted by French and British ministers
to the Russian governor of Sebastopol. "To the
Governor of Sebastopol. Conformably with the orders
of my Government, the British (French) squadron, in
concert with that of France (England), is on the point
of appearing in the Black Sea. The object of this
movement is to protect the Ottoman territory from all
aggression or hostile act. I apprise your Excellency
thereof, with a view to prevent all collision tending to
disturb the amicable relations existing between our
Governments; which I am desirous of preserving, and
which, no doubt, your Excellency is equally anxious to
maintain. To this end, I should feel happy to learn
that your Excellency, animated by these intentions,
had deemed it expedient to give the requisite instructions
to the Admiral commanding the Russian forces in
the Black Sea, so as to obviate any occurrence
calculated to endanger peace. REDCLIFFE (BARAGUAY
D'HILLIERS)."

There have been a series of bloody engagements on
the left bank of the Danube in which the Turks have
been successful. It appears that Omer Pacha was
aware of the intention of Prince Gortschakoff to attack
Kalafat with as little delay as possible; that the Russian
commander sent about 25,000 men to reinforce the
forces at Krajowa, with orders to concentrate on the
Turkish lines and storm Kalafat; and that a body of
Russian troops got round on the left flank of the Turkish
entrenchments, and at Citale threw up redoubts close to
the Danube. These bands the Turks first engaged,
storming their redoubts, on the 6th instant, and driving
them off. The fighting was continued on the 7th, 8th,
and 9th, and the result was that the Russians returned
to their original positions about Krajowa, and the Turks