THE LATE MR. BENJAMIN BOYD.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 764, 10 August 1853, Page 3

THE LATE MR. BENJAMIN BOYD.

House of Commons, April 18. Mr. Milnes asked the Secretary of the Admiralty whether, in consequence Of any instructions issued to Sir Everard Home, of her Majesty’s ship Calliope, with a view to ascertain the fate of Mr. Benjamin Boyd, that officer had transmitted any report on the subject to the Admiralty, in connection with his recent cruise amongst the South Sea Islands, from which he is understood to have returned to Sydney on the 10th December last ' also, whether any report had been received from the officer in command of the Chinastation on the same subject! Mr. Osborne.—The Calliope, under the command of Sir Everard Home, left Sydney for the Solomon Islands on the 22d of July last, but r.o report has yet been received as to the success of her mission; The Serpent had also been ordered by the senior officer in command on the East India station to leave Hong Kong, which she did on the 9th November last, hut no report had vet been received from her, Capt, -Denham’ssurveying vessel had likewise been ordered in May, 1852, to call at the group of Solomon Isbmls, to find out if any information could be obtained of Mr. Boyd, and whether he was Alive or murdered by the natives.

On this, the (London) Morning Herald of tke 20th April has the following remarks : “ A statement was made by. the Secretary oftke Admiralty in the House of Commons on Monday night, in reply to a question from Mr. Moncton Milnes, that instructions had been issued to Sir Everard Home, of her Majesty’s ship Calliopey and to Capt. Denham* of her Majesty’s ship Herald, both cm the Australian station", to proceed to the Solomon Islands, to inquire into the circumstances connected with the supposed death ordetention of Mr. Benjamin Boyd at Gaadalacanar. It appears also that her Majesty’s ship Serpent had been detached from the China station for the same object. It will be recollected that Mr. Boyd landed from his schooner, the Wanderer* at the islands in question, in Oct., 1801, and that since that period no tidings had been received of his late. Wemustsiy, however the fact may be accounted for elsewhere, that it reflects but little credit on the Colonial and liaval authorities on the soot that a ixei iud of 18 months should have elapsed without any decided information on a question involving the life or death of a British subject.

“ We believe that in the mouth of December 1851, Sir Everard Home, then at New Zealand’ ordered Lieut. Ward, of her Majesty’s schooner Bramble, to Sydney, with directions that afterconferring with the authorities there, he should proceed to Cuada’.acanar. It is complained of howev r, that the idea of finding Mr. Boyd aliye was discouraged, and this, combined with tire attract© s of Sydney, and the alleged existence of hurric ne. in the South Seas at that period of the year, p.o.ed sufficient to warrant Lieut. Ward not to i x K-eoi furtlur in carrying out his instructioiv. it tin ;e appears that 'Sir Everard Home left Sydney f>r the S mth Sea 3 in July wit j t the avowe ! object of inqubing into Mr. Boyd’a fate ; hat, stiange to sa}, tiia, iu a matter so momentous, no . a syllable has bi eii reported to th« Admiral y or Mr. B .yd’s anv ous tViends, as ta tiie re ult ofthe ex] e i on,al hough the Callion j returned tu Syauey ou th* UtU December last and amp e opportunity effnd d for transmitting despatches to England via India, or the direct route*