Hango Sound will be marked for ever in the history
of this war as the scene of a base brutality. In carrying out the block- ade of the coasts in the Gulf of Finland, Admiral Dundas has been careful to spare the poor inoffensive inhabitants ; and it was in the pursuit of this merciful conduct that a cutter was sent, on the 5th instant, to land three prisoners at Hango Island. The boat bore a flag of truce, but the shore appeared to be deserted; only one man was seen, and ho ran away. The party landed, and scarcely had they done so before a Russian ambush dis- covered itself. From this point the accounts differ. One man of the party escaped—a common seaman, who reported that every person except himself had been killed. The Russian accounts, which boastfully describe the force in ambush as having conquered "a detachment" of English, represent that only five persons have been killed, the rest being taken prisoners. This modified tale does not dispose either of the treachery or of the bar- barity of the attack, although there is no doubt that the more murderous story as it was at first related contributed to excite indignation here to the highest pitch. The feeling burst forth on Thursday night in the grave House of Lords ; when Lord Malmesbury asked for information from the Government, and Lord Brougham declared that the perpetrators of a deed so cruel must be punished—" If ever the land cried for blood, it is now." Our Government, of course, could not act upon impulse, however natural. Lord Clarendon stated that a demand for explanation from the Russian Government would be transmitted through the Danish Government, and upon the reply Ministers will determine the course to be pursued. The case, said Lord Malmes- bury, must be laid before a jury of Foreign Governments, in order to evoke such a declaration as would put down barbarities by the force of public opinion throughout Christendom.
In the mean time, unfortunately, the Russians have been sup- plied with a rejoinder by the excesses of some of the soldiers in the Kertch expedition—French, we regret to say, as well as Turkish. The invaders were received in that part with great friendliness by the Tartars, who pointed out objects for the cupidity and lust of the soldiery. The wanton attack upon the museum at Kertch is the least of the atrocities ; and the felons whose crime has cast discredit upon Sir George Brown's force, have given the enemy some plea at least to put in before " the jury of Foreign Govern- ments." It is a bad plea, since the horrors of war have too often tarnished the glories of victory to be set off against an outrage like that at Ranges upon a flag of truce, and upon the very spirit of mercy in whose cause Lieutenant Geneste and his companions suffered.
