For the first time, as far as we know, in the history of Shanghai, a ship was brought into port under arrest early on Saturday morning, the now well-known Britis barque Oscar Vidal, for which the Agent of the owner in Shanghai is Mr. Nils Five Lascars, who were members of her crew, were recently charged at the British Police Court before R. A. Mowat, Esq., Acting Chief Justice, sitting as' Police Magistrate, with being absent from the vessel without leave. They admitted the charge, and refused to go toseain the ship, because they considered that unseaworthy. They appeared in twice, and the evidence given by witnesses who were called by Mr. W. Handyside Tapp, H.M.'s Registrar of Shipping, and also by Mr. Meller, was such that His Worship appeared "to be satisfied that sutticiont proof had been adduced that the vessel was in an unseaworthy condition, and accordingly dismissed the case against the men, and left the onus of proving her Seaworthiness on the owner or his representatives. Between this occurrence and the departure of the Oscar Vidal, the Agent informed the authorities that it was his intention to lay her. up and tranship her cargo to another vessel. Such, however, does not seem to have been the case, for on the Gth inst. he cleared the vessel at the Custom House, for the second time, for Tientsin. No' notice appears to have been given to the British Consulate of this fact, or of his intention of sending her to sea, neither did he hand in, as required by law, the Customs " chop," or the usual letter in lion thereof. The crow were not shipped at the Consulate, and the ship left the port without her certificate of registry, a Consular clearance, or apy articles of agreement between the master and the orcin. Information as to her having actually left port does not seem to have been given to the authorities till about 11.30 a.m. on Friday, when the Government Surveyor, Captain Z, Barton, reported
had proceeded to sea, A telegram was to Mr. Tapp that the Oar Vidat at once despatched to the Harbour-master at Woosung to enquire whether she was there, or had proceeded outwards. The reply' received was, Loft Woosuny at 9 am., and now out of sight. This was about 2 p.m. After an interview with Her Majesty's Consul, who concurred, in the mosures suggested to him, the steam-tug Roche, Captain berts, was chartered by Mr. Tapp, who proceeded to Woosung in her witl a letter from Mr. Hughes to Captain Tray, R. N., commanding H.MS. Iron Duke, lying' at anchor there, informing him of the circumstances of the case, and requesting him to give Mr. Tapp such assistance as might be nei to bring the ship back into port. The next officer in command, in Captain Tracy's absence, at once sent Lieut, Haynes and a potty officer, with five men with side-arms to accompany Mr. Tapp in the tug for this purpose. The party left the ron Duke about half-past seven, with 24 hours' provisions. The Rocket proceeded outwards, and after hailing a tug towing up the barque of India, and asking where the Vidal was, the direction was given to the Rocket to keep on her course and the barque would be found outside This was done, and after proceeding about seven or eight miles from Woosung, the" barque was sighted at anchor, This was to be accounted for by the circumstance" that there was a strong flood tide. with a northerly wind, and the weather was, osides, rainy and foggy. The Oscar Vidal alongside, and Mr. Tapp, followed by was hailed, the tug immediately sheered Lieut. Haynes and the party from the Iron Dhike, at once went on The captain was asked by Mr. Tapp to produce the ship's papers, and he proceeded to show sundry dochments, but the national papers of the ship, the articles of agreement with the crew that was on board, (viz., six Japanese, a second.mato, anda Chinese steward) or the Consular ort clearance from any Consulate in hai, were not forthcoming. Mr. Tapp, after anking him where h was bound, and receiving an answer to the effect that the vessel was going to Tientain, then said it was his intention to take the ship back to Shanghai, At this the captain manifested considerable surprise. After saying at firat that he was waiting for his papers, and also fora mate, who was to be sent by Mr. Maller, he said that the ship had been sold a few hours before leaving Shanghai to the Swedish flag, and that ho'did not understand what right Mr. Tapp had to inter-fore. He also gave artiers to the second mate and the crew that they were not to assist in weighing anchor and working the ship, but eventually the men from the Iron Duke and the Japanese succeeded in getting the anchors up and lashing the towboat alongside. The captain throughout the whole proceedings exhibited, perhaps not. unnaturally, a sprit of opposition. Mr. Tapp asked Captain Roberts whether he would take the ship in tow. and..pilot her to Shanghai, and on his answering in the affirmative, the vessel was given over to his charge, while two seamen of the Iron Dude steered the barque, which started for this port about 9.30. She proceeded safely, and was lashed temporarily alongside' the wharf at the Naval Yard, and left in charge of the potty officer of the Zron Duke and the five seamen from that man-of-war. They were relieved on Saturday morning by an officer and some men from-H.MLS.~ Lapwing, Commander W. G. Scott, who ofdered the ship to be moored in the stream
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.