The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

The Presse states that on Saturday the Oth Regi ment of Cuirassiers commenced its embarkation — an operation which was continued on Monday. On the previous day 1,000 soldiers left Toulon for Greece. An aide-de-camp of the Minister of War reached Marseilles on the 12th from Paris, in order to concert with the military authorities as to the best places for forming the camp. It is said that two camps will be formed, each of 25,000 men, instead of one of 50,000. The French Government have bought the three steam-ships the Golden Fleece, Emu, and Kangaroo, which will change owners as soon as the contract for which they are hired to the English Government has expired. THE FLEETS. The Baltic fleet under Sir C. Napier, after waiting in Swedish waters for some days for the French fleet to arrive and for the fogs to depart, seems at length to have gone forward. On the 12th instant they are reported to have taken Bomersand, on the Isle of Aland. A St. Petersburg letter of the 9th states that some ships of the fleet had been seen within twenty-five to thirty miles off Cronstadt, and had captured a number of Russian gun -boats. The combined squadrons in the Baltic now com prise forty-five sail, 2,250 guns, and about 23,400 men. This ,is inclusive of the French fleet of five ships-of-the-line, four frigates, and four steamers. A private letter from an English gentleman, now cruising in his yacht in the Baltic, says : " I don't think Cronstadtor Sveaborg will be bombarded. They are in such difficult channels that, without the steam-power, it would be quite impossible to get into posi tion to attack, as stone walls and casemated batteries must be fired at from not more than two hundred yards' distance. No doubt an attack on Sveaborg might' and would be entirely successful, but of course not without severe loss and much damage to our ships ; immediately after which out would come the untouched Russian fleet of twenty seven sail-of-the-line and thirty-eight large frigates from Cronstadt, and fall on our disabled fleet. Napier is bold enough; but if the Russians expect him to commit some rash folly through love of fighting they axe much mistaken. The S. Jean d'Acre, Captain Keppel, is unquestionably the finest and most efficient ship here-9I heavy guns on two clear fighting-decks." Late accounts from Riga state that the Gulf is completely free from ice, and, as no English cruisers are off that port, the coasting trade is active and un impeded. The sooner her Majesty's Government can send out a squadron of shallow-bottomed steamers, heavy armed, but only with one gun, the better. They could not fail to reap a rich harvest, and to inflict severe injury upon the coasting trade. The Empress has sent four pictures of saints to the defenders of the four forts at Cronstadt--Kron 'blot, Peter, Paul, and Alexander. Several German journals have announced that the English corvette the Amphion had been taken by the Russians near Revel, and the crew sent prisoners to St. Petersburg. The last news from the Baltic gives a full contradiction to this report. A large number of revolver pistols has been re ceived on board the Duke of Wellington for distribu tion throughout the fleet. The line•of-battle-ships are to be furnished with 100, the frigates with 50, and the sloops with 20 each respectively. These revolvers are not to be appropriated solely to the use of the officers, but are to be distributed among the boats' crews when sent away on service. In the Black Sea, according to the statements in the Russian Invalide, a fleet consisting of five two deckers, ono sailing-vessel, and ten steamers, ap peared within about three miles of the harbour of Sebastopol on the 28th, and were joined by two other liners towards evening. During the day the steam-frigate and some other vessels ran closer in, and hoisted an admiral's flag ; but no operation was attempted up to the 30th. The fleet is known to have returned to Kavarna, having found that the Russian admiral was not disposed to risk a combat. The combined commanders left steamers to watch the coast and pick up trading-vessels. A despatch received in Paris on Thursday night from Constantinople, dated the 10th, announces that Sebastopol has been cannonaded by the French and English fleets with guns of long range, with a view to destroy the advanced works of the port. Squadrons from both fleets, including the screws under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir E. Lyons, K.C.8., were to be detached for the purpose of clear ing the coasts of the Crimea, Georgia, and Circassia, of " everything Russian " in the shape of ships or forts, a small division being stationed off the Sulina mouth of the Danube, and a couple of' steamers left at Odessa to watch that port. The Turkish fleet sailed on the 4th from Bujuk dere for the Black Sea. It consists of twenty-two vessels. The admits', Ahmet Pacha, has his flag on the Mahmoudii, a first-rate of 124 guns; and there are besides eight other line-of-battle ships, of which three are of 104, two of 00, two of 84, and one of 74 guns. Three large frigates and two brigs, five steam •frigates, and two steam-sloops complete the number of this powerful squadron. The vessels THE PRESS. are well built., but are said not to be durable, from haying been constructed of green wood. Their desti nation is probably the Circassian forts. The squadron was accompanied by the Terrible English steam frigate. Twenty-two Russian ships had been captured since the bombardment of Odessa. A letter from that port of the 30th ult., vid Vienna, mentions a fact which shows to what extent the Russian authorities carry duplicity and falsehood. In tae night after the bombardment General Osten•Sacken had the dead soldiers, amounting to between 500 and 600, removed and buried seven or eight miles beyond the town. The next day, in order to make people believe that the loss had been trilling, he had forty soldiers, who had been left lying dead on the batte ries, buried at Odessa with great pomp. A citizen who, during the night, had seen what was passing, and mentioned it, was arrested on a charge of propa gating false news, and, being tried by court-martial, was sentenced to death. The first promotion for the war has been conferred upon Commander John Bourruaster Dickson (1M47), commander in Admiral Dundas's flag-ship Britannia. He has been promoted to the rank of captain for his gallant services in command of the rocket-boats at the bombardment of Odessa. A White Sea squadron, consisting of three well armed ships, is completing its stores at Portsmouth, and will soon be doubling the North Cape, on its way to the Czar's northern dockyards. The rivers do not begin to run into the White Sea till June, and the ice in its gulfs allows no navigation till the end of May. The Czar builds ships in the White Sea, which renders it necessary to set a watch to keep the British whalers from damage. Fortunately that sea, like the Black Sea and the Baltic, has a narrow neck, and is easily guarded. THE SEAT OF WAR ON THE DANUBE. There is nothing of importance communicated by the last news from the Danube. The reports that the Russian troops had sustained checks on various points seem to be confirmed, both in direct and cir cumstantial evidence. The official Moniteur pub lished a despatch from Omer Pacha, dated Shumla, May 6, stating that Sall Pacha bad, on the 28th of April, defeated the Russians at Nicopolis, and that the Russians had lost 1,500 men. On the 2nd of May Colonel Suleiman Bey had also defeated the Russians at Radovo, not far from Krajova. The Patrie says that a fresh engagement took place before Kara-Sou, on the Danube, on April 21, be tween a regiment of Cossacks and a corps of Turkish troops. The Cossacks retired with great loss. An other report sta:es that the Turks had obtained possession of Krajova. Advices from Constantinople of the sth instant assert that the general depot of Russian artillery and ammunition at Fokschani had been set fire to by the inhabitants, as an act of vengeance. The loss to the Russians was immense. The letters from Silistria are to the effect that 10,000 Russians and twelve formidable batteries were posted on the other bank of the Danube, opposite the fortress, preparing to attack the waterside, its weakest point. Prince Paskiewitsch and General Gortschakoff had arrived at Kalarasch. The bombardment of Silistria with eighty pieces of cannon had commenced. The report that the fortress was invested on the land side is, however, now contradicted. Shells are thrown from the left bank of the river at a distance of more than a mile. General Bosquet, who had returned to Gallip:li from Shumla, is stated to have given the most satisfactory account of the state of that fortress, and of the means that Omer I'acha has of resisting any effert that the Russians may make against it. The Russians are, however, suffering worse losses than those inflicted by the Turkish cannon. In the Dobrudscha especially the fever season appears to have set in, and the unhappy serfs whom the Czar has forced into the army are dying by thousands. In other respects affairs are little better. Thus a Vienna medical paper describes the immense train of waggons and carts that bad to follow the Russian troops into the Dobrudscha having returned for fresh supplies : " They bring back hundreds of wounded, and thousands of ruined arms and spoiled equipments. More than 400 wounded are expected from harassu. In Braila, Galatz, and Reni, new wards have been hastily built up for 2,000 additional patients. These, however, are not enough. The flying hospitals bring such numbers and in such quick succession from the Dohrudscha, that divisions of the sick have to be sent twice a day to Hirsova, Matschin, and thence again across to the left bank. It is difficult to de senbe in all their stern reality the hardships and priva tions now endured by the Russians in the Dobrudscha. The Russians have there more than 2,600 wounded, and above 3,000 dead and missing The losses in horses, baggage, and munition, is equally great. This estimate falls short of the truth. Not far from hustendjee, upon a marshy bit of ground that is not 1,000 fathoms in length, there lie now 443 Russians and 71 horse.,, and yet this was one of the least important spots where an obstinate fight came off, and where the Russians were defeated. The Turks, far SOURDAY, better acquainted with the country and the means of turn ing it to good account, are accustomed to op en ti re upon their enemy at the beginning of each engagement with their heavy guns, of which they have plenty, and their effect is great indeed. Their artillery is better served than the Russian, as all eyewitnesses acknowledge. The mot.• tality among the Russian wounded was in April last 31 per cent. A great cause of sickness among the troops is the mouldy biscuit and the want of wholesome water to drink." The epidemic has, it is said, already put 18,000 men hors de combat from the Dobrudscha army alone. CIRCASSIA. The famous Circassian chiefs, Seffer and Bechchet Pachas, have received orders to join the fleet and proceed to their country. They are accompanied from Constantinople by a numerous staff of European officers. The celebrated warrior, Halm Pacha, will follow them immediately. Steamers belonging to the Turkish fleet have received on board a very large quantity of ammunition, and about 25,000 flint muskets and 20 fine brass field-pieces. These arms will be distributed to the Circassians along the coast, who, once armed and properly equipped, will be drilled by the European officers, and then marched to the south or to the north, according to circum stances. Bethchet Pacha is bearer of a sword of honour sent by the Sultan to the Daghestan chief, - Schamyl. He has instructions to open direct com munications between the countries bordering on the Caspian Sea and Batoum. The Sultan has presented the Circassians with two standards beautifully em broidered in gold on green satin. The first station of the fleet is Batoum, where it will receive a landing corps of 2,500 guards ; from thence s proceeds to Redout Kaleh, which it is supposed vblockaded by British and French men-of-war. Forts Noworossijsk and Gelendshik, on the Circas sian coast, have been evacuated by the Russians. Suchum Kaleh is almost entirely deserted. The capture of the Russian forts on the eastern shores of the Black Sea will he an important gain for the allies, and may reduce the hostile army in Asia to great straits. Some blow in this direction, indeed, seems to afford the only hope of saving the Asiatic provinces of Turkey from invasion and dis memberment. The English public have beard from many sources of the miserable state of the Ottoman army in those parts. A few months ago it was the fashion to represent the Turkish arms as everywhere successful, but now the neceesity for a more exact inquiry is recognised. The Russians are within a few days' march of Kars, and before them is a rabble. In every way the Government have been deceived as to the conduct of this part of the war. The co rn menders have been incapable, and worse ; the com missariat, a knavery; and the despatches, a falsehood. The manner in which affairs have been managed may be judged of horn the following incident :—A contract was made by Government for medicines and surgical instruments to be sent to Erzeroum. As is usual in Turkey, the contract was let and sub.. let till its actual execution fell into the bands of a Jew. When the cases were opened, the medicines were found to be wholly worthless, and among the implements of surgery were several hundred instru ments for extracting milk from women's breasts; no doubt part of the stock of some bankrupt speculator. Experiments have been made at Revel of firing mines at a distance of 8,000 feet by means of an electric batters and wire. The method is the same as that adopted by the Emperor of Russia, at the suggestion of Professor Jacobi. it is affirmed that metal caissons have been prepared fur the roads of Sveaborg and Revel, as well as of Cronstadt. They are kept ready charged with powder, and will only be lowered into the channel when an attack seems certain. The wires inserted in these caibsous will be brought into connection with batteries on land, and two telescopes will be so adjusted in the fortress as that the bisection of their two lines of sight will correspond with the spot where the mine is sunk. The moment when a ship becomes visible to both observers will correspond with the moment when the vessel is just over the cowling. tible caissons. The British Government has ordered a stock of medical comforts, consisting of wine, spirits, and preserved meats, to be put on board the transport-steamers for the use of the soldiers on board. The authorities at the Horse Guards have had under their consideration a newly-invented meat cake, which seems admirably adapted for soldiers engaged in a cam paign. Each cake affords three good meals, weighs 71 ounces, divided into three rations of 21 ounces each, which can be eaten dry, or, when broken up and mixed with warm or cold water, affords a nutritious soup. These meat cakes are easily stowed away, and a soldier might, with ease, carry a dozen in his haversack, to be used as re served rations whenever the supply of other provisions failed, thereby being independent of the commissariat for twelve days. The inventor, Mr. Pouteau, declares that he can furnish these cakes at the rate of one penny per meal. The Leeds Times believes that a Government order for cannon balls of a new shape is being executed by a local foundry. They are long, three-sided, and terminate in three-comered point. It is conjectured that they are ID' tended to be used against fortresses, but the plan has been kept as secret as possible. -- Pg . I . CCM