The Press. — London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

and 13-inch shells. The mortars are to be landed to morrow and forwarded to the front with all speed. The commissariat officers have handed over their oxen, horses, and mules, to Colonel M'Murdo's Land Transport Corps, which is working remarkably well under the ener getic direction of its commandant. All the commissary officers have now to do is to make a requisition on the Land Transport Corps attached to the division for the carriage of certain stores, and then to distribute them on arrival. MARCH 27.—Nothing of importance occurred in the trenches last night, but the whole of Balaklava was alarmed about eleven o'clock by the rapid ringing of the ships' fire-bells. In an instant every one near the harhour was on the alert, and the Leander, Diamond, Wasp, &c., beat to quarters. It turned out to be a fire on board the transport No. 113, a vessel lying alongside one of our powder-ships. Fortunately the promptitude with which the alarm was given brought such assistance as put out the fire with little difficulty, though, as your readers will readily imagine, great alarm and confusion for the time prevailed in the harbour, and many vessels slipped their cables, though not one of them could have got out. This morning about 350 filled shell, 300 empty 10-inch shell, and 2,000 fascinos, were forwarded to camp. By the railway, as tar as it is completed, 200 13-inch shell were sent up. Last night a tremendous affray took place among the Croats who are hutted at the head of the harbour. Their swords and daggers, which all wear, were profusely used ; and before sufficient force could interfere to separate them two were killed, one mortally wounded, and four others hurt more or less severely. The enemy still remain in the neighbourhood of Bala klava, but make no signs of hostilities. The following is from a letter in the Daily News, dated Balaklava, March 27: Well-informed men say that there is every reason to be lieve that the Russians have removed nearly all their troops from Sebastopol, and particularly from the north aide. We know they have withdrawn the army that was, in fact, besieging lialaklava. All their troops are with drawn for the purpose of bringing an overwhelming force against the Turks at Eupatoria, and if possible driving them into the sea ; and very serious doubts are felt whether Omer Pacha will be able to resist them. Are we going to do nothing to save our allies? Are we not going to make an effort? Could we not make a diversion? There are those who openly state that an active general would now feel his way with a strong reconnoitring force, and see if the north side is not now assailable—at least the heights and guns we lost in the battle or butchery of Balaklava might now be retaken. The Russians have been very bold in their sorties lately, probably only to cover their weak ness. Any well•guarded movement in their rear would make a diversion in favour of the Turks. It is possible those critics may be wrong, but long before this letter can reach you the opportunity, if it is an opportunity, will have passed. In going through the camp I was delighted to see the excellent spirits of all, and the extraordinary and robust health of those who are well. In fact, they look the very picture of men in full health and spirits. THE NORTHERN STATION FOR THE FOREIGN LEGION. The steamer Hamburg, Captain King, arrived at Heligoland on the Ist inst. from London, with Lieut. Edwards of the Engineers on board, accompanied by some sappers and miners and the materials of the wooden huts to be erected on that island for the accommodation of the Foreign Legion. This arrival, it is stated, caused the governor, Sir John Hind marsh, considerable surprise and embarrassment, as he had received no previous intimation of their coming, and consequently made no preparations, nor was he able to fix on a locality for the erection of the barracks. He had, therefore, to write home first for instructions, which came in due time, and the bar racks are now put up. A good many recruits had volunteered for the Foreign Legion to be formed in the island, but they could not be accepted till the huts were ready for their reception. ENGLISH DONATIONS TO THE ARMY. . The heterogeneous character of the charitable consign ments forwarded to the British army in the East has just been displayed, in the packages of books sent out to the care of the chaplain at Balaklava. Almost invariably, there is first to be noticed the absence of any inventory or de scription either inside or outside the boxes which arrive. There is nothing to be done but to probe them to the bot tom, to separate the chaff from the wheat, to arrange the contents as far as is practicable in a limited space, and to pursue endless trains of thoughts upon the sundry cha racteristics which accompany English benevolence no less than English courage. Never had the scripture text, that that it is more blessed to give than to receive, a more com plete exemplification than in the provision of literature for the soldiers in camp or hospital, and the blessedness of giving that which it costs nothing to part with, or which it is positive gain to be rid of, must sometimes, one should think, have been the incentive to the gift. Suppose a clergyman to be really in earnest ,and indefatigable about his work, who is wanted in a dozen places at once, but who must, nolena volena, go through the colluvies of ephe meral or solid publications which have been showered upon him, both in order to get at what is valuable and-to have space in his own dwelling. Suppose, then, snch a s el e ction as follows, greeting his disappointed eyes : " Zeluco," a religious novel of 1789, three odd volumes of " Don Quixote," an ancient and very dirty copy of ‘. Virgil," a description of Mr. Coke's seat at Holkham, a " Guide to the Isle of Man," a " Guide a Londres " two copies in no doubt excellent French; the Methodists Magazine for 1802; the Fourth Annual Report of the London Horacepathic Hospital, one of Carlyle a Latter THE PRESS• day pamphlets, an agricultural magazine, closet helps and revival miscellanies ; " Joyce's Practical Arithmetic," the " History of William, or the Converted ltomanist," the " History of the Converted Murderer," or the driest and dustiest ecclesiastical writings of the 17th and 18th cen turies. Suppose this conglomeration to be interspersed with an occasional cake of soap, an occasional tobacco-pipe, an occasional box of lozenges, an occasional ball of string, solitary diamonds, which redeem the heap in some measure. Happily there is another side to the picture. Extensive, as well as various, contributions have been received from Messrs. Constable; from the stock, if not by the sole gift, of Mr. J. H. Parker, of Oxford and West Strand ; and various other parties. The chief fault to be found with supplies, ample in quantity—if quantity were the only consideration—is that they are nut, as a rule, adapted to the level of the average English soldier. What that level is shall not now be discussed. The donors, however dis tressed at such a statement, may congratulate themselves that there is, perhaps, no less probability here of the books being used to advantage than there was in the place from which they came.-7'imes Correspondence. THE BALTIC FLEET. Several ships of the advanced squadron of the Baltic fleet had anived at Nyborg on Monday, and others were reported off Carlserona. Much ice still remained along the coast, and in the harbours near the Belt and Sound. The main body of the fleet weighed anchor from the Downs on Monday after noon and proceeded to sea, steering eastward. The French squadron destined for service in the Baltic, and consisting of three line-of-battle ships, with the proper complement of frigates, corvettes, and smaller craft, will leave Cherbourg in two or three days to join the British fleet.. Rear-Admiral Penaud has been appointed to the command of the squadron. He is a little over fifty-four years of age, having been born in December, 1800. He entered the navy in 1814. DEPARTURE OF GUARDS FOR THE CRIME A.—On Thursday morning, at half-past seven o'clock, the detachments of the Household Infantry under orders to join their brothers in arms at the seat of war, were mustered and paraded at the various barracks, and it is gratifying to state that not a single man was absent. The drafts consisted of 5 officers, 420 Grenadier Guards, for the 3rd battalion; 5 officers, 307 Coldstreams, for the Ist battalion ; 5 officers, 399 Scots Fusiliers, for the Ist battalion. The men were greeted with the most energetic cheers on their road, the band playing at intervals " Welcome Royal Charlie," " Red, White, and Blue," " Over the Hills and far away," " The Girl I left behind me," " Cheer, Boys, cheer," " Hey, Johnny Cope," " Blue Bonnets over the Border," &c., &c. On their arrival at the terminus of the South-Western Railway, a prolonged cheer was given by those outside. The embarkation took place on board the Peninsular and Oriental new steam-ship Alma, yesterday afternoon, at Ports mouth, under the command of Captain Evans, and accompanied by a large detachment of the Royal Sappers and Miners. This splendid vessel will im mediately proceed to Balaklava, leaving 130 non commissioned officers and men at Malta. The following further notice relative to the admis sion of officers into the royal navy, from the mer cantile marine, has been issued by the Admiralty, under date of the 10th inst. :—With reference to the circular order of the 14th of March, 1855, inviting officers from the mercantile marine to offer them selves for the appointment of acting second master in the royal navy, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct that such candidates as do not possess the full qualifications prescribed by the Admiralty circular of the 17th of November, 1849, shall undergo a preliminary examination before the hydrographer of the Admiralty, and two masters, previous to receiving an acting appoint ment : such preliminary examination to be subject to the final examination that would be required before confirmation to the rank of second master. Majors Stanley and Brett have just passed through Paris on their way to the Crimea. These officers belong to the Bombay Army, and have seen seven teen years' rough service in India. Major Stanley, who is well known for his gallant conduct in India, was formerly on the staff of the late Sir C. Napier, and served for some time as assistant political agent under Colonel Outram in Scinde, and has just relin quished a lucrative appointment on the Scinde fron tier to take the command of a regiment of cavalry in the Crimea. A detachment of twelve firework-makers, under the direction of M. Melvil, formerly a pupil of the Poly technic School, who has long devoted himself to the study of the pyrotechnic art, has embarked at Lyons, on board one of the Rhone steamers for Marseilles, on their way to the Crimea. These workmen, who are all remarkable for their superior ability in their art, have been specially engaged to keep in order and repair the vast quantity of bombs, shells, and other incendiary articles sent out to the army of occupa tion. Although civil workmen, they are to be placed under military orders. SATURDAY, THE BALTIC FLEET. (From a Correspondent.) Portsmouth, Thursday. THE Duke of Wellington is at Spithead, making good her damages. The authorities, whose word is law, say she must be ready on Saturday; but the shipwrights, who know something of these matters, say Monday. Large parties of the latter work night and day, and certainly get through a great deal of la bour. The fleet having sailed from the Downs, the Duke of Wellington will follow them as quickly as possible to Wingo Sound, in Norway (the first rendezvous). If they should have left that place, she will pass through the Great Belt, and join them at Kiel (the second rendezvous), where they will probably remain some ten days or a fortnight, to enable the vessels left be hind, such as the Cornwallis (60), Hawke (00), Rus sell (60), Orion (90), Hastings (60), Pembroke (60), with several steamers, gun-boats, &c., to join them, so that the admiral may have at his command a suf ficient force to thoroughly and efficiently blockade the whole Gulf of Finland. The batteries will hardly be ready for a month at soonest, nor, indeed, will they be required before that time, as active opera tions (such as an attack on any of the Russian strongholds) can hardly be commenced before the Ist of June. Much anxiety is felt by naval men as to the passage of these vessels across the North Sea and lower part of the Baltic. Once in the Gulf of Finland, after the Ist of June, and the Thames near Richmond could not be smoother than the water there during the months of June, July, and August; after that time the bad weather again sets in, and great care must be taken that vessels not good sea boats are sent home before it. commences. The Driver started from Spithead today with the Pelter gun-boat in tow. She is to pick up some others at. the eastern ports, and conduct them to Elsinore. The fleet are (as far as the large ships go) fully manned. In fact, the Baltic fleet will only require about seven hundred men to complete the crews of the batteries and gun-boats, and these men are al ready forthcoming. It is a matter of surprise to many that three of the batteries are not yet commissioned, their captains not even having been nominated, except by rumour. The Times is wrong about the captain of the fleet flag business. No flags, unless one be the royal standard, can fly together, or at different mastheads, in the same ship. Admiral Seymour's flag as an admiral was hoisted in the Princess Royal last year, in which ship he came home. A court-martial is being held to-day on board the Victory by the officers and crew of the Tiger for the loss of their vessel. Much interest is taken by naval circles in this t.ial. On Friday an inquiry of a private nature will be held on board the Duke of Wellington concerningher colli sion, more as a matter of form than with any other object, as there is only one opinion on the matter, which is, that the merchant vessel was entirely in the wrong, and that no blame could be attached to tile officers of the watch in the Duke. The Ajax was left behind in the Downs on account of her machinery being defective. The fleet were hurried off on account of despatches arriving from. the Baltic. Thursday evening. This morning, at daylight, the Neptune, Powerful, and Calcutta, liners, with the Centaur and Pylades, steamers, dropped down off St. Helens; and. this evening, or to-morrow morning, Sir Thomas• Cockrane will join them, and, hoisting his flag in the , Neptune, proceed off Dover to do honour to the Em peror of the French on his landing in England. 450' of the Grenadier Guards have embarked on board the Alma to-day, and sail immediately to the East.. The court martial on the Tiger is likely to last some' days. DR. MANDT, the physician who attended the Czar Nicholas in his last illness, has published a circum stantial account of the closing scenes of the monarch's life. "At ten minutes past three," says the doctor," he asked me, after I had mentioned the name of his father confessor, Must I then die?' I answered, ' Yes, sire.' Not a muscle of his face moved, not the least quickening of pulsation. How," said he, can you find the courage thus to doom me to death ;to tell me so to my face ? 'First,' said I, by so doing I fulfil a promise made to you a year and a half ago; the moment of which you then spcks to me, alas! has come ; moreover, I thus fulfil a duty to the Emperor. You have several hours to live ; you are in full possession of your faculties, and can direct them at your will—at least I believe so. Lally, sire, I love yon, and this is not the moment to conceal the truth, which I am sure you can bear to hear.' His countenance became serene, an' he stretched out bis hand, saying I thank you!' Sucb was the Emperor."