The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-11 00:00:00

SEBASTOPOL.

Writing from the Camp before Sebastopol on the 24th of
November, the correspondent of the Times says :
There is a rumour which has led a vagabond and precarious
existence ever since the 9th of September, " that the army are
leaving the north side," but no occular demonstration can be
afforded of the assertion, although there have been con-
siderable movements and changes of position among the
Russian troops at Mackenzie's Farm and the Belbeck for the
last few days. _My hut commands a view of a considerable
portion of the plateau on the other side of the Tchernaya, and
overlooks the spurs at Mackenzie's Farm, and the Russian
encampment at Inkerman, and between it and the Lower
Belbeck, and from the windows the movements, of the enemy
are plainly visible in moderately clear weather. Yesterday we
observed the whole of the enemy were in motion along the
plateau, and from an early hour in the morning till two
o'clock in the afternoon their battalions were marching to and
fro, but it was evident they were only changing their troops,
and that the regiments which left Mackenzie were replaced
by regiments from the camp in the rear. The, new
corners at the spur huts seem to be dressed better,
to be taller men, and to wear darker coats than those who
were relieved by them, and that appearance, which after
all may be ideal .and deceptive, has given rise to the notion
that the troops so close to us belong to the Imperial Guard.
Their various camps are rapidly losing the look of snowy neat-
ness of canvas, and are being converted into dingy rows of
huts. We can see their telegraphs at work with the greatest
facility, and to-day I can' make out the flags with my glass. It
is a pity one cannot get the imperial code book of signals and
a dictionary. They have a considerable quantity of cattle
feeding among the brushwood at Inkerman, and their works
on the north side, rapidly attaining prodigious and gigantic
dimensions, indicate every intention of holding their pc sition.
They fire seldom in comparison with their former abortive
cannonade upon the town ever since the. French have ceased
to reply to them, but they do not hesitate to waste a shot or
shell on a horseman riding near Fort Nicholas by the water's
edge, or coming down the streets, enfiladed by their fire; and
at night they fire at any light in the ruins of the city.
THE PREPARATIONS FOR DESTROYING
THE DOCKS.
The French batteries have been shut up, by orders, for the
last fortnight, or more. Our allies share with us the labours
of destroying
the decks, which will be ready to go at any mo-
ment we desire. The sappers experienced great difficulty in
forming the mines, in consequence of the water running in on
them from the clay, but with_their usual energy they worked
away and formed the mines, which will containeight small
and two large magazines. It is expected that the explosion
will just disintegrate the masonry and tumble the stonework
into the basins. The English works are uuder the charge of
Captain Nicholson, R.E.,. and. Mr. Deane has lent the use of
his batteries for the purpose of firing the mines, and will
undertake that part of the operation.

INTENTIONS OF THE ALLIES.
"I have had," says the Paris correspondent of the Post,
some conversation with a gentleman who has jot returned

froth Sebastopol. It is not the intention, he believes, of the
allies to hold the south side. He describes the work of de-
struction as so complete that many districts are perfectly
cleared. As I have already informed you, we shall soon hear
of the destruction of the docks, and all naval and military
constructions. He says, the commission appointed to take
stock, as they say in the commercial world, of the stores found
at Sebastopol, have completed their task with admirable
equity and success. I presume the results will shortly appear
in an official form, as he tells me they have been forwarded
home. Preparations were being made to convey portions to
England and France of such stores as were not considered
useful for the active army. This gentleman's impression is
that the allies will, ere long, be able to destroy the north forts
by the floating batteries, and then he speculates the Russians
will fall back on Mackenzie's Farm, where he says they are
strongly entrenched. `You may depend upon it,' added my
informant, ' that the enemy will not retire from the Crimea.
I carefully used my glass, and distinguished solid defensive
works at Mackenzie's Farm, winter huts, and newly-con-
structed roads. Simpheropol is equally well defended - and,
as for Eupatoria, Gen. d'Allonville cannot do much at the pre-
sent season. He knows precisely how far he can advance
before meeting with difficulties of ground and defences which
the season renders doubly strong.' My authority argues that
the Russians must be confident of keeping up their supplies
from Perekop."