The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-24 00:00:00

go on but very slowly. The casemated battery .at the right
point of the ravine of the Careening Port, which •is to act on
the Russian vessels, is far from being finished, and it is, there-
fore, probable that ten days or a fortnight must elapse before
the Allies will be prepared to make an assault with any chance

cf success.
A leter from before -Sebastopol, of the -Srd, in the
Semaphore of Marseilles,-says :
- - - -

The Russian line-of-battle ships anchored in the roadstead
opposite Fort St. Nicholas begin to suffer from the fire of the
mortar battery on the side of the Quarantine Bay. On the
Z7th a shell passed through the three decks of the Tchesme,
killing and wounding several men, and then, bursting in the
hold, set fire to her for a short time. Some daysbefore, a pro-
jectile, fired by a French vessel, bursting in a workshop near
the Artillery Bay, caused the explosion of a number of loaded
shells, killed several artillerymen, and caused -such damage
that the Russians have not since dared to collect together such
a quantity of articles in one place as they had before been in
the habit of doing. The shells from the allied vessels occasion
much damage in the place and severe losses to the garrison.
Their destructive effects are more feared. than those of the
rockets. The number of naval artillerymen in the place has
been reduced from 16,000 to 3;500; there are now only three
artillerymen for each gun. On board the Russian vessels the
rations of vegetables and brandy have been diminished one
half. The captains of them have received orders to economise
- their consumption of salt pork as much as possible. An order
from the commander-in-chief has prescribed to the inhabitants
to quit the town. The opinion that the place must infallibly
fall into the power of the alliedarmies is more and more gene-
ral among the besieged, and that feeling has greatly increased
their discouragement, particularly during the last few days.
All this information has been derived from-the deserters and
psisoners.

A correspondent, writing.on the 7th,- says :---

No change has occurred in the general disposition of the
troops, nor has any incident of peculiar interest in the siege
operations taken place since the last mail. The allies are bu-
sily occupied in perfecting their approaches against the Mala-
koff Tower and Redan, particularly the former position. The
enemy is engaged with equal activity in strengthening and
adding to their defences. From the enormous number of
gabions seen to be brought over, it is suspected that the Rus-
sians are also constructing some inner works of large size.
Rumours have been prevailing that the Malakoff was to be
attacked again shortly ; even the date has been named. From
the state of our works, however, it would appear that some
time must elapse—two or three weeks—before all-the proposed
batteries and approaches to be brought against it and the
shipping can be completed. There has also been .a talk that
the French were to take the trench duties wholly, so as to set
the British force free for taking the field, but this does not
appear probable. The argument used to defend this supposed
arrangement has been that, being already in possession of so
great an extent of the attacks, both on the left and right, the
French would not find the addition of the centre any serious
tax upon the resource of the vast force they now possess in
the field : while all chance of mistakes arising from a want of
thorough and complete action in concert, would be avoided.
Ii is not likely, however, that, having once undertaken a share
in the great work, the British commander would consent to
abandon it, even although, by operating in the field, his-efforts
woult tend to the accomplishment of the same ultimate object.
Various circumstances have occurred to lead to the supposition
that part of the British force would shortly leave for more
active campaigning; but nothing is known respecting the
intended operation, or what troops are likely to move. All
the British divisions of infantry, including the Guards .and
Highlanders, are now employed in the siege duties.