The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-14 00:00:00

THE BALTIC FLEET.

From Dantzic we learn, under date of the 12th, that
Admiral Baynes's squadron had left Nargen to
join Admiral Dundas off Cronstadt. The fleet was
healthy, but there was no news.

Admiral Seymour, who was much injured by the
accidental explosion of one of the "infernal ma-
chines," is progressing favorably; Captain Louis,
JIM., has been removed to the hospital-ship; and
Flag-Lieutenant Pearce is so far recovered as to be
able to resume his duties.

Fifteen more machines have been found, making
in all a total of sixty-one discovered during the lest
fortnight. Two deserters, who came on board the
Exmouth, stated that 200 of these exploders had
been laid down by the Russians on the south side of
Cronstadt, and that they were so arranged that ten
should explode at the same moment.

A despatch from St. Petersburg of the 6th
inst., states that the British ships bombarded
Krasnaja Gorka on the forenoon of the 3i'd inst.,
for five hours. They destroyed the telegraph-station
and barracks,

JULY 14, 1855.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(Front our Own Correspondent.)

Jura 25.—The search for infernal machines goes
on, and it is most amusing to see the number of
amateurs that know that the way of extracting the
sting has been found) are constantly fishing for them.
I should think that nearly a hundred have been
taken. Apropos to extracting the sting, I must
explain to you that it is done by drawing the fuse,
which is placed on the upper part of the machine,
charged with an igniting substanoe that communi-
cating with the powder. To-day the Geyser and two
mortar vessels arrived. They appear to be very
efficient craft, and I trust that we may have an op-
portunity of proving their efficiency.
Juwn 27.—The James Watt went Inshore to-day,
taking two gun boats with her. On arriving in-
shore, some six miles from us, they discovered the
mouth of a river, in which some ten or twelve coast-
ing vessels were lying. These they at once, under
cover of the guns of the gun-boats, cut out, and
found them, with the exception of one, laden with
stone ballast ; the exception was full of coarse paper,
of all sorts and descriptions. She was towed out to
the fleet, and the signal was made, " Send for paper,"
and boatloads were taken away, for different pur-
poses. It was very soft, and I should imagine well
adapted fur grocers, though our fighting men call it
cartridge paper.
JUNE 28.—T0-day being the Queen's coronation-
day, the combined fleets hoisted the national flags at
their mastheads; and I hear that the ward-room
officers of the Duke of Wellington entertained at
dinner the French officers. The Volge, laden with
powder, rocket*, &0., arrived to day. What can the
powder be for, if we are to be (as is said) a block-
ading squadron? The enemy has brought down
from the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg some
forty gunboats (row-boats). These vessels, which
are armed with two heavy guns each, are placed in.
side the barrier I have so often told you of, so that
it is evident they hive some fear of our having a slap
at them. They have now about eighty gun boats,
of all descriptions. The crews live on board the
armed hulks anchored across from Cronstadt to
Lisiness, and are merely during the day on board.
JUNE 29.—This morning the ships of the fleet
on the north side exercised firing at the Russian
prizes, which were placed at certain distances, some
at 1,109 yards and some st 1,900 yards, from the
liners. The firing was very good, all the vessels
being rapidly sunk. At four o'clock a Russian
steamer, with a flag of truce, was seen coming out of
the harbour. As she came out of the south side she
was stopped by the Royal George, the officer from
which vessel was told that the bearer of the despateh
on board the Russian steamer was desirous to com-
municate personally with the admiral ; so he was
allowed to proceed to the north side. On his ap-
proaching the fleet there, he was met by a boat from
the Duke of Wellington, with an officer, who, after
desiring him to stop, asked his object. He replied
that he was the bearer of a letter from the Minister
of War to the English admiral, and that he also
wished to have a personal communication with him
on the subject of his despatch (which it appears was
connected entirely with the Cossack affair). The
admiral, however, declined to see him, merely send-
ing him an acknowledgment of the letter, and a
message to the effect that an answer would be sent
shortly. The steamer was a very fast vessel.
JUNE 80.—This morning a small boat was observed
coming off from the point at the west extreme of
island, and on one of our boats being sent to cut, her
off she was found to have on board three deserters
from the town—or rather one was from the Russian
admiral's ship, and the others from the Telegraph.
They state that ithey are Poles, and have the same
story—tbat they are esicapingifrom the tyranny of the
authorities. They spin all sorts of what sailors call
" yarns" about Cronstadt and ha means of defence
and offence, which are believed as they deserve. Still,
by putting 2 and 2 together, we may pick up some
idea of certain matters of importance. it is strange
that the fleet is clear of every description of
sickness, when this time last year we had cholera
and other unpleasant epidemics amongst us to an
alarming extent. We all begin to despair of honour
and gory ; but maybe we are wrong. Admiral
Bay ncs, with his flag in the Retribution, has
arrived at Nargen, with seventeen pendants, in-
cluding gun-boats and mortar-vessels. He has
been reconnoitring Revel pretty closely, and occa-
sionally exchanged shots with the forts. Our
cruisers are employed along the coast destroying all
the telegraphs and Government stations. There
arc ceps everywhere, but they think it wiser to de.
c imp when our ten-inch guns come within range of
tl em. All this, however, I should think would not
su:li,•e to satisfy the public at home—they naturally
aspect more. Arrogant and Magicienna have de-
stroyed about fifty vessels in the neighbourhood of