The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-04 00:00:00

every endeavour has been and will be made to supply
the garrison with sufficient resources to stand during
the winter, when the roads of the Crimea will be less
capable of bearing the transport of heavy articles. As
long ago as August, 1t453, two or three houses of Odessa
divided a contract to supply the Government with 14,000
military carts : although these were, no doubt, destined
for the campaign in the principalities, yet they were
probably transferred with thousands more to the defence
of Sebastopol; and the fact of such contracts having
been made is sufficient to show the scale on which the
late Emperor was ready to carry out his views, and the
facilities which the Crimean fortress still has for conti•
nuing a defence which seems wonderful to those who do
not consider how long it had been foreseen and prepared
for.

The French are very sanguine of their ability to reach
the shipping from the new battery they are erecting at
the White Works. That the Russians also have some
doubts on the subject is evident from the assiduity with
which they fife into the newlyconstructed work. The
long 68-pounders which are bring mounted seem sufli-
sient to do the work even at that distance, but as yet
the ships give no sign of moving, and remain motionless
in their double line across the harbour, while the boats
flit along on all sides of them in ceaseless activity. Our
battery near the Quarries is almost ready, and in less
than a week the matter will be decided.

Our casualties of late have not been many. No officer
has fallen since the death of Lieutenant Mansell, of toe
39th. There is little sickness, when it is considered that
a force of 150,000 men is concentrated in front of Sebas-

t
JULY 17.—Another sortie from the Malakoff last night
during a pouring rain. It lasted about a quarter of an
hour. Heavy firing all night. This morning the French
are said to be advancing rapidly with their works. They
talk of all being ready for another assault in about a fort-
night.
JULY 19.—The French, to-day, observing signs of ac-
tivity among the Russians on their left, opened a furious
fire from all their batteries towards that part of the town.
The fire, which was as heavy as in any of the bombard.
ments, continued for about half an hour, and, having ap•
parently effected its object, ceased. On the side of the
Malakoff the French have discovered the way by which the
Russian reserves are moved into the works. It appears
that two deep trenches lead to the Malakoff, one on the
side of the Redan, and the other on the side of the Little
Redan, towards Careening Bay. To interrupt, at least,
the latter means of communication, the French have estab-
lished a small battery, which is as yet unmasked. It will
play on the covered way on the side of the Little Bedan,
and to a great extent stop the Russian reserves coming
up while the French are assaulting the works themselves.
To-day the Tartar inhabitants of the villages in the
plain of Baidar and along the coast eastward of Cape Aia
began returning to their homes. It is not much that a
Tartar generally possesses, but of the little they left be-
hind them they will find nothing left. Every cottage has
been unroofed, and everything that was worth carrying
away has disappeared. Even articles that could hardly
be conceived to have any attraction, such as portions of a
wine-press or old casks, have been laboriously dragged
away by the Turks to their camp.
JULY 20.—T0-day there has been a veritable July sun;
not a breath of sir has been stirring. Over the Black Sea
hangs the mist which always appears when the sun pours
down his says with more than usual power. Firing slack
this morning ; but towards aftenioon it has increased con-
siderably, and at the present moment there is a sharp
cannonade kept up from the Malakoff, and now and then a
volley of musketry announces that the skirmishers are at
work. We have constructed another battery of two
Lancaster guns to the left, and in advance of the twenty-
one-gun battery. Somewhat more to the !eft a battery of
six guns had been raised to fire on the shipping, but it
having been found that the position was too low for the
purpose, mortars have been substituted, and the battery
will, no doubt, open in a few days. The Lancasters have
not yet been mounted, but will probably be in position to-
morrow.
The health of the men is still excellent, and their spirits
do not in the least suffer by the length and wearisomeness
of the siege. The summer is cool, and, as the Russians of
late make very few sorties, the nights are passed without
much hardship in the trenches. When formed in march-
ing order to descend the oft-trodden ravines which lead to
the batteries, there is neither despondency nor unwilling-
ness ; the laugh and the joke accompany their steps, their
air is brisk and alert ; how different from their appearance
in the gloomy season of last December ! The noise of
skittles is to heard on every side, and the regimental
bands, with sadly diminished numbers indeed, but still
effective for amusement, give the various popular airs to
which we are. accustomed at home.

Omer Pacha has not yet returned from Constantinople.
He is heartily tired of his position in the Crimea, and
wishes for a field where he can gain some distinction, or
at least keep up the reputation he gained on the banks of
the Danube. Now the plan of direct attack on Sebastopol
has been persisted in, the Mushir finds that his occupation
is gone, and although a transference to Asia would leave
the more honourable command on the Danube in the hands
of his rival Ismail l'acha, he is, nevertheless, said to be
desirous of having the command at Kars.
JULY 21.—Amid the returning heat which has followed
t le stormy weather of last week, the operations of the siege
are being pressed forward by the French on our right with
indefatigable industry. There is nothing in what goes for-
ward which can strike a stranger; stagnation seems to
retp in camp and trenches ; even the heavy fire of a few
days since has for the most part died away; yet every day
an a trance is made, and every day sees the allies nearer the
cm of the Malakoff, which it will now require all the
courage and tenacity of the Russians to hold. The Male•
hoe and Alanolon stand on an elevated plateau, while the