The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

verbial honesty of the Osmanli fails him in certain condi-
tions—that is to say, as regards the beylick or the employs
in which he may have been placed by the confidence of his
sovereign. Moreover, if you depute him to purchase any
article, be its value great or small, he is oftentimes unable
to resist the allurements of illicit gain. This, all over the
East from the earliest times, has been a blot on the na-
tional character, Bald which it is the anxious desire of the
present Sultan to eradicate fundamentally, by the promul-
gation and rigorous enforcement of the Tauzimat.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(From a Correspondent.)
BALTIC FLEET, Tuesday, April 3.
THE Baltic fleet, consisting at present of thirteen
line-of-battle ships (steam) and six paddle steamers,
were prevented from sailing to-day by bad weather ;
but the Lords of the Admiralty paid a semi-official
farewell visit to Admiral Dundas on board the Duke
of Wellington, who has, with all his staff, taken up
his quarters (he having been hying on shore) on
board that ship. Everything is in readiness for
starting at a moment's warning; the " God bless
you, good bye," has been said, and officer and man,
from highest to lowest, has to nerve himself to forget
home and all that is dear for a while, and
to serve his country with all his energies;
nor must he forget that the service on which
he is to be employed is not one as in times
past, when the British sailor could show his supe-
riority to the world on his own element in engaging
the fleets of the foe, but the more dangerous and dif-
ficult task of encountering a subtle, well-prepared
enemy, who behind stone walls bids defiance to our
eager squadrons—an enemy who must be dealt with

by the greatest caution and discretion. All in this
fleet must feel that something must be attempted,
but that something, if already agreed upon and ar-
ranged by the " higher powers," is properly kept
secret. Still we feel that something must be done.

Wednesday morning, April 4th.

Ten o'clock.—Signal just made to unmoor and
prepare to weigh. Sir Thomas Cochrane, with his
flag in the Vivid, accompanied by some of the Lords
of the Admiralty, has come out to Spithead to see
us off.

Twelve o'clock.—The weather is very hazy, so that
it appears doubtful whether the fleet will start
to-day.
Two o'clock.—The weather having cleared, signal
was made to weigh, which was answered by the fleet
under sailing orders for the Baltic now at Spithead get-
ting under weigh and making sail to the eastward in
two lines, the steamers paddling along under steam
near their respective liners. At four the wind bucame
light, and orders were given to get up steam, and
each line-of battle ship, soon being under command
of this mighty scoffer of calms and head-winds, furled
their sails and steamed at a rate of five knots e
hour for the night, Admiral I)undas in the Duke of
Wellington leading the weather, and Admiral Sey-
mour the lee, lines. Numerous yachts accompanied
the fleet, and crowds of people loudly cheered the
admiral. The weather was most beautiful, and our
start altogether most auspicious. I shall not close
this till our arrival in the Downs. We shall be
joined in a few days by several (I think seven) line.
of-battle ships, as our number is to consist of twenty
or twenty-one line-of-battle ships.
April sth.—The fleet has just anchored in the
Downs after a fine passage round, the only accident
having been a collision which unfortunately took
place between a merchant ship and the Duke of Wel-
lington. The former, being distracted by the many
lights of the fleet, put her helm the wrong way, and,
running on board the Duke, sustained considerable
damage, and dropped astern in a deplorable condi-
tion. Her name, it appears, could not be ascer•
tained, and a steamer which was sent in search of
her did not succeed in picking her up. Doubtless
she found the Duke the hardest of the two.

The fleet are now securely anchored, and here I
imagine we wait the arrival of the stzay vessels not
finished fitting at the different ports, and perhaps
may remain until her most gracious Majesty Queen
Victoria and the Emperor of the French will be able
to pay them a visit.