The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-19 00:00:00

THE LIFE OF A PRISONER IN SEBASTOPOL.

The following letters from Captain lilalafayes, of
the 82nd (French) Regiment, who was made
prisoner by the Russians on the 24th of March,
during a sortie in front of the Malakoff Tower, have
been published in Paris :
Hospital of Sebastopol, March SI.
I presented my letters of introduction yesterday to
Prince Vasilehikoff, Colonel of the Imperial Guard and
Aide-de•Camp of the Emperor. My strength is recover-
ing, as I am relieved from the difficulty of breathing,
caused by a wound under the left arm. I took advantage
of the time I was in the hospital to visit Captain Pierre,
of the 2nd Zouaves, made prisoner during the night of the
23rd of February. I had likewise the pleasure to afford
relief to some of my poor wounded comrades. I shall en-
deavour to remain with one of them, an officer, whose
wounds are mortal, until he shall have rendered his soul
to God. Prince Zalifkine is likewise very humane. Having
heard that Captain Kern, of the navy, ha 1 been kind to
me the prince invited him to meet me at dinner. Those
officers afterwards showed me the harbour of Sebastopol
and the batteries which form the left of their defence.
My position as prisoner does not permit me to say what I
think of them, but I may repeat what the French troops
already know, that the defence of Sebastopol reflects the
greatest honour on the Russians. The defenders of the
town on their part feel the most profound respect for the
brave allied armies. Prince Vasilchikoff has to•day
allotted me an apartment, in which I am writing. It is
I,kewise occupied by a British colonel and a captain, cap-
tared the same day that I was. I have already taken tea
with them, and find them very agreeable. I shall mess
with them ; and we are to be supplied from General
Osten-Sacken's kitchen. You are, however, aware how
little I regard my food ; and I would willingly live on
bread and water the remainder of my life,if I could by that
sacrifice recover my sabre. My poor sabre !—T had carried
it during fifteen campaigns, and every soldier can conceive
what pain I suffered on being deprived of it. General
Zalifkine made several efforts to recover it, but ineffectually.
The Russians have a great desire for all articles coming
from France. Everybody wishes to exchange my money,
and I was offered a valuable watch for mine, which is old
sad out of repair.
APRIL 2.—General Osten-Sacken's aide-de-camp has
brought me the St. Petersburg Journal printed in French.
You can have no idea with what avidity I read it. While
reading the articles dated Paris I forgot J was a prisoner
in the hands of the Russians. Prince Vasilchikoff hearing
that I had not received my clothes, and fearing that I
should suffer from cold, has sent me a magnificent cloak
which belonged to a French officer, no doubt dead. Since
I have been here I have not received any letter either from
France or the camp. My greatest anxiety is to learn
whether my boldness on the 2'lnd of March did not com-
promise my company. I shall thank God if I alone have
suffered. The English colonel with whom lam lodged is
married and the father of four children. The captain
plays draughts, a game with which I was not acquainted,
.but which quickly learned. The game of chess is more
interesting, and when I receive my chessboard we shall be
the better able to pass the time.
APRIL 4.—Baron Captain Krudner has just called to
invite me to dine with him at three o'clock. I have omit.
ted to describe to you how I pass my time. I rise at
eight o'clock, as late as possible, in order that the day may
not appear too long. NN e then take tea, which is the &is-
m= breakfast, and which they drink with a little bread.

THE PRESS.

But, as they know that the French and English are scene-
tomed to something more substantial, they give us a dish
of meat. We make a very comfortable dinner at three
o'clock, and at eight tea is again served with some excel-
lent white bread. We are offered a fourth repast at ten
o'clock, but we prefer to go to bed. 1 have already told
you that our provisions are supplied from the kitchen of
Baron Osten•Sacken, Commander•in•Chief of the troops in
Sebastopol.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(From a Correspondent.)

AT 4 a.m. on May 3 signal made to unmoor and get
up steam. At seven the whole fleet weighed anchor
and steamed out of the bay in line of battle, leaving
Kiel harbour in its tranquillity of a fortnight since,
and the hospitable inhabitants of the town to regret
(at least we will hope such to he the case) the de-
parture of a very jolly set of fellows. On being
clear of shoals and narrow waters the fleet formed
into two lines, and steamed or sailed, according to
wind and weather, through the Funen Belt.
MAY 4.—Fine weather, with fresh breeze, hardly
air enough to admit of sail being carried. H.M.S.
Conflict joined us with despatches from flying
squadron : news that ice is melting fast, the ships
having got as far as Port Baltic, some twenty-five
miles inside Dager' Ort (the south-west limit of the
Gulf of Finland. Exercised to-day at general gun
drill, all the ships firing blank cartridges, and per-
forming various warlike evolutions. Conflict left for
Copenhagen : had not time to send letters. Speed
of fleet about 51 knots, to allow of all vessels keeping
their station. The Merlin (Captain Sullivan, sur-
veyor) acts as a pioneer to the fleet, taking her
station ahead of the admiral about one mile. The
Dragon is gone on with gunboats in her charge to
Faro Sound.

MAY s.—Weather cloudy, wind fresh from the
northward, and very cold. The curious phenomena
of nature usually to be found in these latitudes at
this season begin to show themselves, and are mat-
ters of great amusement and interest, puzzling the
look-out men beyond anything. For example, a man
at the masthead reports a fleet ahead (no unim-
portant report in these times). Immense excitement
accordingly. Officers and men are soon in an elevated
position on the masts. "By Jove!" say one, "it is
a fleet! Let me see : sixteen sail." "No mistake,"
says another. Down they go to report; up goes a
general signal, "Prepare for action" ; but, strange
to say, this enemy don't approach, or rather we, who
are steaming six knots an hour, don't approach them ;
and, to finish all, the officers and men aloft are per-
fectly flabergasted at seeing their visions of glory (or
broken heads) vanish as suddenly as they appeared,
which proceeding is not to be accounted for till some
eight hours afterwards, when in the extreme distance
is seen a shoal of Swedish fishing-boats ; and it was
suggested (as proved to be the fact) that the mirage
and our over-sanguine imagination had magnified
those little vessels into a Russian fleet. As anothtr
example, a sail is reported which turns out to be an
inverted lighthouse—rather puzzling to navigators.

MAY O.—Arrived at and anchored off Faro, in
Island of Gottland. Found here Arrogant (who, I
am sorry to say, has smallpox on board to an alarm-
ing extent) ; Magicienne, who has several gun-boats
in charge ; and Princess Alice, who has been, by some
mismanagement or misfortune, run .m shore, going
into Faro, and is very materially damaged, so much
so that she will have to go to some Swedish dock to
be put to rights: at the present moment she can't
float, one of her compartments being full of water.
She is in Faro harbour, in a deplorable at ite.
The first lieutenant of the Duke of Wellington
is appointed to command her, and has already
taken charge. Driver has arrived to-day from
the Gulf of Finland. Ice has melted as far as
Revel, and is fast disappearing. Fleet will probably
start for one of the old anchorages in those waters
to-day or to-morrow. Geyser has sent on two small
prizes, about twenty tons each, partly loaded with
hemp. She took them off Riga. Though small
they are worth taking, from the value of their car-
goes. The mail leaves fleet in time to save the
Saturday mornings' mail for London. A Dantzic
mail arrives at Dantzic on Friday evening, leaving
London on Tuesday night. Fleet arc employed
completing coaling. The blockade is now declared.
There are many reports as to what has been done
during the absence of English men-of-war ; but rely
on it the ice has pretty effectually blockaded our
friends in our absence. It is said that the Russians
have three screw liners. I wish we may get them.
The flying squadron is cruising near the edge of the
ice. All well. Colliers are daily arriving at this
place. Gun-boats remain here until their services
are required.
MAY B.—This morning, at nine o'clock, the signal
was made to weigh, and all the ships excepting the
Blenheim and Ajax weighed and stood towards the
Gulf of Finland, under easy sail. The mad leaves

467

this afternoon, so I must close this. lam glad to
say that the sickness on board the Arrogant is de-
creasing ; but it is a remarkable fact that this climate
always disagrees with English people, influenza,
swelled eyes, hands, and feet being unpleasantly
common. We expect, after a few days' cruising, to
anchor somewhere in the Gulf of Finland, for it is
not safe to risk the fleet in these unmarked and un-
lighted waters by much cruizing. There is a brag-
ging Yankee cruising about here who declares he
will break the blockade. I have a "notion" he
" calculates " wrong.

Admiral Dundas left Parosund on the Bth inst.. in
the Duke of Wellington, and with twenty four sail
proceeded for Elfsnabben.
The Ajax and Blenheim remained at Farosund.
A French squadron, consisting of the Tourville,
carrying the flag of Admiral l'enauil Duquesne, and
Austerlitz, line•of battle ships, and the corvette
d'Assass, passed the Belt on Sunday morning.
The Driver steamer, Captain Gardner, arrived at
Dantsic on the 11th, Having been up with the fleet as
far as the Aland Isles. She reports that the Gulf of
Finland is packed with ice right across from Revel to
Aland, and that all communication with the shore is
impracticable.
A despatch from Hamburg, dated Thursday, states
that the English fleet has penetrated into the Gulf of
Bothnia.