The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

THE WAR.

The latest news from Sebastopol is of the 30th ult.,
received in Paris by telegraphic despatch, announcing
that a general attack on the place was preparing and
was expected to cotno otf in a few days. The wet'•
ther was favorable.

Despatches have also been received by the French
Minister of War, communicating the following intel-
ligence :
SEBASTOPOL, Jan. 27.—There is no firing on our side.
The weather is frosty at night; very mild and fine during
the day. The siege works are advancing. The army is
still sickly. Prince Menschikoff has gone northwards.
The Russians make constant sorties, and continue tiring
upon the French lines anti pickets. Supplies are gone up
to the camp in abundance. The French eighth division
has arrived. The British ship Sphynx has also arrived.
Lord Raglan visited lialaklava on the 24th of January•, and
had an interview with Admiral Lyons; he inspected the
trenches on the 25th.

Jan. 28.—The weather has improved, and the troops
supported with patience the unfavorable climate. The bat-
teries were progressing with activity. The V•oltigeurs of
the Imperial Guard, under General Ulrich, had arrived.
The troops were full of enthusiasm. Generals de Niel
and Vaubert de Geniis had likewise arrived.
The French soldiers were impatient for the assault, and
General Canrobert had been obliged to moderate their
ardour. The whole line was prepared to open fire.
Previous advices stated that the heavy falls of
snow had weakened some of the works before Sebas-
topol, but they had been actively repaired. The
French third division have taken the place of the
English in the trenches, and continue the works.
A letter from the Crimea, in the Conatitutionnel,
confirms the fact already stated in our own journals,
that the effective strength of the English army on
the 25th ult. amounted to no more than 12,0(X) men.
The cavalry regiments, it is added, were reduced to
100 horses.
sortie had been made on the 23rd ult. on the
French lines by the Russian garrison, in which our
allies suffered some severe loss.
There has been a rumour in Vienna, founded on
an alleged despatch from the Crimea, to the effect
that the Zouaves had mutinied, and 400 men sent in
chains to Constantinople, en route for Toulon. The
report, however, requires authentication.
General Bosquet mustered the British light divi-
sion on the 19th instant. Both men and officeni
were highly elated with the interest the French
general took in their condition and prospects.
The railroad from Balaklava to the camp has been
commenced. The only official despatch containing
any account of the progress of the siege published
in England during the week has been the following
from Lord Raglan to the War Minister
Before Sebastopol, Jan. 2:1, 1855.
Nothing has occurred of any importance in our front;
but the enemy has occasionally opened a fire upon our left
attack, and Mr. Spalding, a fine young man, an acting
mate of her Majesty's ship London, and in charge of the
battery, was unfortunately killed by a round-shot the day
before yesterday.
His lose is deeply deplored. I inclose the return of
casualties to the 21st instant.
The weather has become milder ; but the country is still
in a dreadful state from melted snow.
The army is well supplied with warm clothing, and if
the commissariat were adequately provided with transport,
and the huts could be at once brought up, there would be
no other cause of suffering than the severity of a Crimean
winter, and the duties imposed of carrying on a siege in
such a climate at this season of the year.
RAGLAN.
Constantinople letters to the 29th ult. have arrived.
They report that 1,000 English and French conva-
lescents were about to leave on their return to the
Crimea. The St. Jean d'Acrc had arrived at Con-
stantinople, with 000 troops on board, and three
general officers.
The barracks at Smyrna have been converted
into hospitals, and will be provided with 2,0(X) beds.
The 71st Regiment of Highlanders, and two com-
panies that remained of the 34th Regiment of the
line, left Corfu on the 25th ult., for the Crimea, in

the Medway.
The English steamer, the Scamander, left Havre
on Wednesday, with fifty carts, fifteen ambulances,
a quantity of wooden shoes and soup-pots, 1,000
iron bedsteads, :150 boxes of sugar, 500 barrels of
salt meat, and a number of ovens, coffee-mills, wheel-
barrows, and other articles for the (French) army
of the East. It took seven days to get the large aud
various cargo on board.
The blockade of the Russian ports in the Black
Sea has been notified. Off Odessa the Mogador and
Gladiator will be stationed, while the French steamer
Berthollet and the Leopard will cruise off Keffa,
Kertch, Anapa, and Soudjak Kale.
Orders are said to have reached Sebastopol from
St,. Petersburg, commanding a peedy attack on, and
the destruction of, Balaklava and Eupatoria. Osten-
Saeken, supported by the Grand Dukes Michael and
Nicholas, would therefore, it was supposed, probably
attack the allies ere long, and whilst the weather
continued propitious.