The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

of six guns, which had been blockading the harbour
for fifty days previous. The orders to evacuate were
received from the Russian head-quarters in Siberia.
When the allied fleets anchored in the harbour, a
detachment was sent on shore by the commanders
of the fleets—Rear-Admiral Bruce, of the English,
and Rear-Admiral Fourichon, of the French. They
landed and found the town deserted, save by about
a hundred Kamschatka dogs, a French-naturalised
American, and two Americans, who raised the stars
and stripes over their houses when the allied
forces landed, claiming that, as the Russians had
abandoned the place and left it to them, they were
the rightful possessors of the soil. These men are
engaged in trading, and are represented as doing a
good business. The dogs were in a starving condi-
tion, and followed the invaders about town for bits of
biscuit.

The following day after the arrival of the allies the
destruction of the fortifications commenced. These
were fascines constructed of immense logs—the walls
being sixteen feet in thickness. Such was their
strength, they resisted all efforts for some time, and
were finally razed to the ground by the agency of
powder. It appears that the policy of the Russian
Government had changed rather suddenly in this
matter. AftAr the battle of last year orders came for
strengthening the fort; and though at that time such
a resistance was made as to repel the assailants,
there being but one tier of guns, it was ordered to
increase it to a double tier. The destroyers found
embrasures for fifty-one guns of heavy calibre.
A despatch dated in Petropaulowski, from Rear.
Admiral Fouricbon, of the French fleet, states, after
briefly recapitulating the facts above enumerated,
that the Russian garrison, numbering some 1,200
men, had doubtless sailed for the mouth of the Amoor
River, which drains the southern portion of Siberia,
and flows into the Gulf of Saghalien, an arm of the
Sea of Ochotsk. They left for this point on the 17th
of April, and were doubtless there before the French
and English arrived at Kamschatka. This river is
regarded as the dividing line between China and
Asiatic Russia, and at its mouth is a very strong
series of fortifications, which have been greatly
strengthened from time to time by the Russians. It
was thought by some of the officers of the Obliged°
that the immense armament of Petropaulowski was
carried there with the garrison, and will add consi.
derably to the strength of a fortress already consi.
dered very formidable.
Official despatches recapitulating the proceedings
of the fleets have been received at the Admiralty
from Admiral Bruce. That officer states :

President, at Petropaulowski, June 15, 1855.

I have to report, for the information of the Lords Com•
missioners of the Admiralty, that, arriving off this port on
the 30th of May, I found the place completely evacuated;
not a ship, gun, or person to be seen ; nothing but empty
embrasures and deserted houses.

1 entered the inner harbour on the following day in the
Barracoula, accompanied by Captain Penanros, of the
French frigate Alceste, when we found three Americans
( the only residents left), from whom we learned that the
Russian ships named in the margin [Aurora, 41 ; Thrina,
20; Olieutza, 20. Transports: (Baikal, Misch] were cut
through the ice, and took their departure, on the sth (17th)
April, with all the guns and munitions of war, and all the
soldiers and Government employes, 800 in number; but
of their destination we could obtain no clue.

I reached the rendezvous, lat. 50 N., lon. 100 E., in m 3
flag-ship, on the 14th of May, and the Dido and Pique ar-
rived the same day; the Encounter and Barraccnita had
been there since the 14th April. Great credit is due to
Captain O'Callaghan and Commander Stirling for the zea-
lous exertion by which they effected this object ; and their
lordships will remark the promptitude with which they
were despatched by Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling
The French frigate Alceste and the Brisk were in the vi-
cinity of the rendezvous at the same time ; but the preva-
lence of thick fogs and adverse weather prevented my
seeing the Ray of Acootska before the 20th ult., when six of
the ships being together, I trusted to the prompt appear-
ance of the seventh, and accordingly proceeded to the port,
in tow of the Borraeouto, followed by the Alceste, in tow or
the Brisk. The Dido, Pique, and Encounter arrived the
same evening.
Commander Stirling, of her Majesty's steam-sloop Barra-
conga, while separated from the squadron, having, during a
break in the fog, looked into the anchorage to see if it was
there, took, with much judgment, that opportunity of ri •
connoitring the harbour; and I was informed by him of the
ships being no longer in it.
The enemy must have worked in an indefatigable manner
after the departure of the allied squadron last year, as we
found nine batteries for fifty-four guns had been cm.-
structed with much skill and labour, by means of far-
eines strongly bound together, twenty-five feet thick,
staked and filled in with earth, and some of them
ditched round, with covered ways leading from one to
the other, and trees planted in the rear. Every possible
preparation had been made to receive us prior to the
orders arriving from SL Petersburg to evacuate the
place.
I caused the batteries to be destroyed, but, having met
with no opposition on approaching Petropaulowski, I con-
sidered it a point of honour to respect the town.
I found hidden in the Rakovia Harbour a tine Russian
whaler of 400 tons, called the .4tan, built at Abo in 11453.
She would have sailed from here three weeks sines for
I Alan, with the family of the governor of the plus, NA