The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

AUG. 11; 1855.

and words of oommand, given in a loud tone. The result
justified their anticipations, as the Russian bugles sounded
the assembly, and their troops were seen crowding into the
malakoff, ready to repel the supposed premeditated attack.
Immediately the guns and, mortar; bearing on the
threatened point poured forth their iron hail. Grape,
cannister, and shells fell amongst the besieged "fast and
furious," and only ceased when the fire from the enemy
showed that the panic had passed away. On the whole this
ruse de guerre was satisfactory in the extreme to all con-
cerned, except the sufferers.
The Times publishes a letter, dated the 28th ult.,
from the Turkish camp in the Crimea. The writer
bays :
The French camp on the Tschernaya, as well as the
Turkish and Piedmontese contingents, has for the last few
days been kept on the alert, owing to the news brought by a
Russian deserter. According to his account, the Russians
intended to attack in great force the Tschernaya line, and
bad prepared thirty brigades of infantry and four of artillery.
Their chief object, he pretended, was to break through
the Turkish line. The consequence of this news, which
came from French head-quarters, was that both the Pied-
montese and Tullis)) troops passed a sleepless night. But
the night of Wednesday, as well as the following ones. was
passed without bringing the Russians. The Sardinians
occupy Tchorgoun as usual ; the French . and English
cavalry, and lately a Turkish detachment, the valley of
Baidar ; and nowhere have any traces of the enemy been
discovered. Either the Russians have been kept back
by the heavy rains which we have had for the last three
days, or else, as is more probable, the threatened attack was
only one of those stories with which deserters try to ingra-
tiate themselves on their arrival.
The Russians would have found it at any rate rather
tough work to force the Tschernaya line. Lower down
towards Inkermann, where the valley is broad, the infantry
could not have forded the river, for, in oonsequence of the
late rains, the Tschernaya is considerably swollen; the
bridge of Traktir, the only ready passage, is guarded by a
strong tile-de pont, and to construct bridges under the fire
of the enemy is one of those things which are sometimes
talked of, but not often done. Higher up, near Tchor-
goun, the difficulties are not less. The Sardinians have
constructed beautifully-finished intrenchments on every
available position, and they assume daily the appearance of
an intrenched camp. Besides. the ground on this side is
too much broken to form on it, and the Russians would
have exposed themselves to be crushed before they could
have formed.
Omer Paella has not yet returned from Constantinople,
and for some time the opinion has been gaining ground
that he would not return to the Crimea.

In the front the last few days have passed without inci-
dents, but not without use. The check experienced by the
allied armies on the 18th of last month, instead of discou-
raging, seems to have given them new strength and fresh
energy. In spite of the furious firing of the Russians, the
works extend their grasping fingers in every direction—
slowly, but irresistibly. They creep 'up the sides of the
Malakoff and envelope the Redan more and more. The
French batteries directed against the Bastion du Mit have
likewise found their voice, which has been so long silent,
and for the last few days a good deal of firing has been
going on there.
Expectation is pitched to a high degree. Battery after
battery is constructed, and trench after trench, so everybody
is eagerly waiting for the decisive moment; but never, per •
haps, was public rumour more at a loss for conjectures
than in the present instance. Scarcely anybody ventures
to give an opinion. There are only vague hieas about
anther assault, about working our way by saps under an
overpowering fire of artillery, and other such general
assertions, which cannot even be honoured by the name of
" shaves."