The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-25 00:00:00

SIEGE CHRONICLE.

Letter"; from the camp have arrived to the 11th
net. As heretofore, they report no events of striking
interest, but continue to announce the steady pro-
gress of the siegeworks. The correspondent of the
Morning Chronicle transmits a diary of daily occur-
rences, from which we make the following extracts :

- ,
Auou ST B.—The works progress favorably, if slowly. Re-
port states that they will soon be complete. I hear the
French outworks are now within sixty-four yards of the Ma-
lakoff. At this point they have a new 21-mortar battery.
The sapping at our works in front of the Redan has
been continued to within fifty-four yards of that fort. The
Russians are evidently daily becoming more and more
hemmed in.

The new battery which the French have constructed is
described as being one likely to prove a formidable oproo-
nent to the enemy. It is perfectly shellproof, and the
men working the guns will be so protected that no shot or
shell will be capable of having any effect, unless through
the embrasures of the works. Our battery in front of the
Redan is not yet complete. This may possibly be the
reason why the intended attack, of which PO many reports
have been spread, and days actually fixed for the taking
place of the event, has not been made.
AUGUST 7.—There was considerable firing last night,
which lasted some two or three hours.
On the part of the English there were two men killed
and two wounded, besides several casualties in the Guards,
who were doing duty in the trenches. The average of men
killed and wounded is about forty per night.
I heard on very good authority that last month there
were no less than 1,7(X) sick and wounded and cut down
from the front. Many are in hospital, and many have been
sent to Scutari and other places.
Major M`Growan, of the 93rd Highlanders, who was
doing duty in the trenches last night, has disappeared in
rather a mysterious and sudden manner. Whether he has
been killei or taken prisoner is a matter at present involved
in some uncertainty. It is just possible that in the dark•
ness of the night he may unwarily have strayed too near
the Russian outposts, and have been thus captured.

Anousr B.—The guns were again at work during a
greater portion of the day. It was reported that the fleet
were firing upon the forts in front of the harbour of Sebas-
topol. It, however, proved to be a false alarm, some of
the gun-boats on the station being merely occupied in try-
ing the range of their guns, which were directed towards
the harbour's mouth ; probably a stray shot may have been
fired in that direction, and thus gave rise to what was sup-
posed to be an attack. The guns, I hear, answer well, and
are capable of doing considerable execution at a very long
range.
Auousr 9 —The Russians made another sortie last
night, but again met with a repulse. There was a tre-
mendous fire from their batteries for sore short period.
It was not, however, 1 suspect, so much directed against
our works, but intended to secure the retreating parties of
the Russians after their non-success--this lasted about an
hour, when silence again prevailed.
Captain Montague, of the Engineers, has returned to
his duties in the trenches. Last night was, I understand,
his first night since his release from captivity. This officer
was taken prisoner by the Russians in a sortie last March,
and has been detained until very lately, when an exchange
was effected. During the time he was prisoner in Sebas-
topol he had frequent opportunities of visiting the Russian
works. His description of the place confirms the gene-
rally accredited opinion that the place is almost impreg-
nable, and that of late the Russians have toiled night and
day to make it, if possible, more so. In the inner works
surrounding the Redan is a ditch, recently cut, twenty-five
feet in depth.
The Russians occasionally eject from their mortars an
extraordinary combustible in the nature of a shell, or
rather, judging of its component parts, of a substitute for
these missiles. A small round barrel, firmly secured with
iron hoops about the size of a 13-inch mortar shell in cir-
cumference, is selected ; this is filled with broken bottles,
small pieces of iron nails, dc., together with some explo-
sive compound. This, when filled, has a fuse inserted
like the ordinary shell, which, when fired, continues to
burn until it alights at its destination, when of course it
explodes, scattering its contents around in a similar
manner to the shell, but inflicting much more terrible
wounds, should the contents strike any individual. The
French call these machines " bouquets ; ' I presume, from
the variety of their component parts. The sailors in our
batteries have applied to them a term rather familiar,
thoukh perhaps not quite so appropriate, viz., the " happy
family." It seems rather a barbarous mode of carrying
on warfare, for the wounds occasioned by glass bottles
mast necessarily be much more severe than the splinter of
a shell, bad as the latter is.
Auousr 10.—There was a good deal of firing last night,
which lasted for some two or three hours. The firing was
renewed this morning with greater vigour, and has con-
tinued almost without intermission during the whole day.
There is nothing new at present in regard to the reopen-
ing of the siege operations.