The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

SATURbAt,

be able, on the fall of Sebastopol proper, to cross the
water with their remaining vessels, and defend them-
selves in this new position. if they could succeed in
this their fire might render the place untenable, and
at all events Fort Constantine and its outworks
would have to be attempted by a second series of siege
operations.
As for the state of the town and its inhabitants,
the pictures drawn by these deserters is frightful.
The fire from our batteries had terribly told upon
Sebastopol ; the place was like a vast slaughter-house.
Five thousand men had been killed or severely
wounded. The explosion of the magazine in the
rear of the redoubt, ou the first day of the siege,
killed and disabled three thousand men. The garri-
son are disheartened, and wish their tribulation was
over, and that the allies had taken the town. The
chief engineer, who conducts the defence of the for-
tress, is severely wounded. Among the deserters is
a Polish officer,who managedtoget out of the town on
horseback, and rode straight up to Lord Raglan's head-
quarters, when he surrendered in due form. Ile ap-
peared very happy at having effected his escape, and
was evidently proud of his exploit. The desperate
means which the other deserters took to get away
proves sufficiently that Sebastopol must be a perfect
tirehama. In the midst of the tire they actually
jumped out of the embrasures of their batteries and
made their way up to our lines while red-hot shot
and shells were whizzing past them in every direction.
If the reports of these deserters eau be trusted, the
number of dead in Sebastopol amounted to 0,000 on
the 23rd ult., and that of the wounded to 12,000.

ADMIRAL HAMELIN.
A letter in the Gazette du Midi gives the following
account of the effects of the shell which burst on the
poop of the Ville de Paris :
This shell blew up nearly the whole of the poop, on
which were standing at the time Admiral Hamelin and
four of his aides-de-camp. The admiral was thrown some
feet up into the air, but without being hurt. After having
glanced at his aides-decamp, one of whom was cut in two,
another had his two legs carried away below the knee, and
a third was slightly wounded, he merely exclaimed, " l'oor
fellows !" and resumed the command with as much cool•
ness as before.
A STONING MATCH.
On the 20th ult. a party of ten men belonging to
the 33rd found themselves without a single cartridge
left. Returning home, they encountered a dozen
Russian skirmishers, who had likewise expended ail
their ammunition. The two parties looked at one
another with great astonishment, both expecting a
volley. At length an impatient 33rd man took up a
large stone and flung it into the midst of the Russians.
The example was followed on both sides, and the
original spectacle of a stone match now offered itself.
The English at length became tired of the exercise,
and charged the Russians with the bayonet, with
which the latter declined to be tickled, and come-

quently retired.
NIGHT SCENE IN THE TRENCHES.
The Daily News correspondent writes on the night
of the 22nd :
The day has been sunny and hot, and the evening is now
chilly, calm, and starlight. The enemy's batteries have
ceased their fire, and so have the French ; but from two of
our batteries discharges of shell and rockets are still going
on :A intervals. The scene is beautiful, but, to one who
remembers the cruel realities connected with it, is full of
painful reflections. All is apparently still in the town,
which is but obscurely seen through the evening mists and
diminished light, and is only illumined from time to time
as the bursting ellen, or rocket, throws a momentary gluhe
m
around the spot where it has fallen. The passage of t
shell in the air, thrown to au amazing height from the
mortars, appears like that of a meteor. It rises and falls,
seemingly to the eye, almost perpendicularly ; sometimes
burning, as it turns on its axis and the fuse disappeess in
the rotation, with an uninterrupted pale light—sometimes
with a steady light, not unlike the calm luminosity of a
planet. As it travels it can be distinguished, amid the
general stillness, uttering in the distance its peculiar sound,
not unlike the cry of the curlew. The blue light in the
battery announces the starting of a rocket: it pursues its
more horizontal course, followed by a fiery train, and
rushes through the air with a loud whizzing noise that
gives an idea of irresistible energy. It is impossible not to
think with sadness on the errands of these destroying
messengers. Across the main valley leading to Sebas-
topol, looking northward, where a large Russian force is
said to be encamped, can be seen, thickly scatteredirectiond, the
enemy's fires; and, on turning in the opposite
from this aspect, there are the long lines of fires belonci
g-
ing to our own troops who are investing the doomed ty
and fortress.
THE ENGLISH HOSPITAL.
The British hospitals at Scutari are assuming a
satisfactory appearance, thanks to the zeal
of the
medical men attending them, who are still, however,
by far too few in number. The convalescent and
slightly wounded are being removed, and sent on to
Gallpoli and Malta, in order to make rm tbr others.
The utmost that can be done at the Scutarioo hospitals
will be to make room for rOO.
The wounded are all going on favourably, wept
that whenever a southerly wind prevails inflamma-
tion begins, and the simplest wound will not beat.
Scutari is in much more decent order, although there