The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-21 00:00:00

errit PRE§s:

THE WAR..

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
No official despatches respecting the progress of
military operations have been published by the

Government since the 10th inst., when Lord Rag-

lan's letters of the 28th ult. were printed in an
Extraordinary Gazette. Our accounts of subsequent
proceedings are therefore derived from private and,
in some instances, very untrustworthy sources.
Among these the telegraphic despatches received via
Vienna figure largely, and have transmitted from
day to day a long series of reports each, if possible,
more absurd and false than its predecessors. The
manufacture of "intelligence" is carried on most
industriously either in Vienna itself or in those more
distant stations whence news is telegraphed to the
Austrian capital. In very many of the despatches
thus transmitted the blunders and falsehoods are
gross and palpable, being such as can be detected
by the slightest knowledge of localities or comparison
of dates. In others the credibility of the tale rests
upon a balance of probabilities, and possibly some
grains of truth may be imbedded in the mass of
fallacy and misrepresentation. It is even then im-
possible to discriminate between the facts•and the
Inventions, especially as the whole are filtered through
sources where Russian influence prevails, and are
liable to be coloured and distorted accordingly.
Under these circumstances, our only information
of really trustworthy character has been derived from
a telegraphic message sent from Marseilles, and com-
municating the intelligence received at that poll, by
the Pharamond, French steamer, which arrived
there on Thursday evening with Constantinople
dates to the 10th and Balaklava to the Bth inst.
This despatch announces that the siege works at
Sebastopol were protected by entrenchments against
any attack from without by Prince Menschikoff. No
offensive movement had taken place. The siege
material amounted to four hundred pieces.
It was thought the firing would commence in forty-
eight hours to effect a breach. Balaklava was
perfectly fortified.
The Porte is forwarding 10,000 men, half of whom
embarked from Varna on the oth.
Four thousand five hundred French have left the
Piraius for the Crimea.
Respecting Russian movements, we learn from
Vienna that Prince Menachikoff had gono to Perekop
to receive reinforcements, and on the 7th was re-
turning with them towards Sebastopol. Prince Gorts-
chakoff had arrived at Odessa.

From Berlin we are told that a despatch from
Prince Menschikoff has been received at St. Peters-
burg, saying that on the 12th the enemy remained
about Balaklava, and had undertaken nothing against
Sebastopol.
The Paris Moniteur publishes despatches, dated
October 3, addressed by General Canrobert to the
Minister of War. Up to that date no new feat of
arms had taken place, but most perfect arrangements
were being made for the siege. The French army
is to have the left of the attack from the sea to the
southern fort, and as tar as the ruins of Inkerman.
A division under General Forey is to conduct the
siege; whilst another division, under General Bos-
quet, acts as a corps of observation. The Turks and
English have made analogous dispositions. No
doubt was entertained as to the issue of the siege
which was about to begin.
The reports of deserters represented the Russians
as very dispirited since the battle of the Alma, where
they lost 8,000.
The correspondence from the Crimea contains
ample details of the proceedings up to the 3rd inst.
This enables us to bring down our narrative of opera-
tions to the time when the siege entrenchments were
actually opened to the south of Sebastopol. We are
still, however, many days behindhand in intelligence,
if compared with the time which natural possibilities
and official promises authorised us to anticipate for
the transmission of letters.