The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

Each of the vessels which remained out of action
had sent a rocket-boat, firing 24-pound rockets, and
these caused terrible destruction. The dockyard was
the chief object of these missiles, and it was soon in
flames. The seamen of the Terrible, which remained
on the spot till the 25th, declare that it burnt for two
days and two nights, and this vast collection of naval
stores must have been totally destroyed. A Russian
frigate that was in the harbour caught fire during
the action and blew up. Two new frigates on the
stocks were also burnt, together with twenty or thirty
merchantmen.
At half.past five p.m., when the action had lasted
12i hours, the signal of recall was made. The action
ceased ; the Terrible having lost two men killed
and five wounded, the Retribution three, and the
Sampson five woundad. Unless the Russians escaped
from their burning frigate before its explosion, their
loss must have been terrific in this one spot. All
attempts, however, to estimate the number of their
killed and wounded must be mere guess-work.
In the early part of the day the steam-frigate
Arethusa was ordered to attack the southern side of
the Quarantine Mole battery as a diversion, for its
guns had frequently been trouble some. Nothing
could be prettier than the way in which she stood in,
hove to, and delivered her fire, filled, tacked, and
again delivered her broadside. Shortly after the
breeze freshened, and she deliberately reefed her
topsails, though under fire, and was then recalled by
the admiral.
As the Terrible was the most distinguished in this
action she was received with all honours on passing
the fleet at its conclusion. Each ship cheered her
as she steamed past on her way to the Bosphorus.
She has suffered much in personal appearance. Her
paddle-boxes are a good deal knocked about, and
she has twelve shot in her hull. Captain M'Cleverty
remained on the paddle-box all the time, and narrowly
escaped a shot.
During the fire several English merchantmen
slipped out of the Quarantine Mole. The poor
fellows are very thankful to have escaped.
After the action the fleet anchored some five miles
off Odessa. There seemed to be some preparations
to: renewing the attack next day, but, after an ac-
curate survey, it was ascetained that every great
store and establishment, as well as everything
in the shape of defences, had been completely le
dined to ashes. Signals were hoisted on the 26th
instant to go on to Sebastopol, and some steamers were
to proceed to the Circassian coast, with a view of
destroying the enemy's fortifications.
The admirals, before the attack, had sent in a
small French steamer with a flag of truce, but the
Russians sent out al boat to forbid its entrance.
Their demands were to the effect that all ships and
munitions of war should be given up, and on the
vessel taking these demands being stopped prepara-
tions were made for action. The English admiral had
sent a circular round the fleet stating that what he
had done was on account of the Russians having on
a former occasion fired on a flag of truce.
The best feeling is stated to have prevailed among
the ships of both fleets, and a complete cordiality be-
tween the two nations.
Official despatches from the admirals announcing
the results of the engagement have been received
both by the British and French Governments. The
Duke of Newcastle on Thursday night communicated
to the Peers the tenor of Admiral Dundas's
despatch, but stated no fact which does not appear
in the narrative given above. On the same day the
Paris Moniteur published the official report of Admi-
ral Hamelin, confirming the details and results, and
giving copies of the letters exchanged between Admi-
ral Dundas and General Osten. Sacken. It states
that there is no foundation for the pretended at-
tempt at disembarkation. Only one frigate (the
Vauban) quitted the combat for a short time to
repair damages. The loss of the Frensh was two
killed and two wounded by an accident. The
English loss was one killed and ten wounded. These
results prove (says Admiral Hamelin) the immense
superiority of the calibre and practice of our navy
over that of the enemy, doing infinite mischief with-
out receiving any.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
Intelligence that the French squadron, under Ad-
miral Deschenes, had joined Sir C. Napier, and that
the combined fleets were holding in strict blockade
all the Russian ports, constitute the only items of
news from the Baltic that have been lately received.
There was a report that Admiral Plumridge, in the
Leopard, had brought tidings to Stockholm that
some Russian ships-of-war had ventured out of
Helsingfors, whereupon the Commander-in-Chief
made signal to prepare for sea immediately. This
statement, however, is probably incorrect.. It ap-
pears that the British fleet left Efsnabben, where
they bad anchored while Sir Charles Napier was in
Stockholm on the sth inst., and sailed iu the direc-
tion of the Gulf of Finland. Before leaving the