The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-06 00:00:00

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OUR ARMY IN THE CRJ3IRA.

(FROM OUR SPECIAI
CAMP ABOVE

JULY 33.

—.-
The short period which has elapsed aim the mail
left on the 21st instant, has not been marked by any
important event connected with the siege operations.
The French works have been steadily advancing
against the Malakhoff position, in spite of continued
and very severe opposition both by day and night.
Frequent discharges of grape have been directed
against the head of the sap, and grenades and oohorn
shells have been thrown abundantly. At intervals
the Russians fire a volley of musketry not only from
the bastion in front, bet also from the flanks and
various concealed places. It would seem as if these
volleys were discharged at random in the direction of
taIL.AIIIIII6II tinissiwo en the _we chance of
hitting some of the men engaged among the
working parties. It require. no little courage,
as well as use to the work, to be able
to awry it on vigorously in the face of such
impediments, more especially when at night a sortie
may be made by the enemy at any moment. Although
the French have necessarily suffered from the fire
directed against them, their daily numbers of casual-
ties are by no means so great as might be anticipated.
Our new batteries are completed and armed. The
principal battery, occupying a very advanced position
on the right, and in front of Frenchman's hill, Is
fitted with a most powerful armament, a considerable
proportion of which consists of land and sea-service
13-inch mortars. This is more especially to act, it is
said, and its position render. the statement probable,
against the line-of-battle ships which still retain their
threatening attitude, broadside toward the Earshot-
Dais suburb. It is remarkable that neither the
three-deckers, nor the two-deckers, have yet been ob-
served to discharge a shot or shell against our works:
this duty hitherto has been confined hitherto
to the men-of-war steamers. The largest of the
ships, which is seen lying out to our left of Fort Paul,
appears to be partly careened over, and it would
appear as if she might easily acquire elevation
enough to try her range over the low ground about
the south harbour and Dockyard Creek. The dis-
tance at which she is now anchored appears to be
about three thousand yards from the sloping line of
the Malakhoff hill as its side dips towards the Bar-
rack buildings, but it is difficult to estimate this with
accuracy while she is lying out in the roadstead.
The report has been so industriously circulated in
camp, of the enemy having been necessitated to take
the guns out of these vessels for use in the land bat-
teries, that their constant silence may be a ruse to
invite erode**e to this very improbable story, until,
having gained possession and effected our lodgments
on the Malakhoff and ether sommding positions,
we should receive a sere authentic account of their
power and armament. Not only deserters, but many
of the Rosales prisoners, have stated these ships
were disarmed, and nearly all the guns found in the
Russian redoubts on the mat side of Careening Bay
were ships' guns: it is also asserted that when
the ships were hastily sunk at the mouth of the
harbour after the battle of the Alma, their gone were
sunk with them. These statements may be partly
true. The lower-deck guns, and any others, which
could only be taken out with much labour and loss
of time, are most probably still in the =liken ships.
Se in the ships still afloat, the guns only on one aide
could be called into requisition against our ap-
proaches; the guns on the opposite side might be re-
moved for use on land without any detriment to the
sorelce on which the ship, while pent up in the liar
hour, could be employed. Bat it is scarcely credible
that the enemy would totally disarm these floating
batteries, which may yet, if other circumstances do
not arise to prevent this from occurring, be turned
to an important account Tina us when we have
gained possession of the soot side of the roadstead.
During the last three or four days a rumour has
prevailed in camp that the new French and English
batteries destined to act against the shipping would
open immediately. This morning was named as one
of the dates on which the fire was to be opened, but
the event proved the report to be without foundation.
No doubt the undertaking will not be long delayed ;
the preparations sufficiently show that, if not de-
stroyed, the ships will at least be driven from their
present position before the next assault is made
against the Malakhoff and Redan works. There is
a story that a sailor has volunteered to start from
Careening Bay on the first favourable opportunity,
and, single-handed, to destroy each ship successively.
Re asserts that he is in possession of a secret method
by which he ego move along beneath the surface of
the water and breathe as easily as if he were in a
diving apparatussupplied with air by. • pomp, and
that he can carry with him an explosive machine of I
sufficient power to drive a hole through the bottom of
the largest ship. All this may end in smoke, as so
many other anertions of possessing secret powers of
destruction appear to have ended. A few afternoons
sines a small skiff, fitted at its sides with what ap-
peared to be not unlike a life-boat apparatus, was
carried down by the French towards Careening Bay,
and perhaps this gave some colouring of truth to the
story. Besides, the sailor gave a proof on the night
of the 19th instant that at any rate he was clever
enough to approach a ship undetected, notwithstand-
ing a very careful guard being established to mark
his coming. As a proof of still further ability,
he announced to the officers of her Majesty's ship
London that he would come in the course of
that night and chalk up the name of the ship
on her aide, just above the water-mark, do what they
might to prevent him. The challenge was accepted,
double sentries were posted, and some volunteers
among the officers kept a look-out, but no one was
observed to come sear, aid all on board were con-
vinced that no one had oorne near the easel. Day-
' light, however, showed the letters conspicuously
' chalked on the ship's side, as the sailor had said they
world be. It has been suggested that the means by
which hie feat was accomplished was an atmospheric
boat, capable of being guided when sunk beneath the
I surface of the water, and supplied with a reserve of
' air enough to last a given time for the support of its
I ' adventurous owner. It is stated that he could not
have swam alongside without being observed.
Our new parallel in advance of the Russian
trenches connected with the Quarry B..ttery and
' works has been completed; it will form a very ex-
tensive place domes whenever a gathering of troops
may be necessary in that direction prior to another
I smolt. An ides has been gaining ground that next
time a combined English and French attack will be
made against the Malakhoff hill. It is said that from
' the command which it exercises over the site of the

Redan this latter week meet speedily yield after the
• all will

(*pumper the fornmend that all that be required
wW be es bap its in check, which can be easily
dsaa km ear of fire, during the assault
se the This is only surmise • the plans
et the alibi monleili ere kept, as they ought to
be natal the =meat se MOW a profound secret.
• sr/ usgszins belseging to our allies, in one
of their weeks on the lotto was exploded on the after-
image d the 22nd instsnt.

Shortly before ten o'clock on the evening of the
some day the camp was suddenly roused by a very
Mary fire of musketry on the right. It was quickly
followed by the usual accompaniment of a discharge
of .hot and shell from the hostile batteries on both
sides. A tremendous fire ensued; the air seemed to
be filled with shells, rising and falling in every con-
ceivable direction. On the part of the Russians, all the
batteries on the north aide opened, from the works on