The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

THE FLEETS.

The combined fleet in the Black Sea was again
off Baltschick on the 24th nit.
Three steamers, the Terrible, Furious, and
Descartes, were watching Sebastopol, where on the
15th of June a squadron of seven or eight Russian
steamers made their appearance without the har-
bour. A disaint encounter took place, in which shot
were exchanged, with the result of inflicting some
damage to the Furious. The largest Russian steamer,
the Wladimir, it was believed suffered much from a
shell which was seen to burst on board. Although
the disproportion in numbers was so great the Rus
sinus could not be enticed into a nearer conflict,
and speedily retired again behind the batteries of
Sebastopol. The Wladimir is the frigate built by
Mare and Co. of Blackwell, with 400 horse-power
engines by ltennie. She was constructed ostensibly
as a yacht for the Emperor, and as such passed
through the Dardanelles and into the Black Sea;
but she had fourteen 08 pounders in her bold.
Two steamers are said have stranded off the
Suline mouth of the Danube. Fortunately they were
beyond the reach of the Russian batteries, and the
crews were endeavouring to get them off.
Soundings have been taken by the British at the
mouth of the Dniester, not far from Odessa. There
had been some trifling skirmishes with the Cossacks.
The Highflyer left for the coast of Circassia on
the Bth with a Turkish steamer, taking two field-
pieces to be used against Redout Kaleh, where the
Itussians have a force of 8,000 in the vicinity of that
fortress.
In the Baltic Sir C. Napier, with nearly the whole
of the combined fleet, was off Cronstadt on the 29th
ult. Some accounts state that an attack was in
preparation for the next day. The Moniteur says
that the admiral had gone to Cronstadt to make a
reconnaisance. A Russian steamer, we are told, had
made its appearance outside, and was chased back
by the Desperate, which had the honour of firing the
first shot at Croustadt batteries on that occasion.
The bombardment of Bomarsund, which was
begun on the 21st, as we announced last week, was
renewed on the 28th by the three steamers Hecla,
Odin, and Valorous, under Captain Hall. The forti-
fications were more than half destroyed, the maga-
zines blown up, and the fortress set on fire in several
places. The Russians were endeavouring to trans-
port their stores from Bomarsund to Gelaby. The
British loss amounted only to six men wounded.
News has been heard of the boat's crew taken pri-
soners at Gamla Carleby. The officers and fifteen
men were at Helsingfors, and are treated very well.
The remainder are left behind at the place of action,
having been wounded. Murphy, the mate of the
Vulture, who it was feared had been killed, is among
the prisoners.
The cholera is stated to have broken out in the
garrison of Cronstadt.
A letter from an officer of the fleet, dated Baro
Sound, June 20, says :
"We are ordered off very suddenly. The admiral has
just made a signal for the captain of our ship to prepare for
sea. The Commander-in-Chief has gone up with the screw
fleet to have a look at Cronstadt. Whether he intends
having an attack on the place or not I canot say. Admiral
Corry, with the sailing-ships, is in company with us;
they sail for Helsingfors (about ten miles eastward of this
place ), so as to prevent the Russian fleet from coming out
of that place, as it is expected they will ; so we hope to
have ago in at them before long. We are to join them
again in a day or two."
The son of the First Lord of the Admiralty, and
the 801 of the Duke of Newcastle, the Minister at
War, have both proceeded in the Dauntless to join
ships in the fleet. Mr. Graham serves with the
Hon. Captain Keppel in the St. Jean &Acre, 101,
screw ; and the Hon. Mr. Clinton joins the Impe-
rites/et, 51, screw, Captain Watson, C.B.