The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-17 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 17, 1855.

They have constructed well-dyked, well-drained,
macadamised roads of communication between all
their principal centres and divisional depots. The
roads from Kainiesch to the French headquarters,
and from Balaklava along the right flank of the
plateau to Inkermann, es well as the branch roads
joining these, are in an excellent state of repair. We
have, in common with our allies, the use of the
Woronsoff road—a well laid-out route, and with an
admirable foundation— but no trouble has been
taken to keep it in order, and the dis-
tance between Balaklava and the point where
the Woroozoff road has to be entered upon as it
crosses the valley towards Samara is quickly reduced
to au almost impassable state alter heavy rain. We
appear to be depending wholly upon the railroad,
and by many persons it is seriously doubtful whether
this will be, unless some alterations are made in its
construction, available for transport when the rainy
season has set in. The wooden sleepers are simply
laid upon the ground ; no artificial bed is made to re-
ceive them, nor are there any means of securing
them in their position beyond the fixing together
of the iron rails which are fastened along
• them. To what extent the sleepers will be die-
plated, when the surface of the plateau be-
comes a pool, often two feet in depth, of viscid'
mud, is best known to the engineers; but to the
eye of an ordinary observer, the work seems only
calculated to support the passage of its engines and
waggoos during dry and fine weather. The rail-
, way now terminates in front by the side of the Wo-
roozoff road, just before it commences the ascent of
the hill, before the Light Division, to pass by the
side of the Picket house towards Sebastopol. A
branch is also being carried to the Engineers' park
in front of the 4th Division.
10 min. past 10 p.m.—Loud cheering, and a heavy
mnaketryfire have just taken place towards the left.
The Russian shout was readily distinguished io camp.
The musketry soon ceased, and was followed by a
general heavy fire from all the batteries. The night
is dark, no moon and very few stars being visible.
Half-put 10.—The moon has just risen from be-
hind a dark bank of clouds, and is throwing a strong
clear light over the ground occupied by the enemy's
works and our own approaches. The fire from the
batteries is gradually diminishing.
August 3.—The sortie last night was made by a
Russian column, who, taking advantage of the dark-'
Rees, contrived to advance some distance along the
Woroozoff ravine, between our left and right attacks.
To prevent an approach in this direction, more parti-
cularly to guard against an advance of the enemy for
the purpose of attacking our Quarry works in Bank,
a line of chevaux de free bad been Sued across the
Wo-oozoffroad and ravine, just in advance of the
line of position of our Quarry works on the bill
above. The sides of the ravine are very precipitous,
both on the left and right hand, at this spot.
The chevaux de fries were therefore carried
but a very short distance on either side
beyond the limit of the ravine, but sentries placed
in fitting positions, and communicating with pickets
furnished respectively from the left and right attack',
sufficiently provided for its protection. The Russians
managed to reach as far as the chevaux de fries,
which it was evidently the object of the sortie to de-
stroy, without being noticed at first by the sentries.
They commenced palling the obstruction down, but
did not succeed in effecting their object without
rousing the attention of the men on watch. The
alarm was instantly given, and a fire was poured
down into the ravine from the pickets stationed above.
The Russians at once fell back, but, getting behind
cover, they re-formed, and poured several volleys in
the supposed direction of our men. Their fire fell
perfectly harmless, however, and no casualty ensued
among our troops. It wens probable that, on the
other head, the enemy suffered severely, for they
were exposed to a cross fire from our Mint's, which
were directed against them ea they retired back along
the ravine. Had the Russians succeeded in removing
the obstruction across the road, its restoration would
have been a matter of difficulty, unless accomplished
without any knowledge on the part of the enemy,
as two of their guns bear directly upon the line of
work.

.. ---
A shell burst last night in one of the advanced
trenches of the right attack among some men of the
77th Regiment. One man was killed, and one officer
and several men were severely injured. The officer
alluded to was Lieut. William Fosbery. One of his
legs was completely shattered by a fragment of the
shell, and amputation had to be performed immedi-
ately on his removal to camp. tie had only lately
joined the head-quarters of his regiment in the
Crimea. As an example of a narrow escape, one man
who was standing near, about to serve out some rum
to the men in the trench, when the shell burst, was
uninjured, although a large piece of the shell fell with
such force against the bottom of the iron camp kettle
which he was holding with his two hands that a hole
was knocked through it, and the spirit of course lost.
There has been no return of rain to-day, and the
weather is again clear and sunny. The heat is tem-
pered by a refreshing breeze from the north.
The local rank of general has been conferred on
Lieut.-General bimpson, commanding the army in
the Bast, and Msjor-Generale Barnard, Sir William
Codrington, Lord Rokeby, F. Markham, C.B , and
the Hon. Sir James Yorke Scarlett, have received the
local rank of lieutenant-generals.
A court of inquiry was ordered some days ago to
assemble at the general hos2ital, near the camp of
the Third Division, to inquire into the troth of certain
assertions contained in • letter to the Times news-
paper, respecting the treatment of the wounded on
the 18th of June. From internal evidence the writer
of the letter was at once suspected to be Acting As-
sistant-Sorgeon Bakewell, and on being questioned on
the subject be acknowledged the authorship. He had
loft camp on the 20th of June on account of sickness
and proceeded to Scutari. Although the sudden
influx of wounded might have been greater than had
been prepared for at the general hospital, yet to any
one acquainted with the present state of things in
the Crimea, the letter contained many palpable exag-
gerations. It could hardly be credited that the supply
of water for the patients could be so deficient as was
represented. Whatever may have been the wants
during the winter, and their grievous nature and ex-
tent has been sufficiently proved, there need be no
doubt that for some months past, and at the present
moment, the hospitals of the Crimea are furnished
with every requisite and comfort for the sick and
wounded that money and attention can procure.
In consequence of the report on the subject fur-
nished by the court of inquiry to the Commander-in-
Chief, the following General Order has been pub-
lished:

Head Quarto,' before &but°Pffii
3rd August, 1856.
A letter having appeared in the noses newspaper, dated
"Camp before Sebastopol, June 20th," containing charges
of the gravest nature *gable medical of of this army,
a court of inquiry was directed to SZARliltil into the truth of
the allegations set forth in it.
The officers composing this court, after the most slants
and patient investigation into the whole of the circum-
stances connected with the treatment of the wounded on the
18th of June, declare that this letter is "calculated grossly
to mislead the public, and to out blame on those to whom
praise was justly due." In this opinion the Commander of
the Lome concurs, after a careful perusal of the evidence.
It appears teat Atelier Assistant-Burgeon Bakewell is the
author of this letter. lie is, therefore, informed that his
farther services are dispensed with, and his name is struck
off the strength el the army from this data.
By order,
(Signed) H. W. BARMAID, Chief of the Staff.
The court of inquiry was composed of Colonel
Windham, A Q.M.O. ; Lieut.-Colonel Munro, 39th
Regiment; Deputy-Inspector General Dr. Linton;
and Staff Burgeon of the Ist class, Dr. Gordon.
August 4.—A very heavy firs, perticularly in the
early part of the night, was maintained in the batte-
ries. The night was too clear for the working pa-
tios to be able to effect much °abide the wee of the
amoeba already 'dewed.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT LATE ON TEE
DANUBE.)

TURKISH CAMP, KAMARA, Avocer 4.
The great topic of conversation at present is the
rumoured advance of General Paniutine's corps from
Perekop, and its approaching arrival at the scene of
action; and there are many who confidently expect—
amongst others, many of the Piedmontese themselves
—that its first exploit will be an attack upon General
de la Marmora's army and the Turks. There are,
however, so many little difficulties in the way of such
an attempt succeeding, that, on the whole, it seems
most improbable that it will ever be made. One of
the chief lies in the fact that any force coming from
Tchorgoun has to cross the Tehernaya, and debauch
upon the plain through a passage so narrow that it
may be almost termed a defile, and that this is com-
manded by the Toritiah, Piedmont/is., and French
artillery, General Maurice's corps d'armile being
posted on the heights between Balaklava plain and
the river, facing Mackeozie's Farm, and an army
might thus be mowed down in detail before they could
ever form on the open ground.
We have lately bad an immense quantity of rain,
immense considering that we are in the midst of the
dry season. It continued for nearly 36 hours with
but very few intervals of intermission ; but yesterday
morning, luckily for everybody, the line weather
set in again. I say luckily, because very few tents
were able to resist the torrents which fell for hours
together, more like the emptying of thousands of
stable buckets than the ordinary showers of tempe-
rate climes. In the English camp, those of the offi-
cers, and they are the greater number who have had
the earth in the interior of their tents excavated for
the sake of greater room and coolness, found their
quarters were nothing more nor less than large wells,
into which the water poured freely from the adja-
cent soil. The Turks were, I think, better
off than any one, owing to the ad-
mirable construction of their tents. Since
the rain, cholera has been slightly on the increase.
At present, however, we are in the enjoyment of fine
sunny breezy days, and balmy nights. During the
bad weather all the cross-roads in the camp and on
the plain were completely broken up. What will
they be when the winter sets in, and the cloudy
heavens weep for two months together ? When, in
riding across to the camp yesterday, I saw the tracks
of the waggon wheels four or five inches deep in the
mud, I rejoiced in the warning this would afford to the
authorities of what they had to expect. The cross-
roads from one division to another and to the trenches
are simply tracks across the soil, in many places a
rich loam, capable in winter of producing a morass
or bog at least four feet deep, if properly worked op
by the feet of horses. Nothing has as yet been
done towards putting them in order, and very likely
nothing will be done till it will be too late. The
main road to Balaklava is undergoing repairs, ands°
far all well; but what about the railway? The
sleepers are laid down on the greater part of the line
on the surface of the ground, without any other sup-
port than the soft soil. It is surely not too much to
prophesy that in two weeks from the Ist of Novem-
ber some will have disappeared in the mud, others
have been swept away by the torrents, and the rails
will be found everywhere but where they ought to
be. We have still three months of fine weather before
us, and the safety of the army during the winter de-
pends greatly on the manner in which they are em-
ployed.

ERZEROUI4, JULY 15, 1854.
(FROM OUR OWN CORMIPONDINT.)

The last letters received from Kars are dated 11th
inst. The Turkish troops were kept constantly on
the alarm, and ready to receive the enemy, who, with
a force of no lees thou 38,000 men of all arms, sur-
rounds the place. The provisions were still abun-
dant, but forage wanted, and consequently several
horses were daily dying at Kars. All direct com-
munication with Erzeroum is interrupted, only occa-
sionally isolated horsemen succeed in leaving Kars
with despatches for our town, following the road of
Otti, the mole one left unguarded by the Russians,
probably with some mischievous plan. The fact is,
that no fresh supply of provisions, neither of ammu-
nition, can be forwarded to Kars safely. This cir-
cumstance makes ns fear that our army will be
forcedeitherto capitulate or try toquit Kars and leave
it toitm fate, and retire here, unless the imperial govern-
ment and its gallant allies should think, without
delay, of sending a strong division to free it at
once.

About six thousand men of the Russian forces are
encamped at Unkiar Dusi, on the Sohavli Dagh,
occupied in etrengthening the place with batteries.
Unkiar Dusi is a strong defile, which commands the
road, and is half way from this to Kars.
About the Bth instant a body of 200 buhi bazouks
wu sent from Kopri Kioi to the Sohanli Dagh, in
order to follow the movements of the enemy. They
reached the place at sunset, and seeing no Russians
close by, they halted to bpend the night. Next
morning they found themselves surrounded by Cos-
sacks: they tried to defend themselves, but, over-
powered by the number of the enemy, after leaving
some six or seven on the field, sixty among them were
taken prisoners, and the others escaped, and returned
to Kopri Kioi, to inform Veil Pacha of what had
occurred.

An English lady, a Mrs. R, on her way from
Teheran to England, arrived here on the 15th by the
Beyssid road, where she met with the Russians.
Fortunately, she had a passport from the Russian
authorities, and so the Russian general allowed her
to proceed on her journey.
One of her guards, a Persian, reports that the
Ruseans were encamped at Uch Klima in a force of
about 5,000 men ; they had 2,500 cavalry at Diadin,
and so much at Toprakaleh. This confirms the fact
that the enemy is in full mansion of the district of
Bayazid. All the provisions they meet with are
bought and sent to Eris's°. Our little army of (Ivry
Kivi is receiving daily reinforcements from the Bashi
Bszonks, that arrive here from the interior of Ana-
tolia. Two battalions of regular infantry are daily
expected from Diarbekir. _

The batteries which are in way of construction
at the Deve Boynus, and on the hills surrounding
our town, will be soon completed ; nevertheless ar-
tillery and artillerymen are wanted, unless the army
of Copry Kivi should retire and defend them.

. .
Serry Pacbs, late governor (civil) of Kan, wbo
left Bardou and came here a fortnight ago, when the
Russians visited that place, bay been pat under
arrest, by order of Vasiff Pacha, the Commander-in-
Chief at Kars.

It is said that the Muchir charges him with having
spread the alarm among
.the populations in his flight ;
others say that he has informed the Russians that
government provisions existed in Bardoss, and was
bribed accordingly. By the next post probably I
shall be able to report you the truth of it.

I have written to you that our governor-general
left this at the head of the Bashi-Bazonks. His son
remained here as a Kiaja, or chief secretary. On
the eve of his departure the Pacha consigned to his
treasurer a carpet bag containing a large
sum of money. The treasurer are the bag
to the governor's banker (Saran, who, in his presence,
put the carpet bag in a wooden case, which was
afterwards sealed and deposited in the treasury-room.
A fortnight ago, on Sabbath.day, the banker left the
palace and went to church. After the service, he
was invited to dinner by some of his countrymen
(catholic@ of Angora). When he returned back to
the palace, he found the treasury-room door open,
the wooden case unsealed and unlocked, and the
carpet bag missing (but not the other contents
of the came jewellery, &c.) He reported
the fact immediately to the Pacha's
who thought it prudent to put under arrest
Ithe same banker, his brother and nephew. He
cedered also the arrest of the three Angora men