The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-01 00:00:00

THE FLEETS.

In the Black Sea the combined squadrons were
thus distributed at the latest dates :—The large ships of
both fleets were at Baltchik. A flying squadron of
steamers was off Sebastopol, a steamer off the Sulina
mouth of the Danube, to prevent supplies passing
up, and two ships at Varna, assisting to disembark
the troops as they arrive.
Admiral Bruat's squadron, it is announced, will
shi rtly enter the Black Sea, in order to operate with
the combined fleets.

Mrs. Giffard, the wife of the late Captain Giffard,
of the Tiger, arrived at Constantinople, and went up
in the Vesuvius to Odessa, but arrived too late to see
her husband ; he had been dead some days, and was
Untied a short way outside the town. She expressed
a wish to visit her husband's tomb, which was
granted. A carriage was brought down to the
landing-place for her, and drove her to the spot where
her husband was interred. She then returned to the
Vesuvius, and came back to Constantinople.
The Austrian consul at Odessa has sent the
following report to the Admiralty, dated June 16
" His Majesty the Emperor of Russia, not being aware
of the death of Captain Giffard, had meantime ordered his
sword to be restored, that he should be set free, and,
with reference to the share he had taken in the battle of
Navarino, to express his Majesty's regret at his being so
severely wounded. At the same time his Majesty granted
the exchange of eight English officers and 154 sailors for
ltusaian prisoners of war who had been taken by the
united fleets on the Circassian coasts. As the officers of
the stranded steamer 7'iger consisted of 25 individuals, the
selection of those who are to be set free will be made by
lot. The midshipmen were all carried some days ago into
the interior."

Letters from St. Petersburg also speak con.
fldently of an exchange of prisoners, the Government
having assented to such an arrangement.
Our last intelligence of the Baltic fleet is con-
veyed by the following telegraphic despatch from
Dantzig, dated Thursday evening:—
Her Majesty's paddle-steamers Hecht, 6, Captain
W. H. Hall; Valorous, 16, Captain Buckle; Odin,
16, Captain Scott, attacked Boomersunu, inflicted
great damage, and burned buildings in principal fort.
Seven wounded only.
Sir Charles Napier's fleet is at anchor twenty-five
miles from Cronstadt.

Detached ships continue t; execute or attempt
various enterprises. In the Gulf of Bothnia a
squadron of steam frigates, Leopard, Odin, Valorous,
and Vulture, under Admiral Plumridge, have sunk,
burned, or otherwise destroyed fifty ships, from the
Aland group of islands on the south to Tomes., at
the extreme north of the Gulf. The public stores
and magazines of Uleaborg, Brahestad, and Tomes
have been tired. Sixteen ships in the first-mentioned
port, loaded with stores, tar, and wood, and others on
the stocks, became the prey of one grand conflagra-
tion. The inhabitants hoped by offering supplies that
' they might succeed in ransoming those places. They
were polite and civil. The supplies which were

SATURDAY,

taken were paid for immediately. The inhabitants
of Tomes baked bread for three days for the ships,
and piled up the barracks, which they offered to
burn. The bread was paid tor, but the orders against
the enemy were fully carried out, and the work of
destruction went on. By those operations it is
estimated that a loss of about 400,0001. has been
inflicted. . .

A summary of these performances is given in a
despatch from Sir C. Napier to the Admiralty, pub-
lished in last night's Gazette, as follows :

"Duke of Wellington, Baru Sound,
June IN 18134.

" beg leave to enclose Admiral Plumridge's
report of hie proceedings in the Gulf of Bothnia, from the
sth May to the 10th June, by which their lordships will
observe that he has destroyed forty-six vessels, afloat and
on the stocks, amounting to 11,000 tons; from 40,000 to
60,000 barrels of pitch and tar ' • 110,000 square yards of
rough pitch; a great number of stacks of timbeir, spars,
plank, and deals, sails, rope, and various kinds of naval
stores, to the amount of from 300,0001. to 400,0001., with-
out the loss of a man. Admiral Plumridge has had to
contend with innumerable rocks and shoals, incorrectly
laid down in the charts, and met the ice up to the 80th
May ; nevertheless, though several of his squadron have
touched the ground, I am happy to say they have received
no damage that he is not able to repair with his own
means. " CHAR. RAPIER."_ .

The Porcupine steamer, Lieutenant-Commander
Jackson, has proceeded up the Gulf of Finland as far
as the island of Storamiolo, whence the position of
the enemy's ships in Helsingfors has been ascertained
with tolerable accuracy. One of the principal en-
trances to the harbour of Helsingfors is through
Gustaf Sound. Across this narrow passage, which is
protected on its western side by the powerful fort of
Gustafsvard, a Russian three-decker is moored head
and stern. Inside the islands of Bak Holmen and
Kungs Holmen, which form a breakwater to the
harbour, several of the enemy's line-of battle ships
are at anchor, under shelter of the various batteries
of which Fort Sveaborg is composed. At M iolo-
road, m a south-easterly direction from Sveaborg,
and about two miles distant from it, there is a good
anchorage. Here, it is said, a position may be
taken whence the English fleet may throw shell over
the islands of Bak Holmen and Kungs Holmen into
the ships of the enemy, without being materially
damaged either by the shot from the batteries afloat
or ashore.
Further accounts have been received of the disas-
ter at Gamla (old) Karleby, which appears to have
been owing to a surprise.
Gerais. Karleby is a considerable distance inland,
and the boats of the Vulture and Odin were sent up
the river. No opposition was made to their advance,
and they proceeded with a flag of truce flying, until
they were hailed from a small island placed in about
the middle of the stream. Here they were given to
understand by the Russians that their further pro-
gress would be opposed. Not heeding the threat,
which they did not believe that the Russians had any
power to enforce, they hauled down the flag of truce,
and commenced sounding, advancing at the same
time higher up the stream. While thus occupied,
and in mistaken security, they were suddenly assailed
by a storm of balls and bullets and shells, which, at one
murderous discharge, killed Lieut. Carrington and Mr.
Montague, and wounded at the same time eleven sea-
men. Lieutenant West, of the Vulture, who com-
manded the party, was compelled to commence a re-
treat, which for nearly an hour exposed the survivors
to a pelting fire from the Russian horse artillery and
riflemen. The Vulture's paddle-boat, in charge of
Mr. Murphy, mate, got aground, was struck by a shell
and capsized, and Mr. Murphy and 27 men were left
with her. The ships were five miles distance from
the scene, and could not send reinforcements until
much too late to retrieve the disaster.

The Dauntless steam ship, which had been en-
gaged for ten weeks upon a most trying service in
advance of the squadron, in reconnoitring the Rus-
sian fleet, taking soundings, &c., has returned to
England to repair considerable damages sustained
by her machinery. Cruising frequently within from
a mile and a half to two miles of the batteries of
Sveaborg, the Russian officers and soldiers could be
clearly seen at their guns when the officers of the
Dauntless were quietly taking the soundings and
sketches of the batteries, ships, dockyard, town, &c.,
some of which make a perfect panorama of the entire
forts, town, and coast, along which she has sailed.

The Moniteur announces that orders have been
sent to the commanders of the allied squadron in the
White Sea to establish, from the Ist of August next,
an effective blockade of the Russian ports in those
waters. This blockade has been deferred till that
period in order to give time to the commercial in-
terest to finish the operations which it might have
commenced in good faith before the declaration of
war.

Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling, commanding the
squadron on the East Indian station, left Singapore
for China in his flag ship the Barracouta, imme-
diately on the arrival of the English mail of March

JULY 1, 1854.

21th, with the view of overtaking the Russian
squadron in the Japan waters. Her Majesty's ships
Sybille, Lily, and Rapid, were at Singapore on the
15th of May for the protection of the place.