The Press.
London, England, 1854-02-18 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The Sultan's departure for Adrianople is fixed for
the middle of Match.
The Porte has contracted a loan with two bankers
for twenty millions of piastres, on account of the
Servian tribute. Lord Stratford de Bedeliffe assisted
in negotiating the advance.
General Baraguay d'Hilliers, the Ambassador of
France, left Constantinople on the 26th inst. on an
excursion to Kara Rournou, accompanied by a nu-
merous suite of French officers attached to the
embassy. They were to be absent three days. The
object of this excursion was believed to be tx the
purpose of fixing upon a suitable spot for the encamp-
ment of a French army.
A corps of engineers is employed in marking out a
camp at Bouyouk-Tchekmeelesche, near the Sea of
Marmora, for 40,000 men. This place is six miles
from Constantinople.
Kurschid Pacha (General Guyon) has resumed
the offensive against the Russians in Asia, with
30,000 fcot, 5,000 horse, and 140 guns.
Schamyl had received from Turkey a large store
of arms and money. He had also been joined by
some officers to drill his men. He was pushing for-
ward his armaments with great energy, and almost
all Abascia had pronounced in his favour.
In the letter addressed by the aimirals to the
Commandant of the port of Sebastopol a term of
fifteen days was fixed for Russian vessels of war to
return to their harbours in the Black Sea.

Private letters from Sebastopol state that an
English steamer, the Hayden, had been wrecked at
Janikole, near, Sebastopol, on the 30th of January.
She was declared a good prize, having Turkish
troops on board.
The latest news from the principalities, dated
Kralove, February 11, states that there were then no
preparations indicating an immediate attack on
Kalafat. It is stated, however, that the Russian
army of the Danube is being constantly reinforced,
and that it will speedily number 200,000 men.
Further details of some minor, though not unim-
portant, encounters have arrived. 800 Turks, with
eight gun-boats and four sailing-craft, crossed the
Danube from Rutschuk to Giurgevo early on the
morning of the sth inst. They landed near the
quarantine building, and arranged themselves in
line of battle. They were received by two battalions
of Russians with a murderous fire, which lasted for
three hours. The Russians suffered severely, but
the Turks finally returned to Rutschuk.
It is asserted that the Russians lost in their second
unsuccessful attack on Fort Shefkatil upwards of
2,000 men.
The Patrie reports, that in the district of Mohe-
denz, in Wallachia, the peasants have risen against
the compulsory service which was imposed on them,
their wives, their daughters, and even their young
children by the Russian officers, in conformity with
the recent edict in the Waltachian Moniteur. At
Isvorila, the country people having refused to per-
form them, the general sent a detachment of 200
Cossacks to punish them. The poor creatures de-
fended themselves courageously, but as they were
without arms they could not long make resistance,
and were massacred. Some of them contrived to
escape, and gave the alarm in the neighbourhood.
All the inhabitants of the villages round about, to the
number of about 3,000, came up during the night,
armed with guns and scythes, fell upon the Cossacks,
and destroyed them. The general was preparing an
act of dire vengeance, and had repaired to Giurgevo
with his brigade for the purpose. As the Russians
can no longer derive their provisions by the Danube,
they seize on all descriptions of food, thus reducing
the unfortunate inhabitants of the Danubian provinces
to a state of absolute famine.
The Russian troops in Lesser Wallachia are
forbidden to go beyond a mile from their camp, or
to have any dealings with the treacherous natives.