The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-25 00:00:00

LETTER FROM THE CRIMEA.

(num AN OPPICIE OP THI BLACK IBA FLEW*
liamiesh Bay, Jaa. 2, 1846.

I had a long walk on Saturday through the
French quarter. Kamiesh Bay is a deep and well-sheltered
inlet, having water for the largest shipping, and is now full
of vessels of all shapes and sines. Transports, men-otwar,
and merchant adventurers, form what really may be called
a forget of masts, and all beautifully arranged and regn-
latesies„The French excel us by a long way in these details;
anthem port of Baleklava contrasts most unfavourably with
the neat, orderly, and well-regulated port of Kamiesb. A
French town, too, has risen up, with streets regularly laid
out, aad others marked. Soma stone and mortar
buildings have been erected ; but the majority lire
in wooden houses or temporary tents ; and here you ma
obtain almost every requisite and comfort. Even expen-
sive la:swiss look one in the face—such as patties of phea-
sant or quailpies, about sufficient for two moderately hungry
men, 26 !ranee each ; • hare the sane price ; et, 2s. 6d. a
bottle, as. However, we don't indulge in such expensive
luxuries, but content ourselves with more subataatial, but
far less palatable, ship's provisions, or, as the French salt
them " rations Acetic" The French always set aboat
doing things in a very determined , and areactualle
constructing an :aqueduct, with cast iron Ipipes, from 4
spring in the hill above Kamiesh down to the landing place,
where they water their shipping, so we all take it easy
until Sebastopol falls. When that may be I cannot even
venture to prediet. Ws had dreadfully wet weather last
month, from the 21st to the 24th torrents and waterfalls of
all sorts. It froze on the night of the 24th, and snow fells
with a hard frost 4, in the morning at six the thermometer
was down to 24 deg. below freezing, and yet the officers and
men live in tents and no Ares ; since then we have fine frosty
weather, dry, and smart strong gusts and breezes. The
wooden and iron houses for the troops are mostly
arrived, and reinforcements coming in multitudes

every day. The French are getting out 50,000
men, so that their force alone will amount to 130,000 men.
The Russians are evidently in great dread of our steam-ships
walking into the harbour, u in shown by their having two
days ego suns another vessel in the passage. Our prepara-
tions are progressing silently but steadily, and the middle
of January will make a great noise. We are all in the
greatest spirits at the prospect of using up old Nick and get-
ting home in the summer, bet none wish to leave until the
railway is made from Balaklava to Sebastopol, when we
hope the eonspiiny will give us cheap excursion trains. It
is said we receive medals for the Crimea, and when Se-
bastopol falls we shall be decorated up to the "nines:"
and then they speak of giving a year's pry all round—that
would be the most acceptable of all. Only fancy a vaga-
bond buying a cargo of geese and turkeys at Sinope and
Sammons; the former cut him there 6d. each, and the
latter Is.; he charged at Bahaism* on the 20th—tutors
16a, geese 6s. ; on the 23rd—turkeys 205., geese 155.; sad
on the 24th (all the turkeys being sold)—geese 22.. each,
skinny fowl 6s. each, and everything in proportion ester-
timid'. In fact, they are not content with a profit of even
300 per ant. on cosmos article*.

RIFLES POE THE Citlmas.—Yesterday morning
the awaireeton for Yiniß rifles and rifled wahines sent in a
lerrespentity of this description of 112.-arms to the Tower,
it eeeeegnonce of which a number of workmen had to be
seat for from the Arsenal at WoolwiokLto assist in proving
them in the Small Arms Department, Tewer-witarf. This
mmeare has become necessary in consequence of the limit-
ers', of rides to supply the troops about to prettied to the
eat of war. A large contract has been entered into for
revolver*, it being the intention of government not only to
supply light infantry sad rifle with them, be
also sail•trimmen and boarder in the fleet whirl f ache.

RATIONS IN TEE CRIMEA.

TOI IPITOS OP TOP DAUM 11111 in.
Catty AIMS eIariSTOPOL, JAZ I.
8i ,—Perhaps no pump in the various news-
papers which reached is by the last mail struck us
*Lk more surprise than the account given by the
=Correspondent of the Dews respecting the
rations. It, is quits evident that if he doss
not live on the " fat of the ma," which he describes
Buse to be living on who have been complaining of
the quality of the soldiers' ratites, he is living is
mesh better quarters than in the cusp before Sebes-
boot Should he deign to pay us a visit he will not
find much of the dyspezeodf *SON/ is our clamp.
Bea is the to—it appears in the.
Thus of NowerboilLibith :
As for myself, I ma saltily assert, from a geed deal of
steal kaowlsdgs en Illts subject, that a man am Nee en the
=s of • privative/ear day after day, sad can, with the
of Heaven, maintain pod condition and Woof
health upon them :less Let an ens who likes it get up
at all o'clock every smoming—earlier, if need be—take his
breakfast of soaked mid hied biscuit, tee, and • slim of beef
orreabsr of ration port; let him after some bows of honest
'Penis* eat his dinner, composed of • good soup of ration
Viet and rice, or of boded pork and rim ; thee let him wash
M down with his gill of ration rum, follow lb* meal (should
he he a smokes) by • sound pipe of ratios Wham*, at a
brat AMOS limit, it drink • sup of ration tea or coffee
ode Wpm to bed at dark, 'ad lam quits eertain he will
JAI it dos it eta week that he has lived, if not " unwisely
awl tee *ell," at least cloudy and wholesomely as a gee-
tiseMei &mild. and that he his commumd enough of mini.
ides Ms taileeelop his strength sod fit him for say mt.
ewe 116611 his bodily frame may be capable.
Abe Nen had received such rations as "the
Spooled Correspondent" appears to have had "actual
know/kW of, I have no doubt they would have been
—.rosy of them, at any rate—as stout and as well as I
hops be eoctiones to be. If they had not only Joao
hem,
them, but had the same means of cooking and re.
paring them, I firmly believe that many of the
emaciated wretches who are now stalking about the
hospital tents, or who have been removed to Scutari,
would have been stout and well ; and many, many
others now rotting in the ravines of this plateau
would have been, humanly peaking, alive, and
motive soldiers. lam in one of tbedivisionsengaged
in the siege operations—not at headquarters, nor at
Balaklava, where the supplies may be very different.
Oar Special Correspondent writes on Nov. 22, and
describes the day's ration living. There is soaked
and fried biscuit—no doubt soaked and fried in
butter—for breakfast, with tea, and a slice of beef or
rusher of ration pork : really quite tempting. But
where can the soldier who has just come in from
picket or the trenches, and who has to go and fetch
his water and hie firewood, get the means of break-
ing his fast so luxuriously ? No tea was served
out ha this division in the whole month of November,
nor was there any issued in December; no
grocery but coffee, and that in a green state. As
to the rasher of pork or slice of beef, the soldier
ate his allowance (much curtailed of late,
some days to one third and one fourth of a
pound of salt pork) yesterday at dinner,
and must wait till the time for the next issue before
he gets any more. Then after some "honest exer-
cise—a march into Balaklava and back, on fatigue
duty perhaps—comes dinner. " Our Correspondent"
has managed to get a "good loop of ration beef and
rise, or of boiled pork and rice ;" but if he had bad •
canteen to cook his soup in, no vegetables or condi-
ment to put into it, no fire bat what could be made on
the ground with some wet brushwood, no ries (it was
stopped by general order on the lath of November),
or as substitute for it—though he had been Boyer
himself, it would have pessled him to have made such
soup as the adjective "good" would have been justly
applicable to. Now follows a sound pipe of "ration
tobacco." There must have been a little private in-
terest here with the Commissary treneral ; at any
rate, no such thing as ration tobacco has been issued
in the Light Division, though there are some smokers
in it, and Punch would have anggested it might be
more useful to that division than to any other.
The ration tea has already been disposed of,
and the only comment on the "coffee ere he goes to
bed at night" I would make is, that I hope oar spe-
cial correspondent's bed was, for his own sake, not
quite so damp or bare as our soldiers'—as unlike it
in all respects, indeed, as his meals appear to have
been. Otherwise I do not think he would have
found even one week's ration life as animating and
strength-developing as, in his glowing description,
the influence it exerted upon himself appears to have
been.

The ration rum, biscuit, and salt pork, have been
good in quality, but directly there was a difficulty
from bad weather end bad roads the supply failed.
We had been living "from hand to mouth." Not
even a division store of two days' rations
was provided against an emergency. The bit
animals, which had been haltstatved, neglected—not
even their shoeing attended to—sank soon after the
country arsine failed, and the men had to go and
fetch their rations themselves. Many men died
under this extra exertion. It has been discontinued;
but the men still have to go in for nearly all the
stores of clothing which are brought to the front.
Some bit animals hays arrived from Varna and else-
where, but the rations are still very irregular and
diminished in quantity. The rations of rum and
meat have been much curtailed. There has been
scarcely any fresh meat—about 4lbs. per man daring
the whole month of December. Coffee is still issued in
a green state. By *nail order of the 27th of De-
cember, the ration of rice was ordered to be com-
menced spin, and it has been issued since. Rations
of light and fuel were ordered to be issued about
three weeks ago—l forget the date. No light has
ever been issued up to this day, and the men have
only got fuel once.
Considering the fatigues and exposure the men are
of necessity subjected to, I have no hesitation in
saying that neither the quantity nor the quality
of the men's rations is sufficient to preserve
much less strength. There is too small a qaantity of
fresh meat, there are no vegetables, and too small an
amount of food altogether. Some time sines it was
announced by general orders that there was a Teasel
laden with potatoes at Malaya, from which roe.
meats could draw supplies. Oa sending down, the
potatoes were found to be covered over by other
stores, and, moreover, the ship was under immediate
orders to leave, se that the vegetables could not be
obtained. More attention has been paid to the means
of cooking of late, and a fresh supply of camp kettles
has been issued to regiments. But much, even in
this matter, still remains to be done.
The subject of rations is not one for poetical de-
scription ; it is very little more than a matter of
pounds and ounces. The accuracy of no statement
can be so easily examined into, as one respecting the
kinds and quantity of food issued to the men. A simple
return from the quartermasters of regiments of the
daily issue will at once show what the men have re-
ceived. It must not be sent in by a commissary
general, nor proceed from any favoured individuaL
Let the quartermaster of each regiment send in a
return of what he has been able to vsue to the men
of his regiment, and the regiments are not so nume-
rous that these returns will be very voluminous. It
must be, if the truth is desired to be arrived at, ob.
tamed from each division, and each regiment of the
division : for during the last six weeks or upwards our
commissariat has assumed very much the appearance
and condition of a general " scramble," and those
who have been the strongest, or whose good leek and
some happy contingencies have given them the most
mead of transport so that they could bring supplies
oat for themselves from Balaklava, have, as in other
scrambles, fared the best, while the weaker party has
"gene to the wall."
A REGIMENTAL OFFICER.

MISHAP TO THE THLHOZAPHIC CABLE POE THE
C 1111111..-111. steamer Sink S.c left Sunderland es the
18th, and ea the &Swim dn, whew off Lowestoft, en-
countered imp winds Ibis ea aN.E., with a heavy ass,
which MINA the ship to iskra heavily, 63 ranch so that
Captaia Geedeaar, the sesomedir• was eetspelied to savi"
pats bar wader half slum Mayer Vela& so the 20th tin
enw was darned by as 111 the slykli•nels, add
it woo /mg that a job* of the eatery van lad given way.
The ossinonssa was 1111.1 with *any sad the swig hay-
hit sot aldiseosursi tbe slansidsns to *IL The
violent p*bisc sTheadm worlds( of the wend excited sonsidar- ,
able suably. asa lords. hos . the tar-
Sasso nose dinvow, ItillosartellisALut upon bar. and Oopt,
as
limped souses Rehab.' visas oho
arrived an Inaday. Oa reashlng that place ft woe asp
taised that., had onialinad puler ilassayo -*Woe did-
than was at lust anplassik do in Widen to ha wee
abrellos lb ins frund Mother basin had gat Mb& Ms
hem toinesiligstOlik sad awry nom swift Sim
to est bar to ass with all posdhis ospollitsen Oho
W
adds* of nay mosso. who woes to bay dews
the ant owlets the ammo, wain.

DEATHS AT THE HOSPITALS IN TURKEY.

The rainiest; is lb* nominal return of deaths at
the hospitals from the 7th bathe 10th N lea. inclusive :
Cooperal Prederiek Collins, .60sh Regt., dysentery, Jen. 7
Privates Peter Wilson, 44th ltegt. diarrhea', Jan. 7 ; Eli
Stewart, Ord Ear., tharrhan, Jan. 8; Michael Grady,
21st Refit., dysentery, Jas. 8 ; Jahn Crusher, 2Jth Reit,
Mel., ism. 7 ; Thaw Gram, 41st Rest., diurhon, Jan.
8; William Seep, Soots Fusilier Elands, diarrhea, Jim.
; Jamas Wanes, Soots Plsiilllll Guards, dysentery, Jan.
7; John Greurined, Ist Feet, dysentery, Jan 7 ; Thomas
Murray, 4th Regt., Mamba a, Jae. 7; Thome* Palmer,
7s, Bear., dyseatery, Jan. 7 ; David Cemoiltage, 19. h
Rest, diaretea, Jan. 7 ; Edward Chappell, 20th
Rest., dreamy, Jan. 7; Thomas Williams, 28th Regt,
dysentery, Jan. 7; John Halleatik, 46th Regt., denim*,
Jan. 7; William Bishop, 46th Rep., fele* Jae. 7; Geo.
Haim, 116th litegt., minas, Joe. 7; John Davie 62nd
Regt., dysentery, Jan. 7; Peter Flood.63rdßigt, diarrhea,
Jan. 7 ; Clerks Gill, 68th Regt euntoeun, Jae. 7 ;
Weems Crew, 68th Rest, dysentery, Jan. 7 ; Henry Wil-
liams, 77th Reit. dysentery, J. 7; James Mcßee°, 79th
diarrboa, Jae. 7; Hugh Kenos, 79th Rein., dy-
sentery, Jae. 7; Patrick Lynch, 83th Regt., dysentery,
Jae. 7-; William Tyr, Ist Battalion Rile Beireids, diar-
rhea, Jan. 7; Henry Term., lit Satiation R.llO Brigade,
diarrhea, Jan. 7; Thomas Edwards, tad Benetton Rifle
Brigade, diarrhes, Jae. 7; Robert Newell, Aoo.ll'B'3o
Corps, diarrhea, Jae. 7; George Frazee Royal Artillitir
febris, Jan. 8; Jsoob Salter, 20th Bor., diarrhea, Jan. 7 ;
Patrick Dean, 38th Regt., diarrhea, Ju. 7; John Foust,
46th Regt., machos, Jaa. 7 ; Mewed Williams, 67t.i
Refit, wounds, Jaa. 8 ; James Spencer, 63r8 Rev., diar-
rheas. Jae. 7; Patrick Beanie*, ftieh Rest., diarrhea, Jen.
8; Thomas M•Loughlio, 88th Ran., diarrhoea, Jen. 8;
Charles Gates 1•t Foot, dienbene, Jur. 7; Thema* Snitch,
le Rein., dysentery, Jan. 7; Patrick Galvin. 21st Refer.,
dysentery, Jan. 7; Jos. Wien, 44th Regt., gelatin, Jan. 7;
lbhn Drakeford, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, diarrhoea,
Jan. 7 ; Henry Penwell, 17th Lancers, slur, lea. 8; Joseph
Beak, Ruyal Artillery, feels, Jae. 8; F. Belcher, Grena-
dier Guards, diarrhea, Jen 8; D. Robinson, Coldstream
Guards, diarrhene:J en. 8; Wm. Hayes, Coldstream Guards,
diarrhea, Jan. 8; G. Whlurtlsa, Bees Fusilier Cards,
dysentery, Jan. 8 ; Daniel Memo°, Scots Fusilier Guards,
dysentery, Jan. 8; George Mien°, 4th Rest., diarrheas,
Jen. 8; Jahn Barton. 23rd Rest., diarrhoea, Jan 8; Jr
Divine, 38th Regt., diarrhoea, Jen. 8; Taamas Chapman'
88th Re t., diarrhea, J. 8; John Kelly, 41st Rent.,
values,Jan. 8; John Waters, 46th Refit., dysentery, Jan.
8; George Hastier, 46th Regt., diarrhoea, Jan. 8; Wm.
Steels, 49th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 8 ; Thom.. Brow., 6011
Rest., dysentery, Jan. 8; Jesse Lay, 60th Rep.,
dreatery, Jan. 8• Patriek 1111.1ingh, 62nd Regt,
dysentery, Jae. 8 ; R. Fredgill, 77th Regt.,diarrbene, Jan. 8;
Edward Chambers, 95th Rest., dyseatery,Jan.B ; Thomas
Bond, 20th Refit, genie Jan. 8 ; Richard Constable,
38th Roo., dysentery, Jas. 9 ; Gregory M'Crosy, 49th
Rent.. tractors, Jan. 8; Richard Cotbell, 2nd Battalion
Reis Brigade, diarrheas, JUL 8; George Jones, 7th Rest,
diarrhea, Jan. 9 ; Huraphry Dodd, 2ud Battalion Rite
Brigade, diarrhoea, Jan. 9 ; King, Coldstream
Gaerds, Murree Jan. 8 ; Robert Ragg, 77th Regt., diar-
rhea'. Jan. 8 ; M. Bruit, 21st Rep., dysentery, Jaw. 9 ;
J. bl'llugh, 67th Regt, dysentery, Jan. 0 ; B. Sheridan,
88th Rest., dysentery, Jan. 19 ; J. Little, 38th Best., dy-
sentery, i.e. 10; Hugh Flys., 47th Regt., diarrhoea, Jan.
9 ; Henry Pearce, 20th Refit., diarrhea, Jan, 9 ; John
Dals, 19th Rent., febris typhis, Jan. 9;
aniel, 20th Regt, dysentery, Jan. 10; Denia-
l:sin Garrett, Coldstream Guards, dysentery, Jen.
10; Peter Hulsey, 63rd Regt., eine, Jen. 10;
William Ogelvie, 93rd Rest., diarrhoea, JIM 10; Charles
Dibbons, lst Battalion Rifle Brigade, Tullius, Jan. 10;
James *Minnie, 2-3rd Keg., febris, Jan. 9; Patrick
Dougherty, 38th Riot., diurnal, Jen. 10; George Metcalf,
1834 Regt J4ll. 10; WillislloCotAran, let Battalion
' ICits Brigade, diarrhea, Jan. 9 ; Benjemia Band, 20th
Rest., values, Jae 10; Michael B . 19th Relit,
diarrhea JIM. 10; Samuel liszeilton, god Dragoon
'Guards, dysentery, Jan. 9; John Meredith, Royal Artil-
lery, dysentery, Jan. 9: Benj Bradford, Royal Artillery,
diarrhoea, Jan. 9; Rd. Pain, Grenadier Guards, alisentery.
Jae. 9: JollaWdrm, Coldstream Guards, dysentery,
I Jan. 9; Benj. Dent, Coldstream Gaud., dysentery, Jao. 9;
George Bailey. Coldstream Guards, diarthoes, Jam. 9;
Whim. Britton, Soots Fasiiire Guards, diarrhoea.
Jen. 9; Themes Heseltoo, Boots Fusilier Guards,
dysentery, Jae. 9; Matthew Bond, Ist Foot, dysentery,
Jan. 9; Charles Bret, 4th Regt., dysentery, Jae. 9;
Robin Muller, 4th Rent, dysentery, Jan. 9; George
Gould, 20th Regt , fever, Jan. 9; Charles Cousin. 20th
liege., die:than, Jao. 9; Michael Britten, 28th Regt,
diarrhea, Jul. 9; James Ito Mabee, 34rd Regt., dysentery,
Jan. 9; Jobe Barrett, 33rd Rest., diarrhea, Jan. 9; John
Woodwaid, 41st Rao., dysentery, Jan. 9 ; Pew Sharkey,
44th Regt., diarrhea. Jan. 9; William Datie, 46th Rags.,
diarrhoea, Jan. 9; James Mane, 47th Rest., dysentery,
Jan. 9; James Mc Mellen, 46th Rep., dysentery, Jan. 9;
William Puree, 65th Rep., rases, Jae. 9; Henry'
Keene, 63rd Rest., diarrhea, Jan. 9; R. Howard, 63rd
Rest, febris, Jan. 9; Patrick Filpot, 68th Refit., diarrhea,
Jan. 9; George Smalls, 68th Refit, diarrhoea, Jan. 9;
William Street, 77th Regt., dysentery, Jan. 9 ; Michael
Memel, 89th Regt., diarrheas, Jae. 9; Charles Godtin,
95th Regt , diarrhea, Jan. 9; George West, Ambulance
Corps, dysentery, Jan. 9.