The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

THE REINFORCEMENTS.

From Malta we are told that twenty transport-
ships, with detachments of the Bth Hussars, 17th
Lancers, and 38th Regiment, arrived between the 6th
and 9th inst. On the latter day two large French steam-
frigates, the Infernal and Canade, arrived, and pro-
ceeded to the Levant. The first had on board 10
horses and 026 troops ; the other, 24 horses and a
full battalion-1,0:56 troops. Besides these, the cor-
vette Capricieuse has joined from Toulon, with 200
troops and 150 sailors.
From England the 11th Hussars have sailed in
several transports from Kingstown. As one of these
vessels, the Tyrone, was on the point of departure, a
number of her crew mutined, and occasioned some
delay; but the disturbance was quelled, and eight of
the mutineers arrested and carried away in irons.
The 42nd Highlanders were inspected on Tuesday
at Portsmouth by Major-General Simpson, and a
full examination made into their fitness for the field
previous to their embarkation on Thursday in the
steam-packet Hydaspes.
The 4th or Royal Irish Dragoon Guards moved in
from Newbridge on Tuesday to Dublin, to embark
at Kingstown for Turkey.
The 2,500-ton screw-ship Jason, Captain Lane, is
embarking the Horse Artillery at Woolwich for Con-
stantinople. She will take just as many as five
sailing-transports.
The 1,000-ton screw-ship Harbinger, with Captain
Gambier's company of Royal Artillery, a portion of
the heavy battering train, and fifty tons of gunpowder,
passed Gravesend on Sunday afternoon for the East.
The Sydney takes the other portion of the battering
train.

The order for the 97th Regiment to march from
Windsor was countermanded on Monday in conse-
quence of the American steam-ship Orinoco not
being in a sufficient state of readiness to proceed im-
mediately with the troops. The departure of the
regiment is now fixed for Monday, the 22nd inst.
The Himalaya steamer, intended to convey the
sth Dragoon Guards from Cork to the seat of war,
will arrive in Queenstown on the 25th inst.

~~:•-~

The Presse states that on Saturday the Oth Regi-
ment of Cuirassiers commenced its embarkation—
an operation which was continued on Monday.
On the previous day 1,000 soldiers left Toulon for
Greece.
An aide-de-camp of the Minister of War reached
Marseilles on the 12th from Paris, in order to concert
with the military authorities as to the best places for
forming the camp. It is said that two camps will
be formed, each of 25,000 men, instead of one of
50,000.

The French Government have bought the three
steam-ships the Golden Fleece, Emu, and Kangaroo,
which will change owners as soon as the contract for
which they are hired to the English Government has
expired.
THE FLEETS.

The Baltic fleet under Sir C. Napier, after waiting
in Swedish waters for some days for the French fleet
to arrive and for the fogs to depart, seems at length
to have gone forward. On the 12th instant they are
reported to have taken Bomersand, on the Isle of
Aland. A St. Petersburg letter of the 9th states
that some ships of the fleet had been seen within
twenty-five to thirty miles off Cronstadt, and had
captured a number of Russian gun -boats.
The combined squadrons in the Baltic now com-
prise forty-five sail, 2,250 guns, and about 23,400
men. This ,is inclusive of the French fleet of five
ships-of-the-line, four frigates, and four steamers.
A private letter from an English gentleman, now
cruising in his yacht in the Baltic, says :
" I don't think Cronstadtor Sveaborg will be bombarded.
They are in such difficult channels that, without the
steam-power, it would be quite impossible to get into posi-
tion to attack, as stone walls and casemated batteries must
be fired at from not more than two hundred yards' distance.
No doubt an attack on Sveaborg might' and would be
entirely successful, but of course not without severe loss
and much damage to our ships ; immediately after which
out would come the untouched Russian fleet of twenty-
seven sail-of-the-line and thirty-eight large frigates from
Cronstadt, and fall on our disabled fleet. Napier is bold
enough; but if the Russians expect him to commit some
rash folly through love of fighting they axe much mistaken.
The S. Jean d'Acre, Captain Keppel, is unquestionably
the finest and most efficient ship here-9I heavy guns on
two clear fighting-decks."

Late accounts from Riga state that the Gulf is
completely free from ice, and, as no English cruisers
are off that port, the coasting trade is active and un-
impeded. The sooner her Majesty's Government can
send out a squadron of shallow-bottomed steamers,
heavy armed, but only with one gun, the better.
They could not fail to reap a rich harvest, and to
inflict severe injury upon the coasting trade.
The Empress has sent four pictures of saints to
the defenders of the four forts at Cronstadt--Kron-
'blot, Peter, Paul, and Alexander.
Several German journals have announced that the
English corvette the Amphion had been taken by
the Russians near Revel, and the crew sent prisoners
to St. Petersburg. The last news from the Baltic
gives a full contradiction to this report.
A large number of revolver pistols has been re-
ceived on board the Duke of Wellington for distribu-
tion throughout the fleet. The line•of-battle-ships
are to be furnished with 100, the frigates with 50, and
the sloops with 20 each respectively. These revolvers
are not to be appropriated solely to the use of the
officers, but are to be distributed among the boats'
crews when sent away on service.
In the Black Sea, according to the statements in
the Russian Invalide, a fleet consisting of five two-
deckers, ono sailing-vessel, and ten steamers, ap-
peared within about three miles of the harbour
of Sebastopol on the 28th, and were joined by
two other liners towards evening. During the
day the steam-frigate and some other vessels ran
closer in, and hoisted an admiral's flag ; but no
operation was attempted up to the 30th. The fleet
is known to have returned to Kavarna, having found
that the Russian admiral was not disposed to risk a
combat. The combined commanders left steamers
to watch the coast and pick up trading-vessels.
A despatch received in Paris on Thursday night
from Constantinople, dated the 10th, announces that
Sebastopol has been cannonaded by the French and
English fleets with guns of long range, with a view
to destroy the advanced works of the port.
Squadrons from both fleets, including the screws
under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir E. Lyons,
K.C.8., were to be detached for the purpose of clear-
ing the coasts of the Crimea, Georgia, and Circassia, of
" everything Russian " in the shape of ships or forts,
a small division being stationed off the Sulina mouth
of the Danube, and a couple of' steamers left at
Odessa to watch that port.

The Turkish fleet sailed on the 4th from Bujuk
dere for the Black Sea. It consists of twenty-two
vessels. The admits', Ahmet Pacha, has his flag
on the Mahmoudii, a first-rate of 124 guns; and
there are besides eight other line-of-battle ships, of
which three are of 104, two of 00, two of 84, and one
of 74 guns. Three large frigates and two brigs,
five steam •frigates, and two steam-sloops complete
the number of this powerful squadron. The vessels