The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

CAUCASUS.

On the 27th ult. Schamyl issued from the mountains
with his bands, and broke into the Ruuian circle of
Dseharo-Ilielokansk, where he made an attack upon
the fortress of Novjukstal. Major-General Prince
Orbclian marched with three battalions of infantry,
six guns, and some cavalry, to meet the moun-
taineers ; and, after much fighting, drove them back
into the mountains. The engagement hated till
nightfall. The Russian accounts state that the loss
of the Caucasians was considerable; they themselves
admit a loss of two stl.tf offictrs, three field officers,
and GI men.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

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A letter from Constantinople, of the 3rd, states
that, during the previous few days, couriers had
followed one another in rapid succession to the army
lot the Danube. From Shumla it was stated that
Omer Yacht' had made all necessary preparations for
commencing his operations upon the expiration of
the appointed delay.
There were no longer parties among the leaders of
Turkey—all were animated with the spirit of resis-
tance to the attack on their country's independence.
On the evening of the Ist, the Sheik-ul-Islam went
to the Aja Sophia with 00 ulemas, and there paired
the night; some say they were praying, others that
they were taking counsel preparatory to raising the
standard of the Prophet,which is kept in the mosque.
The admirals of the French and English fleets are
here installed at the embassies of their respective
nations, whence they send orders to their fleets.
The Minister of War had sent Hall! Pacha with a
detachment of guards to Batoum, there to take
command of a brigade 10,000 strong. It is stated that
a force of 30,000 has been advanced to Erzeroum, in
order to guard the frontier against Erivan.
A correspondence from Warsaw, of the 9th, pub-
lished by the Paris Patric, says that the nomina-
tion of Prince Paskewitch to the command of the
army of the Principalities is confirmed. The Prince,
it is said, has obtained permission to take with
him 40,000 men of the corps d'armee of Poland,
which pass for being the best troops in the whole
Russian army.
The Emperor of Russia, on proceeding from Pots-
dam to St. Petersburg, turned out of his road to
visit Weimar, where he arrived incognito at a late
hour in the evening. He again set off at midnight
after having had a long conversation with the Duke
of Saxe-Weimar.
The energies of the Russian dredging machine at
the Sulina being exhausted, no work had been done
there for a fortnight previous to the latest &deices.
Misfortunes occur daily, at d even lighters have been
obliged to throw their cargoes overboard in order to
escape shipwreck.
Tae Russians are fortifying the bridge which has
been thrown over the Danube near Braila, by means
of a tete-depont, acd two small forts at the end
towards Turkey.
In consequence of the impediments to the naviga-
tion of the Lower Danube, the mail is for the present
to be sent to Semlin, Orsova, Bucharest, Hustchnck,
Braila, Oalatz, and Constantinople by land.

FRANCE.

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PARIS, SUNDAY DINNING.
The fact is now beyond tonteat, that the war, if not
actually commenced, is on the point of breaking out,
and although the French press to calm the public
mind, too prone, it is true, to give way to panic,
argue that the war will be purely local, while our
fleets are looking on as at a tournament, it is more
than doubtful whether we can long maintain such •
n mare mare magna" position. The war may yet be
prevented by the Emperor of Russia making a wise
choice between his ruin and his humiliation, but this
is the true alternative. There is no reason why the
delicate sensibilities of the Czar should now be con-
sulted. On the contrary, it may be fairly said that
his overweening arrogance has brought things to such
a pass that no concession to his dignity can be made
without a corresponding infraction of the dignity of
France and England. Ito now soplain that if Nicholas
draws beck it will be because he is afraid to go for-'I
ward, that the French and English cabinets will be
inexcusable if they do not push the advantages of
their position to the extent of drawing the teeth of
the Russian bear, and depriving him of the power of
doing mischief for some time to come. There can
scarcely be any doubt that France whatever Ear
land may do) is about to send a considerable military
force to support the fleets. The Constitutimmel
states, evidently from authority, that orders have
bees sent to prepare the necessary ships to transport
a body of troops to the Dardanelles. It is probable
that the report so often contradicted, that General
Canrobert was to be appointed to command the army
of the east, was only
.premature.
A good deal of curiosity is felt as to the purport of
the mission of Iskender-Iley, whose arrival in France
I mentioned yesterday, and who is expected in Paris
to-morrow. Ile is a native of Poland, and I am told
a man of imposing presence, and one of the finest
soldiers in the Turkish army.
The Petrie denies the truth of the statement in
the telegraphic despatch from Marreillee, that orders
had been given to arm the six steam-frigates.

PARIS, MONDAY EVZSING.
There is a rumour that another plot has been dis-
covered, and that in connection with it 140 arrests
were made last night. Experience teaches one to be
sceptical about plots, but it is certainly true
I that extensive political arrests have just been
made, although I believe the number to
be exaggerated. I have not been able to
learn any particulars, except that M. Goad-
chaux, the eminent Minister of Finance under the
Provisional Government, was in custody for about
two hours, and was released after being interro-
gated.
The ifoniteur quotes the paragraph from yester-
day's ansatitidionnel, stating that orders had been
sent to Toulon to prepare vessels to carry out troops
to the Dardanelles, and says there is no kind of
foundation for the assertion. It must, how-
ever. be considered doubtful whether the con-
tradiction is of greater or even of equal
weight with the original statement. A mystery
hangs over the subject which would be inex-
plicable were it not notorious that a division exists
in the French cabinet. That preparations have been
made for sending out troops to the East, and that
everything is in readiness for their transport at a
moment's notice, are facts resting upon an accumula-
tion of evidence impossible to be resisted. The para-
graph in the Conatitutionnei, conspicuously printed
in the form of a semi-otlicial communication, was
certainly not invented or lightly adopted by that
journal; indeed, I have reason to believe that the
intelligence came direct from the Ministry of Fo-
reign Affairs.
The Pays has now completely abandoned its hopes
of a peaceable settlement. It looks upon fighting as
an essential and inevitable preliminary to the re-
Gumption of negotiatioos. It says:
The d. duration of war has radically changed this pacific
situation. • • • We have reason to believe that the
knowledge of this declaration at St. Petenhurg has rendered
any aacrapt at coneiliatem impossible. The Czar, who
migh. Lave appeared to give way to the voice of Europe,
will evi letaly not draw te.ck before a threats ning requiei-
tion from Turkey. Self-love and his personal dignity in
the eje. ()fa people whose fanaticism he has imprudently
ezcited force bun not to rsceile. Re must accept the
combat even shou:d he expose himself to the
most humiliating checks, and the most terrible
defeats. This is the reality of the situation. The greater or
less delay that may bars been granted by the Porte for the