The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1853

LATEST FROM ABROAD.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

I:EI'LY OF THE TWO AMBASSADORS TO
HESCRID PAOLA'S APPLICATION FOR
'IIIE l LEF.TS.
our Constantinople correspondent writes :
A week after the date of Reschid Pacha's note to
the two Ambassadors (see Daily Netcs of Monday
loth communicating the news from Sinope, and ask-
ing that the Fleets might enter the Black Sea, Lord
Stratford de Itedeliffe and M. Baragnay d'Hilliers
met at the French Palace, at Pera, aad after a con-
fort nee, NI hich lasted some hours, agreed upon the
terms of their reply. This note I subjoin in sub-
stance from au authentic source:
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your excel-
lency's note of December 4. I learned thereby
that a division of the Russian fleet, which had
been cruising for some days is the neighbourhood
of Sinope, entered that port on the 30th ultimo,
and attacked some Turkish ships of war anchored
there. Since then I have been also apprised of
the result of the combat, which I deeply deplore ;
while, at the same time, all my praise is duo to
the noble devotion and patriotism of those who
tell in an unequal struggle.
I am, however, in duty bound, as far as con-
cerns me, to disclaim all responsibility in reference
to that disaster; and your excellency will do me
the tustiee to acknowledge that whenever I was
consulted by the Porte as to the expediency
of the Ottoman fleets entering the Black Sea I
invariably expressed my doubts and apprehensions'
without reser% e. A defective materiel, crews under
the contingent required in time of war, the ad-
verse chances of the Black Sea at this season, the
possibility of encounter with an enemy of superior
force—all these reasons were exposed to the govern-
raent of the Sultan, in support of an opinion in oppo-
sition to its own.

" The presence of the Anglo-French fleet in the
Bosphorus is an incontestable proof of the interest
and sentiments which animate the Emperor of the
French and her Majesty the Queen of Gnat
Britain. Their presence has a political significa-
tion. It is a moral support, u long as there re-
mains a hope of effecting a reconciliation between

the adverse powers.
" SLould, however, Russia attempt to land a
' force on the Bosphorus, or at any other point of
the Turkish coasts, the combined Beets will be
then required to act, and enter immediately the
Black Sea, if necessary, to protect the territory,
as well as the integrity of the Ottoman empire.
(Signed) "REDCLIFFE.

" Doe. 12, 1853."

" BARAOUAY

FRANCE.

PARIS, FRIDAT EVENING.

The ►loniteur announces that according to the last
advices from Constantinople, the Divan was perfectly
agreed with the representatives of France, England,
Austria, and Prussia, as to the conditions upon which
the Porte could honourably treat for the re-establish-
ment of peace.
The Moniteur also notifies that the Emperor will
receive the diplomatic corps on the morning of Sun-
day, January 1, 1854, but the general reception
will not take place until Monday.
At the Bourse to-day the rally of yesterday had
been kat, and prices have fallen 25 and 35e. The
Three per Cent. Rentes closed for money at 74, and
the Four•and-a•lllalf per Cents. at 101.

THE WAR.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

A private letter from St. Petersburg, of the 19th
inst., affirms that the exchange of the ratifications of
an offensive and defensive treaty between the govern-
ment of the Shah of Persia and Russia took place on
the evening of the 18th inst.
A letter from Erzeroum, of the 2nd, states as posi-
tive that Russia has engaged to furnish Persia with
arms, ammunition, and money, in case she declared
war against Turkey. Several Russian officers had
already arrived at Teheran to tierce in the Persian
army.
Our further correspondence from Constantinople
confirms the letter from that capital which we pub-
lished yesterday, and shows that the Vienna propo-
sition of Dec. 5 would arrive there just as the four
ambassadors hid devised and agreed upon a new
project of accommodation. Our correspondent says:
" On the 13th of December, at the French Palace,
the representatives of the four great powers met in
conference, which lasted during the greater part of
the day, and drew up a project of settlement, which
is said to he sufficiently favourable to the interests
of the Porte. Oa the evening of the conference
(13th inst., at 6 p.m.) a courier went off with de-
spatches era Belgrade, for London, Paris, Vienna,
and Berlin. Meantime warlike preparations are
being continued with the utmost energy, and the
Redifs in great numbers are pouring in daily from
all parts ot the empire. We are without any fresh
intelligence from the armies of Asia and the
Danube. The winter has necessarily put a stop to
all active operations, and the Turkish forces are all
in high spirits, well clothed, well fed, and snag in
winter quarters. Persia, as you are aware, -has
been induced by Russian arguments to side with her
against Tui key a circumstance which, with the
rest, proves the forethought of her Majesty's coun-
cils and the comparative amount of British influ-
ence in the East. It is most painful to me, in
chronicling for your information the incidents of
the last few days, to notice the jeers, the scoffs,
the scorn of the multitude in reference to the attitude
of the two aliied powers. The combined fleets are the
wonder and derision of the day—a political rareeshow.
The pomp and circumstance. the prowess of these
mighty armaments, the ' moral and material aid'
Afforded by them to the Sultan in his exigency, is in
everybody's mouth, and the general object of ridi-1
cult and contempt. It is absolutely impossible to
avoid these odious discussions, and in certain circles
they ate interspersed abruptly with knotty queries
and practical inferences, such as Ti Diarulo. How
comes it? What are they about ? Do they want
pluck ? I should never have thou?ht it— Ti Diar•olo
—Pontns has no terrors for the Czar—. s' orms and
temper's hurt not Heaven's design,' and so on."
Another correspondent writes under the same date:
The Ottoman government, proclaiming its resolu-
tiou to corneal ',wiling on toe nation, has published
the would of the affair at Sin'pc•. justly it eAtig that
it need not be ashamed ot tee cnnduet ot It 4 stamen,
" by fighting to the list drop of have
given rich pr. efs of valour, devotion to their Sultan, I,
And patriotic feeling of honour and fidelity, as have'
never been seen or heard of, and of which the Most
High Sultan may well be proud." It is indeed
admitule on all hands that the Turks fought from
noon till after sunset with incredible bravery and
resolution. blaring the whole action, unfortunately,
owing to the direction of the wind, the devoted
squadron, it is said, was wrapped in dense masses of
smoke. which impeded a:together the accurate point-
irg of 'heir guns. 'f h. y r. I:. generally, it is re-
ported. ,Aer the mark. The Russians, however.,
elmt h:ve suffered necessarily, and all hands were,
bum, erepl.led in repairing the vessels after the
town had Wain into their possession. One ship is

said to have been observed on tire after having quitted

port.
According to the report of the Retribution and
Mogador, Sinope, on their arrival, was a scene of
indescribable misery and desolation—the town de-
serted, a heap of ashes, their pert clogged with man-
gled bodies in a half•putrified state—the shore
strewed with the dying and the dead, huddled tor-
they under the ruins of some wretched hovels. '1 he

moans and lamenting. of some poor sufferers, it is
said, were heart-rending—exposed at once to the
excruciating tortures of their wounds, and to
all the rigours of a severe winter. And it
was thus that those brave patriots were aban-
doned to their fate by the Russian Admiral.
1 subjoin his parting address to the Austrian consul,
. .

wiling is, you will admit, of a piece with some other
remarkable documents lately issued, and another
appalling specimen of Muscovite morals and Mosco-
vite hypocrisy. (Admiral Nakhimoff's letter to
which our correspondent refers, was given in the
Daily News of Wednesday last.)
It is, perhaps, all " bonne guerre," for all I
know; but that this frightful tragedy should
have been enacted at the very moment
when negotiations are being actively and un-
ceasingly pursued, and the most positive assu-
rances given that Russia will maintain a merely de-
fensive attitude, and all this too, within a hundred
leagues of the combined fleets, is, it must be allowed,
a deplorable circumstance and a deep humiliation to
the British and French flag. But our government
at least, it is confidently asserted, and anticipated,
will submit to this and still more, as it has
to many a slight and many an insult in
the course of these lamentable transactions.

I may mention to boot, that a British
ship was sunk with the rest by the Russian's guns
at Sinope, although, according to the report of the
captain, a quondam " cicis romantic)," he had hoisted
his colours beyond the possibility of any mistake.
To what effect the memorable naval vic'ory of
Sinope will have on the policy of the allied powers,
it is really impossible to hazard a conjecture. Lord Red-
cliffe and M. Baraguay d'Hilliers are continually deli-
berating in close conference, but whether fur woe or
weal, as regards the cause of Turkey and of all Eu-
rope, I am utterly unable to give an opinion. With
regard to the joint proposal of the two represents-
byes, which, you are aware, is being actively urged
on the Porte, and more especially within this last
week, I am enabled to give it to you in substance as
follows from undoubted authority :
1. The acceptance by Russia of the modified
Vienna note. 2. The resuscitation of all the de-
funct Russian treaties with the Porte. 3. A new
treaty with Russia. 4. The evacuation of the prin-
cipalities. 5. No demand for the expenses of the
war, of which Russia has been, it is evident, the
sole and unjust cause. Lord Redcliffe, if I am
rightly informed, is not merely doing duty in the
present instance, but has thrown into the scale the
whole weight of his influence, amounting to a sort
of dictatorship, to obtain the assent of the Porte,
and conclude this negotiation. Had any hopes of
accomplishing it before existed, the melancholy
affair of Sinope will, I fancy, have completely de-
stroyed all prospects of a settlement on such terms.
You will, of course, have anticipated, and I need
immreely mention, that every possible assistance was
corded to the wounded sufferers at Sinope by the
medical staff (24) of the Retribution and Mogador.
Several amputations and a variety of other opera-
tions were performed without delay, and these brave
fellows, as above mentioned, reached our port on
Friday last.
On the 15th inst. the Prefect of the Police at
Bucharest, who is now a Russian functionary, an-
seamed publicly to the inhabitants the displeasure
he felt at receiving so many complaints about the
citizen.. He considered their refusal to receive the
soldiers billeted on them, or to supply them with wood
and provisions, as not only very disgraceful and in-
burious to the old Wallachian fame for hospitality,
tas being contrary to law. He therefore hoped
that no one would forget his duty for the future,
and that he should have no more complaints, because
if he did, he should not only levy a distress upon the
offender's goods, but should also put his name down
on the Meek list for the inspection of the supreme
government.
The Vienna Gazette of the 27th inst. has miss
from the Russian head-quarters on the Dam& as
late as the lt;th. Mention is made of a cannonade
heard from two Russian war-steamers and four sloops
who were firing at Tultshu-Matjin near Hiram's. TM
reason why this flotilla sailed up the Danube was to
reconnoitre the recent fortifications on the Turkish
bank of the river. Omer Pacha was with his staff
at Rustchuk, where he inspected the works. He
appears to apprehend the passage of a Russian
army corps about two miles lower down from
Giurgevo,where Russian pioneers and pontoneers are
strongly entrenched. But according to intelligence
that may be " relied on," the entire centre of the
Balkan army is on the other side of the river in good
order and strength. The Russians, therefore, would
hardly be able to force a there with advan-
tage to themselves, especiarlayssaasgderift ice alone would
render it dangerous. The right wing of the Turkish
centre extends along the line of the Danube to
Rustchuk, the left to Nicopolis. The two main roads
from Hastchak to Shamla, Karnabat, from Nicopolis
to Gabroma, are strongly defended, not "so the road
from Dobrutsha to Paravadi.
Amording to reports from Crajova, in Lesser Wal-
Lila, near Kalafat, down to the 9th inst., the Rus•
etas env was expecting every day the order to
march end attack the Turks in Kalafat. Their rein-
forcements had not arrived, however, on the 9th.
Lieut.-General Fischbach was constantly sending out
troops towards Kalafat, for the sake of learning
what the Turks were doing there and how posted.
No doubt exist, that sharp skirmishes have taken
place, bat a pitched battle was out of the question,
according to a correspondent from Cronstadt.
The newspaper of the last-named place, dated the
17th, confirms this account, but says a fight came off
at Giurgevo on the 14th inst., where the artillery
played an important part. The Turks had crossed
the Danube in imposing force, coming from Rue-
tchuk, and endeavoured to take the island Mokan,
but, after a ?my hot affair, had re-crossed the river.
The town of Giargevo now forms one large camp;
the Russians hold themselves constantly in readiness
to repel any attack made upon it.
Bucharest is being strongly fortified. At Krajova
an attack from the 'l' urks was hourly expected.
Hot skirmishes had taken place between Kalafat
and Krajova, towards which latter place a consider-
able Turkish force was approaching. The merchants
and rich inhabitants were therefore sending away
their money and valuables to Cronstadt.
The death of Izzet Pacha. said to have occurred=
the 12th inst., is not alluded to by the newspapers
published at Belgrade on the 16th. They state that
the Turkish forces on the Bosnian and Bervian fron-
tiers are merely for " observation ;" that the com-
mandant of the fortress at Belgrade (Izzet Pacha) had
received strict orders from the Grand Vizier tocom-
municate to the prince and government of Servia the
unswerving favourable disposition of the Porte.
One of the Turkish ships destroyed at Sinope, the
Fazli Illab, was formerly called the St. Michel. She
was captured from the Rue ians during the last war,
and struck without firing a single shot. Her name,
Fazli Blab, means " Bounty of God."
The European journals are at the present moment
evincing a friendly anxiety for the safety. of oar
Indian possessions. The bets, a Polish journal,
states that Russia has prepared a great expedition,
the pretext of which is to chastise the Khan of
Khivu, hut which is only a mask for vast projects.
For fifteen years Russia has been working towards
the pomemeion of Mongi lia and of the Kingisen ; she
has organised their borde• protidiag them with
officer., iu ur,, and money, end " rt this pres-dt nte-
mint en army of 24'0,009 1-asenirtn. con- Wing
.of
the 'latter and Mongolian miter of Central
well armed, hardened t- , and ez-enatonstsl to
tr..verse 'he greatest di-t • s. has taken the field
under the e-drrs of !taw.::" At the same time,
Russia M doing all she can to excite the Persians and
the Affghans to a war aitakst England, and to join
their armies to the Tartar hordes she is urging
towards i%dia. If she succeeds—if the independent
and hostile tribes to England beyond the Ganges are
gained over—it is doubtful whether England will be
able to main:ain her dominion in the East
Incalculable changes may, therefore, be expected in
India as well as in Central Asia. Perhaps the days
of GI ngis Khan may be itnewid, and India once
more become the prey of the Tartars.
The writer ventures the opinion that tbe lot of tho
Hindooe would not be rendered much worse by the
change. For the credit of England, the writer sup-

poses that tho British government knows all
: about these preparations, and that at this
moment a plan may be in preparation for
sending an English army into the Russian
Trans-Caucasian provinces, cutting off Russia
from the Caspian Sea, raising in insurrection all the
Tartar tribes in the vicinity of the Caucasus and on
I the Caspian Sea, establishing British ascendancy
among the Tartars, Kerghises, and Persians, and so
destroying the Russian game in the East!

REPORT OF DR. PIRAUD, OF THE MOGA-
DOR, TO HIS COMMANDING OFFICER.

Mogador, Dec. 8, 1853.
Owing to my incessant occupations I am only en-
abled to report summarily in regard to the
mission confided to the medical officers of the
Mogador at Sinope. After having received
your instructions, and come accordingly to
an understanding with my colleague of the
English frigate, I went on shore on the 7th inst.,
at 7 a.m., with Messrs. Louvel (Mogador), Vincent
(Valmy), Aiguier (Friedland), Ftuillet (Jena), and
the medical staff of the Retribution were just in the
set of quitting their ship to join us, and co-operate
in our labours. M. Bertrand, meantime, one of the
surgeon* of our ship, had been left on board, to make
ell the necessary preparations for the recep-
tion of the wounded. Immediately on land-
ing, I proposed to the English surgeon-major to
divide the coffee-house, sheds, and buts
at our disposal, in order to allow each party to act
with greater freedom, and thus facilitate and lighten
our labours. The English surgeon accordingly took
possession of the department nearest the landing-
place, and the French the two others. It was evi-
dent, generally speaking, that we had to deal with
very severe cases—comminutive fractures of the limbs,
and with wounds of serious extent.
Penetrated with the object of our mission, after
having examined and dressed the wounded, I regis-
tered, to be conveyed on board, all such as offered the
smallest chance of recovery. Whoever could have
beheld those poor fellows, huddled together in an
infected atmosphere, and in utter destitution, must
surely have felt and acted as I have, and shown great
liberality in respect to the numbers to be transferred,
to our ship. licnce, out of 21 sufferers contained
in the lesser department confided to my care,
18 were registered to take with us ; the
other three were dying, and in a state
of frightful mutilation. After two hours' dressings,'
and having performed a most urgent amputation of
the right arm, I proceeded with my colleagues of
the Mogador to the other more spacious compare.
ment, containing wounds of every description, but
especially very extensive burns, and some et
which had mummified whole extremities. Burps
are, in general, the predominating variety
of wound; and the cause naturally arising
from the issue of the combat, inasmuch se
all the Turkish ships were either burnt or blown up.
Here again, time permitting it, we were again
enabled to amputate another arm, whereof the whole
inferior portion had been pounded (broyee) by a
projectile.
Altogether from these two localities, comprising
owe sufferers brought at the moment of our depar-
tine from the neighbouring villages, M dangerous
wound-cases were conveyed to the Alogador, besides
33 others less important, which had been already sent
in a boat of the country. Total, 87.
From seven in the morning till bur p.m. dressings
were continued with all the care and assiduity prac-
ticable under such circumstances.
The generous sentiments of humanity which ani-
mated the medical staff under my orders are beyond
all praise. In contemplating the ruins and complete
desolation of this unfortunate town; to bring with
us the greatest number possible of these poor suf-
ferers, was the common object of ull. On my arrival,
and subsequently, I experienced heartfelt satisfaction
in having taken with me some in a most precarious
but not altogether hopeless state; and really, the
courage of these poor fellows was admirable, and in.
describable, and they soon rallied and cheered up se
the bare idea of a prompt return to their foyers. The
happy arrangements, moreover, made by the offlews
for their reception, contributed no doubt to prod us
these good effects, and I trust that the dictates all
humanity may be fulfilled without compromisiog the
hygiene of our ships. During all our melanccholy
labours on shore as on board, I teel the highest satis-
faction in declaring how much I am indebted to the
generous real and assistance of our ship's crew. I
furnished before quitting this port a provision of
lint, linen, &c., to the surgeons destined to attend
remaining sufferers, and who had escaped from the
catastrophe to the neighbouring
(Signed) PIRAUD,
Surgeon-Major of the Mogador.