The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS

(DS ELECTRIC TZLICIELPIL)

SOUTHAMPTON, SATtrADAT.

The Iberia arrived here this afternoon with the
Peninsular mail. She left Lisbon on the 11th inst.
All quiet at Lisbon, and everything going on as
usual.

THE WAR.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, DLO. 2.

We continue to receive bulletins detailing new
successes in Asia. Schamyl is rendering most effi-
cient co-operation to the Ottoman forces. As soon
as the old Imaum found that serious obstinate war
between Russia and Turkey was a certainty he
collected 16,000 men and 20 guns. His lieutenant,
Denial Bey, was entrusted with 3,000 men and
four guns, the Naih Emir with 5,000 men
u a reserve, and Abdlinl Ghamar with
2,500. &bawl himself attacked the fortress of
Zahkatala, while Denial Bey assaulted Khaketty, a
strong position commanding an important military
road through the mountains. Zabkatala fell after
a most sanguinary battle, which lasted six-and-
thirty hours. The Russians fought most despe-
rately, and when they were unable longer to hold
the place, they spiked their guns, broke the spokes
of their ammunition carriages, and burnt their
barracks. Schamyl next turned his arms against
Lignay, where he again was conqueror, and
drove the Russians in the direction of Tiflis.
At Khsgetty Daniel Bey encountered a stout
resistance, which endured for several days,
but in the end the place fell into his
hands. After this Schamyl took four other for-
tresses from the Russians, among them Dachten. He
then divided his little army into three corps, the
strongest of which marched upon Tiflis; the second,
led by Denial Bey, marched against Skir-
wan, and the two other leaders remained at
the head of the third division, which was ap-
pointed a reserve. Prince Woronsow sent off
despatch after despatch for help. At last General
Orlianoff, with great difficulty, got together 15,000
men, with which to come to his superior's aid. We
are expecting further particulars respecting subse-
quent operations. Denial Bey has attacked the
second Russian division on the river Mohacz, and
taken the fortress of Messer by storm. General
Dolgornki marched against him in vain. Schamyl
Naib attacked and defeated him.

On the shores of the Black Sea another Turkish
corps has taken the fortress of Seffo, about five miles
from Schefkatil. The Russians lost 400 men and
200 escaped.
A letter from Trebiaond, dated Nov. 24, gives fur-
ther particulars :—A Turkish steamer arrived here
on the morning of the 19th, on its way back from
Batoum, bringing news that on the 13th of this
month the Turks attacked the small outpost called
Seffo, about five miles distant from Chevketil to the
north, and occupied by a Russian garrison of about
700 men. An engagement ensued, in which the
Russians lost 400 men ; the rest were driven to flight,
and the place was occupied by the Turks. Letters
from Kars say that a force composed of 16,000 Turks
is marching on;G humri (Alexandropol), and that they
have on their way taken possession of several Rus-
sian villages, and that preparations for an eager-
ment were being set on foot on both aides. The
day before yesterday an express arrived here, ad-
dressed to the Governor from Batoum, announcing
I that seven Russian ships of war, three of which
were steamers, had landed 4,2:10 men at about an
hour and a half distant from Chevketil, on the coast,
and that they were marching on that place. The
Turkish troops went to meet them, and after an en-

gagement, which lasted several hours, the Russians
retreated, leaving from 400 to 500 dead on the field.
They succeeded in gaining their boats, leaving one
cannon and other arms in the hands of the Turks.
On gaining the Russian ships they set sail and made
off. The little Turkish squadron, composed of three
frigates and a steamer, which were directed to the
coast of Circassia, have succeeded in landing ammu-
nition there; they then returned to Sinope. A
small Turkish steamer has, as you perhaps already
know, been captured by a Russian squadron in the
waters of Ineboli, the Medjari Tidjaret, with a cargo
on board worth 150,000 piastres.
The Montenegrins, who were lately menacing the
Turkish provinces in their neighbourhood, and to
whom, it will be recollected, a very important part in
the actual war was assigned by the German journals,
appear now to be quarrelling amongst themselves.
The project of their alliance with Servia has broken
down, as was probable from the first, and now the
21iests Gazette announces that Peter Petrowitch,
uncle of the reigning Vladika, has lied down to the
Austrian town and port of Cattaro, in the Adriatic,
having been detected in a conspiracy against his
nephew. The Vladika, it is said, has a large party
against him.
The following announcement, signed by General
Iljinske was posted on the Exchange, at Odessa, on
the 6th inst.:
"The fleet of his Majesty the Emperor, under the
command of Vioe-Admiral Nachimow, has encoun-
tered in the Black Sea a Turkish and Egyptian
fleet, consisting of 18 ships—two deckers, tri4ates,
corvettes, together with two steamers of 500 horse
power, and two others of 300 horse power. After a
long engagement, the following Turkish ships have
been destroyed or captured :—One of 64 guns, name
unknown; one of 60 guns, ditto; one of 52 guns,
Nezrami Effendi; one of 50 guns, Ahmet Ali ; one
of 46 guns, Nazim Fessim ; one of 22 guns, Fessi
Mahmoud. Steamers :—Two of 20 guns each ; two
transports; 1 do. British transport. The engage-
ment took place near Sinope. Five thousand Turks
Ihave been killed, and many taken prisoners. Osman
Paella, who was wounded, has also been taken pri-
soner. Several officers, both English and French,
were on board the Turkish fleet."

Just about the time when the flotilla of Osman
Pacha was sustaining the fire of the Russian fleet,
the two admirals of the French and English squad-
rons were being entertained by Mahmoud, the Capon-
dan Puha, on board his flag-ship. The Turkish
Grand Admiral made a speech in Turkish, which was
immediately rendered into French by one of the
interpreters of the Porte, and of which the following
is a version :

Allow me to give "The health, of her Majesty the
Queen of England, and of the Emperor of the French."
Oa so important a day as this, on which I can assemble
together on board the Bag-ship of the Turkish navy the two
admirals of the French and British squadrons, it is needless
for me to express to you the ; enenal sympathy which I
feel. I wi'l but express the gratitude and thankfulness
by which his Imperial Majesty's counsellors are pene-
trated for the numerous marks of friendship and assist-
ance given by the two great Western Powers. The inde-
pendence and integrity of the Ottoman empire are the basis
upon which repose the equilibrium of Europe and the
peace of the world. That peace, which is so precious, and
which all states were entitled to consider durable, has been
violently disturbed, in spite of all the efforts of the Ottoman
government. Turkey, strong in her own good right,
repulses the unjust aggression which has been directed
against her. Your presence, admirals, at Constautiaople is
an example and a support to us; and if destiny decides that
we are to march side by side, all our efforts will tend to
merit your esteem and praise. The sentiment. which I
express are shared by all the subjects of his Imperial Ma-
jesty, and I am happy in being on this day the organ for
interpreting the wishes formed throughout the empire for
the august allies of the sultan, their Majesties the Emperor
of the French and the Queen of Great Britain. _ _

The Sultan's health was then drunk by the British
and French admirals.

The Journal of Constantinople subjects the Russian
manifesto to a very severe criticism. The low and
offensive designation employed by the Czar to
characterise the Sultan's manifesto—" une procla-
mation remplie d'accusations mensongeres "—meets
the answer which it deserves. To the charge that
Turkey has welcomed the revolutionaries of all
Europe to its camp, the writer replies : " We look in
the Imperial ranks for these revolutionaries, and
look in vain • they. are not to be found. The object
of these charges is well known. It is hoped that
where such assertions find credit, some sympathies
will be alienated from the ri. hteous cause of Turkey.
This mode of warfare is not honourable. The whole
world, however, knows that the Sultan's army con-
sists of his subjects. But, is it fitting that they
should talk indignantly of revolutionists who them-
selves trample all right under foot P"
The Paris Union says :
We an assured that Admirals Dundu and Hamelin,
when they learnt that the Turkish squadron was about to
sail for the Black Sea, warned the Ottoman government of
the risk it ran, and told them that the squadron could not
resist the Russian vessels for a single hour. The event has
justified the expectations of the French and English Ad-
mirals. The loos of the Turks in the &nape roads is esti-
mated at 6,000 or 7,000 men, and 20,000,000 of francs.
Narvik Pacha, it is said, cannot effect his loan under 8 per
cent., and the Divan's limit is 6 per cent. A rumour was
circulated yesterday that a dispatch bad arrived from St.
Petersburg, announcing that the Emperor of Russia wu
disposed to send a plenipotentiary to Vienna to treat for
peace. Should this fact be true, it cannot relate to any
answer to the protocol signed on December sth by the four
Powers, for we believe aware in a position to know that this
protocol has not
.yet been officially consrnunicated to the
Emperor of Ragusa. The:Vienna conference proposed in the
first instance to give Turkey an opportunity of making
known the auditions on which she would treat for peace.