The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-02 00:00:00

TURKEY.

THE RUSSIAN DEMANDS ON THE SULTAN.
The following despatch has been received from
Trieste, dated March 31 :
" The steamer from the Levant has arrived from
Constantinople, with news of the 21st.
" The conferences had been recommenced between
the Divan and Prince Mensehikoff.
"The attitude of the Russian ambassador was
much more moderate.
" The project for the establishment of a bank had
been sanctioned by the Sultan.
" Important failures had taken place at Smyrna.
They affect the commerce of the Zollverein.
" An alarming disease has decimated the vines of
Cephalonia."

THE WEST INDIA MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON. APRIL 2.
The Royal West India Mail packet La Plats,
Captain E. Weller, arrived here this morning, and
landed her mails under the charge of Lieut. James
I nglis,R.N., Admiralty agent. Her dates are: Jamaica,
March 13; Demerara, 11; Trinidad, 11; Vera Cruz, 8.
She brings specie to the amount of nearly a
million dollars, amongst which are ten thousand dole.
on account of Mexican dividends. She brings
forty-nine passengers. She has made the passage
from St. Thomas in about 12 days and a half.
The Geyser was off Grey Town. The Imaum,
Daring' Devastation, and Albion, were at Port Royal.
The Vestal and Buzzard, were off Cuba. The Cum-
berland, Vice Admiral Sir 0. F. Seymour, was at
Bermuda. The Dauntless was at Barbadoes. The
crew were still encamped on shore, although there
has not been a single case of sickness for some time.
The French brig Orestes, and steam vessel L'Ar-
dent, and a Spanish squadron, consisting of 2 frigates,
2 brigs, and 3 steam vessels, were at Havana.
The West India steam-packets were disposed as
follows : At Barbadoes—Great Western, Captain
Abbott Jellew ; St. Thomas's for Gulf of Mexico—.
Avon, Captain Moss ; Do. for Northern Islands—
Trent, Captain Bevis; Do. for Spanish Main—Dee,
Captain Parker; on Spanish Main Routc—Medway,
Captain Curling ; on Navy Bay, Jamaica, Nassau,
and Savannah Route—Conway, Captain Sawyer; on
Honduras ltoute—Eagle, Captain Baynton.
At Havannah the Coolie ships, Gertrude Blenheim
and Panama, were just relieved, after above a
month's quarantine. The Gertrude had lost eight
Coolies by diarrhoea. The Blenheim and Panama
about fifty each, including five each of their crews,
from small-pox, caught since their arrival. They
protest strongly against the unnecessary and exten-
sive detention they have been subjected to, there
being no case of sickness on board on their arrival.
The weather was generally favourable. From St
Thomas, light ti'.d moderato north-easterly breezes
to the 23rd; front the 24th fresh and Sometimes
strong winds from S.W. to N.W., with occasional
squalls and heavy sea.
Santa Anna, hie wife, and daughter, accompanied

by two deputies, arrived here from Carthagene, on the
16th March, and sailed for Vera Cruz in the Avon on
the 20th March. A grand entertainment was given
to Santa Anna and suite, at St. Thomas's, by tho
Mexican C nsul, previous to their departure. At
Cuba the importation of slaves was still in exten-
sive operation.

INDIA.

TILE OVERLAND MAIL.

THE WAR IN 13URMAH.
SERIOUS LOSS IN KILLED AND YOUNDED.
We have received our despatches and journals in
anticipation of the Overland Mail. The dates arc
—Bombay, March 1; Calcutta, Feb. 10 ; Rangoon,
Feb. 14 ; Hong-Kong, Feb. 10.
The following is the letter of our Bombay corre-
spondent:

BOMBAY, MAUCH 1, 1853.
BURMAH.
The news just to hand from Burmah is highly
satisfactory in some respects and unsatisfactory in
others. The King of Ava was blockaded iu his
palace by the revolutionists, headed by his younger
brother, who, with the army, were anxious for
race. Commissioners had arrived at Prome to enter
Into treaty with us, and the Burmese authorities in
Pegu had been ordered from Ava to deliver over all
the strongholds in the province to General Steele and
his force, who had already taken possession of Be-
ling and Sitaag without bloodshed. Captain Rennie,
Indian Navy, with the Zenobia and Nemesis
steamers, had expelled the Burmese from the
neighbourhood of Bassein with great slaughter,
and captured all their guns. The expedition
against the robber chief, mentioned in my last as
having just quitted Rangoon, had been severely han-
dled near Donabew : Captain Loch and Lieut. Ken-
nedy, R.N., and Captain Price, 67th 8.N.1., were
killed, and several wounded. Our force lost two
guns, and but for the gallantry of the grenadiers of
I the 67th the whole force must have been cut off. We
allowed ourselves to be inveigled into an ambush
laid by the enemy, and paid dearly for our want of
caution. From the subjoined extracts of letters
given by the Bombay Times and Calcutta :English-
man of the 19th Feb. your readers will gather all
the particulars of these events which have as yet
been published :
A correspondent with the expedition at Rangoon writing
under date the 17th February, favours us with the follow-
ing
interesting items of intelligence. Captain Lucke,
R.N., with a force of one hundred and eigkty seamen and
marines ui Dl.M.'s shins, Fox, Winchester, and Sphynx,
together with three hundred and fifty of the 07th Logs!
Native Infantry, under Ma;or Miriam, attacked Mea TOOD,
on the 3rd of February at a place fifteen miles from
Donabew. They were inet at one of the outworks of the
stronghold, thrown up on the bank of a steep nullab by
the Dacoita, repulsed and driven back with a
loss of two gun., their baggage, two officers,
and fifteen men killed and left on the field, and
about seventy men wounded who were brought off. Dur-
ing the whole of the retreat they were hard pressed by the
enemy, and had much dikulty in bringing off the wounded.
Captain Locke was among the wounded, and has since (lied
as well as several others who were brought off ; some are
wounded in three or four places. The Deceits were con-
cealed in the trees and thick jungle, and scarcely one was
seen. It has thrown quite a gloom over the place. Comman-
der Rennie I.N. with the crews of the Zenobia and Nemesis
with some Karens, succeeded after making a forced march of
forty miles in surprising about 5,000 Burmese encamped in
the Bassein district. He came on them suddenly is a thick
fog, kept his four field pieces concealed until within short
musket range, and then opened on them with grape and
canister, and closed with the bayonet. The Burmese, taken
by surprise, abandoned their position, leaving 48 killed, 50
prisoners, the Miujecs' two sons, three gold and ens red
silk chittresa, six guns end 300 at sad of arms in our pos-
session. It was a temple rout, leaving the Karens to finish
off the stragglers, Capt. Rennie and his men returned to
their boats clean done up with fatigue. Our
loss was very trifling. General Steele has been
teceived with open arms at Billing and Slung,
See , on his way to Shoey•sain ; the Pegu district
is quiet, the peace party are in the ascendant at Ava, and
only a.le for time, and will treat with us. Small-pox rages
in Rangoon. A regular mail between Bassein and Ran-
goon ha, been established; an armed launch of the hon.
company's steamer Zenobia, under command of Lientenent
Sedley, 1.N., brought the first regular mail and pie.engers
A blockade against Mee Toon has been established by the
boats of the squadron. The admiral is expected daily at
Rangoon. Major Hawes, Ist Madras Fusiliers, committed
suicide by cutting his throat. Iler Majesty's ship Rat
tier has left for China, to relieve the hon. company's
steamer Semiramis. Lieut. Ward, 1.N., is about to survey
the &weir, River. Fires in Rangoon are eonetantly occur-
ring. The weather is still fine but is getting very warm—
fogs still prevalent in the mornings and very heavy dew at
night. Troops and shipping pretty healthy."
EXTRACT MOM ANOTHER LETTILE JUST lIECHIVED mom
TILE SEAT OP WALL.

"The boats of the fleet have again been driven by the Bur-
mese a little above I'antanno, up the identical creek that
Captain liewett, I. N., thought it rashness to venture.
Commander Lambert, I. N., was in command of the whole,
Lieut. Iditcheson, 1.N., second in command; tho expedi-
tion altogether was about 180 strong. Oa the 16th January
the attack was made on " Pantanuo," and the place as
formerly (when Hewett commanded) carried with very
little loss. Mitcheson received a slight wound in the thigh,
he was the only officer touched. Oa the following morning
(17th) the advance was made up the creek (two boats could
not pull abreast) the banks low and coveted with dense
junglo, stakes driven into the river and trees filled
across to bar the passage. The: boats had got up
about four miles, when, who would have thought it,
a few explosions were heard from either bank, and cone-
sisonding tothese two or three men fell, a few more explo-
oose and two or three men again fell, and so on to the end
et the chapter. The fire got hotter and hotter, till they
were driven back, with 12 killed and wounded, seven men
!secluding Mitcheson belonging to the ilosuffer. Mitche-
sea was wounded severely, the ball passing right through
tbe bend of the knee, and it will be some tune ere he can
recover the use of the limbl
An expedition, naval and military, the former under
Ike command of Captain Locke, C. 8., the latter under Ma-
jet Minchin, 67th B. N. 1., was formed for the purpose of
attacking!" bleei Toon," the celebrated bandit chief, who
bad ensconced himself in a stronghold slime fifteen miles
Inland, from "Donabew." The naval brigade was 140
strong, composed of the men and boats of H. M.'s ships
Winchester, Fox, and Sphinx. The military force consisted
of the weeps of the 67th B.N. I. about 3.50 strong. About
the let February, they arrived at " Donabew," and on the
3rd, after a fatiguing march, the guides told Captain Locke
,they were in front of an outpost of the enemy. At this
time the jungle was very dense, and the path se nar-
row, that twe men could not walk abreast; scarcely had the
guides done speaking, when a tremendous fire was opened
an them. Lieutenant Kennedy, lit of the Fox, was shot
lead, as also several men. Captain Locke then waved his
eeeond, and shouted to the men to follow him, when down
be fell, shot dead ; the ball drove his watch into the lutes-
fames. I should never finish writing of the disasters that
betel, if I were to enumerate each and every particular ;
ma dent to say, the force was driven bade with the
following lose:—Two guns (both spiked), Captain Locke
killed, Lieutenant Kenne.ly killed (left on the field).
Officers wounded : J. H. Bushell, Lieutenant, Win-
chester, severely wounded; H. A. Hinds (mate, Winches-
ter), severely, right hand and left arm ; C. F. Wilson
(mate, Winchester), very severely through the neck;
Lieutenant Glover of the Sphinx, severely under the eye.
Seamen and mariners killed, five (two left dead on the
Held) ; seamen and mariners wounded, almost all severely,
many in three or four places, 48.
Total officers and men killed
IP „ wounded ....

Total of naval and brigade 59
Military department, Major Minchin commanding ;
second in command, Captain Pryce. I may tint tell you
the Sepop behaved nobly—they covered the whole re-
treat.
Killed, Captain Pryce, 67th 8.N.1. (buried at Donabew.)
Sep ye killed, nine; wounded (all severely), twenty. That
there was smart work, and that they got it hot and strong
the above pretty well shows.
The body of the gallant Locke was buried on the morning
of the Bth at Rangoon, close by the side of poor Doran, of
the 18th Royal Irish. The Commodore is sadly cut up
about this sad affair. Ilia own son had two bullets through

(having his men perfectly in hand) bided h's time, and
when the Burmese were within 50 yards, opened a terrific
fire, with gasps and minister, and went right et them ; the
enemy then turned and fed, leaving 48 killed, 50 prisoners,
numbers of them wounded, were taken among them; the
chief's two sons are wounded severely en the foot. Be•
sides men, ail iron 12-pounder guns and three golden
umbrellas (standards) were captured by the gallant " blue
j mkete."
The Commodore is very much pleased, as these attacks
on the enemy make a good sot-off to the " Nauman" end
_

" Donabew business.—
Poor Major Hawes of the Ist Madras Fusiliers, com-
mitted suicide at Bassein by cutting his throat. The
reason for such a rash act is yet shrowled in obscurity.
By poor Captain Locke's death Commander Shadwell of
the Sphinx has got his promotion, and 1, now Flag Captain
of the Winchester. Hillyer of the 'Winchester is also made
commander into the Sphinx. The Sphinx is going home—
she leases in • fortnight. The Rattler started for China
about • week ago.—Tintss, Marsh 1.