The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-04 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF THE BOMBARDMENT.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
ENGLISH CAMP, HEIGHTS OF
SEBASTOPOL, APRIL 17.

The mines which the French sprting under the Flag.
staff Battery (Bastion de Mars), the particulars of which
I mentioned in my last letter, were made, not only with
R view of injuring the work, but also for the purpose of
throwing up sufficient loose earth to enable them to rush
in with their gabions and endeavour to effect a lodgment
01080 to the battery. This latter attempt, on the night
of the 15th, was only very partially successful. They
succeeded in filling several of the gabions, and throw-
ing up a kind of breastwork, but the musketry fire
from the Flagstaff was too hot to enable them to
remain there and complete it. Yesterd night they
renewed the attempt, and nearly completed a 'drug,
breastwork before they were discover/3 br
enemy, when they again retired.
cb3e3
ns ode:assort, fun le, a ar
lnyd
olntee
ha 3
abllfe tint
hro: taFl To.niSof: littbotese
ote. ymbelosfptlehl
leas to the RUNNIRII., and the other half it is to be hoped
will soon become equally so.

APRIL 18.

n,,,,,10 another
Battery,attempt
an it to
il this
Oct.t e
w.t.i k
complete
lim.hithe aucreis. Owing to the very heavy fire
the battery, the Rua-
La,t nigt.lilvteosu:tatte
}bit :stair
.7,l,lnic.h.we:e. unable ptoyeestffeercdtayanurthning toe Ards the de-
etructn►n of the breastwork
on:chloicchk taihnestmoFatlhrieet
pickediebhreahsatdwpoapiratry:
daily ma,le.
of French sappers crept cautiously
and. undercover of a skirmishing fire from behind, sue. oeedel in repairing the little damage whichthe enemy had
The covering party, and the
protected their movements
ifinrfie i cotef doluoprotna
mortars
ecompletely
wil a sudden rush was made
until near ten o'clock,
iw)yere2fiiotommee,nii,atcealyrriy)liancgaecifigabiLa. partly filled. These
and filled with loose earth,
and, thus
tshheelßteerdeado, ,
whore Vi 3,4 opened on the Russian
theirs alteriodgo
tired to another
in complete possession of ,
part of the batery, and left the French
tanleentr.esistance, re-

APRIL .
The firing was slack last night, in consequence ofl9 the
(.f bombs being still further restricted by Lord
143'area orders. No attempt was made to di'd"(l4°
the French horn the Flagstaff Battery, which augurs

and looks an if the enemy were making preparations
; for a sweeping attack on their position.
11 This evening the Leopard steam frigate arrived from
j !Corfu with 600 of the 48th Regiment on board.
APRIL 20.
The English Lad sharp fighting in the trenches last
night, and sty:weeded in capturing the first of the rift
pits.
This was the pit to which I have already so fee-t
quently alluded, as having caused such annoyances and
Liss to the working parties in our new advanced trench.
Orders were sent down for'2so of the covering party en'
the right attack (composed entirely of Regiments from
the Light Divi'sion) to advance and capture the pit. The
men accordingly moved down quietly to where the ad-
I vanced work terminated, close to the first trench. Col.
Graham Egerton, field officer in charge of the trenches,
led the party.
It a given signal our gallant fellows dashed from the
OneLe of these shots
m
breastwork, and, with a smothered cheer, ran straight'
upon the trench. The enemy appeared completely aut.-
priers, of the
arco!
the
cheeringle
ees i onn
o
sprang out of the trench
unfortunatelyprised, a ndfirei
killed scattered
CaptainA
volley.udey
t77th,
men.on
Tt spot,
instantas he was in
was the
fietd
the
a.
without any further attempt
ly
were shot as they ran, but the majority "cape%
of our
at resistance, and began flying in all directions.
.. Some
The trench was immediately occupied by such
troops as it would contain (about 50), while the others
endeavoured to reverse the sand-bags' so as to cover the
men from the Russian side, in case of an attempt to re-
take it. Whi!e engaged in this manner, a column of
Russians, about 1,000 strung, was observed advancing
from the shelter of the Malakhoff, and hardly had Col.
Egerton time to dispose his men in such a manner as
best to contend against the overpowering force, when
the enemy rushed up and tried to close with the trench.
They were received with a heavy volley, before which
those who survived it recoiled in terror, and stood for
a moment as if uncertain or irresolute how to act.
They were not, however, left long to deliberate, for
hesitating assailants,
as fast as our men could load they
fired into their
adgeateinr;:ntii-nieedd,toancldosuot., who, as if to save themselves,
oiT.ltdisnattiemfie
4thhteitro,aat,apclkacewasTnhio%ree
that closed with our troops were met wish the bayonet
and hurled back again, while some that bad sprung into
the pit were killed on the instant. Col. Egerton was in
the midst of the contest, cheering and animating the
soldiers, when he was struck with a bullet, which killed
him in the course of a few minutes, tliough not before
the enemy were again driven hack. After the second re-
pulse, the Russians contented themselves with skirmish-
ing behind stones and hillocks at a safer distance, and,
after collecting their wounded, retired to their works
without an attempt to renew the struggle. Our troops
remained in possession of the trench unmolested for a
short time after the enemy had retired. The batteries
then opened, and knowing doubtless the precise range,
we suffered severely from some of the shells, and the
round shot also injured the new work, but not to any seri-
ous extent. After the cannonade had continued about half
an hour a few skirmishers again approached the trench, no
doubt in the expectation of finding it evacuated ; but, on
discovering that we still maintained our posts, they beat
a r recipitate retreat, aryl the men were no further inter-
fered with for the rest of the night.
The total lees to the English in this affair was sixteen
mep killed, and 29 wounded.

While this struggle was going forward on the right a
strong and sudden attack was mad* upon the lodgment
which the French had effected in the Flagstaff Battery
on the extreme left. Our allies appear to have been
slightly taken by surprise, as, after a brief resistance,
they were compelled to abandon their lodgment, and fall
back upon the first breastwork, which they threw up
immediately after the mine was sorting. They have
thus, for the present at least, lost 80 feet of most im•
portant ground, but they speak confidently of being able
to regain it tonight, and of this I believe there is little
doubt.

The fire during to-any has been very 141ack on both
sides, and it is mumps I that each gun of the allies is to
lbe still further cut down from 30 to 10 rounds per day.
The Russians fired very few guns from their south
works to-day, but the north ride, on the contrary, tired
heavily.

Amur. 21.

The attack on the rifle-pits on the night of the 19th
was more aavere in its re•n to than was at first supposed ;
2 officers and 21 men were killed, and I officers and 30
men, it is oao, are woundefl.
Last night another attack was made npon the second
rift,' pit. At the first syrnptom of our advance the Rus-
sians fled with precipitation, and abandoned their pilot to
our men, who instantlyoccup'ed it. Later in the night a
considerable number of the enemy's skirmishers came
down, and between them and our men in the pits come
hot volleys were exchanged. A desultory skirmishing
fight .was maintained in this manner for three or four
hours, when the Russians, having unstained considerable
loss, again withdrew. In this affair our casualties were
heavy, but by no means equal to the loss of the night
before. AR yet I have heard of no officer being either
killed or wounded.

Last night orders were sent down to measure the
steamers in Rataklava, to a.certain the stowage for
troops. It is rumoured that an expedition to Yalta is
intended, so as to take the Russian defences round
Tchourgoum in the rear.

THE TURKISH ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

TURRTBII CAMP, HEIGHTS ABOVE BALAIKUVA, April
20th.—Yesterday the Turkish corps gave the first signs
of its existence here by taking part in a reconnaissance,
which was undertaken towards the valley of the
Tcliernaya._

They took one day's provi.ions with them, and they
march, d down in milenco towards ll*lnklava. When ar-
rived there they halted for a moment, and then began to
ascend the steep mountain road which lo3nini up to the
heights on, tine east of Balaklava.
After having passed the last sentinel on the road the
avant.-g• info. formed of the Cbasseurs and a battalion of
the 6th Regiment, under the command of Colonel Ogil•
vie, advanoed carefully, exploring the country and (*-
copying the heights on both aides of the road, whilst
the rest of the infantry, the mountain guns, and half a
rocket battery which had been lent by the French, fol-
lowed in a long line.

-
The avant garde halted on the slope on which the
mud divides, and Omer Paciha, with hit 4 staff, came up,
in company with General Egteourt. The road to the
right was explored, but no trace of the enemy seen any

At the village of Kamara, near the church, a squadron
of Cossacks—the first trace of the enemy—were seen
lounging about in careless security, from which they
were awakened by the sound of a feW rockets which
were sent down among them, a'id which induced them
to retreat towards a solitary mamelon, situated behind
Kamara, towards the river bed of the Tchernaya. The
Chasseurs were sent down and occupied the church and
the wall around it. Their tirailleurs took up a position
along the Woronzow-road, which runs close behind the
village. At the same time our cavalry was seen to ap-
proach from Balaklava m two columns. The English
cavalry, with the 10th Hussars in front forming the nght,
and the French and Turkish cavalry forming the left.
The Russians did not wait for them, hut slowly re•
tired over the Tehernaya and occupied the road leading
up behind the village of Tchorgoum. The Chasseurs
followed them down to the river, where the Cossacks,
who, contrary to their habits, had scarcely fired a shot,
gave a harnilese volley.
As there seemed to have been no intention to push
for ward the reconnaissance' the order for retreating was
given, and the troops marched back through the plain,
bringing with them three lances, ono of which was
pointless, which bad been left behind, besides a quantity
of salad which was found in the church of Kamara. The
Chaaeeursi d'Afriquo, with their usual carefulness, took
likewise wood with them from the hovels of the Couacks.
it is rumoured to-day, in the Turkish camp, that the
Cossacks have been more successful, as they
caught All
English ccommissariat&ler. who, with two companion.,
had remained after the withdrawal of the troop'. I
cannot tell you how far this may be true.
Arm 21.
r ig Lastt
e
hemi )t seem to h tve been enter's'n .d of an nightr han tthherywfatnchs-ofitrnees
timeo f th rialtzsodlan.uss.sah:oidntaeacili:!7t
rscoof
the Turkish cavi lry went out nt
much, only now and
The firing is diminishing. veryti,ho musketry becomes
aoffsawn
army.shots with the Cossacks, butidlidloat sec any trace
then a report is beard ; at nig _
between the old times of prey .diflcrence
very brisk, else one would scarceral
ytiounbßaernvd°naonwy

------T• Room—Yesterday even-
wpm music took
HANOVIMINVABE
°under the able direction of Mr. G„
place in these rooms,
St.
Sepulehre'e, who presided at the
Cooper, organist ot
organ recently erected by ears
new and powerful °,,ii,,, vocal performers consisted oi
and Davison. The
a performance
Gray
and entlemon from the Chapel Royal, St
ohoristers a g
~.
Cathedral, svestminster Abbey, and oth * Paul's
Cf°::t hems and
er choir&
,_keep, including selections from s h
The several r
and Purcell, per ,
blendelsoohn, 0121017, went well off, and
• performance appeared to
he entire p give ranch satisfao-
ion to a numerous audi-nci,
Intntiartobt ix THE RATE OP DISOOUNT.—The Bank
of England, yeAerday, reduced •
their
rate
from 4i per cent., at which it hadof diveount
stood
lost month, to 4 per cent. A n since the 6th of
advance i-
having been caused by the • n the funds
no further alteration has anticipation of the measure,
resulted. It is regarded with
general satisfaction, •
'mine it 'it
which is greatly needed, wh• impart confidence,
value of money, whichwhile its influence on the actual
adopted, will be too slight
was already below the rate now
tiegree, an unfavourable to have, in any important
Probably
4per action on the foreign exchanges.
Tho contingenciescent.
will remain the rate fora long time.
harvestarethose
of an extended war and of the next
direction, and on which might operate ;
.n an adverse
o.n the other hand there is the certainty
that the stead
by arrivals froyminAflunsx of
specie
(.1 for
peciemustsonbneenbedlcyr:t!,s d
winds. Liven
whichven
havethe contingencies of
weeks by easterly
the war are not all of a character to lessen the possibiti-
ties of an easy money market, since with each
is°l) day of
their continuance a further b contraction of
observable, while by far the largest proportion of direct
expenditure incurred is for home materials and labour.
R meanwhile,
is obliged to import immense sup-
plies, and to submit, in consequence, to a drain of gold
which has for many months assisted in producing that
, favourable state of our money relations with the conti-
r neat which is still maintained and is likely to continu
Under these circumstances, the harvest is the e.
most im-
.tant subject of consideration, and,
pot although no opi-
nion can yet be formed on its prospects,
the fact is ob-
vious that the lowering of the rate of interest can have
no bearing on it, except such as prudence would dictate,
since, as far as it has any effect., it can only increase the
facilities for importations of grain at the present moment,
and to that extent lessen
_vacs,
„.. _ the possible evils of a failure.
1.014 Y Artioic,