The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-12 00:00:00

fractured,
, tl,
and it was some time' before they were all collected into
OEIO ghastly a little in advance of the parallel. One
aninatin
h%ev
astill
remainedali ve.
tHis
thus ftebrigthwolesevmhoelde daysbad anlyfratn
d
on the sp)t where he fell, close in sight of friends and
enemies. - • ;
47
The lirsiian non:commissioned officers .attended
the temoval of the bodies, and for some reason
other perpetual altercations took place over them, certain '
fatigue parties claiming two or three corpses apparently as
belonging to them, while others seemed- to dispute their
tight fiercely. Some of these . altercations were loud
and long, - and had to be settled by the interference
of a superior officer. The non-commissioned officers Stood
a little from the feet of the long rows of dead,
and called
forth the fatigue parties in regular succession, when each
pointed out certain bodies, and after some conversation
took them away, when others stood forward in their turn.
We were for some time at a loss to understand parts of
this proceeding, especially when the altercations took
place, but at last came to the concluSion that each regiment
had sent a burying party for its own dead, and that, there-
fore, the aforesaid party had a direct interest in taking as
few as possible.
While this hideous distribution of bodies was going
forward amid such a scene I walked away from the
trench in the direction of the Malakhoff Tower until mid-
way between it and our advanced work, which was as
close as it was prudent to go; for even though a truce was
existing, neither party of course would allow the other
to examine its lines minutely. Still I was enabled to
get within a very reasonable distance of the tower, and.
certainly was much struck by the number, . strength,
and solidity of the earthworks round it. All of
them seemed in beautiful repair, and more like the perma-
nent defences of a regular fortress than the more efforts of
a sudden emergency. In front wade deep ditch, with a
strong cleevaux de irisr of rough pointed timber at the other.
side ; while above, from the edge of the fosse to the elope
of the battery, were pointed stakes about three feet high,
set so closely in the earth as to appear at a little distance
like a dank band all round the work. But with such a
commanding point as the Mamolon once-in our possession,
the whole of these stockades and the batteries behind them
could be destroyed in a single day.
On the left of Malakhoff, but projecting 100 yards in
advance of it, was the Redan. This is now one of the
most tremendous of all the Ressien works. Its three sides
have double tiers of guns, there being in this one battery
alone, it is calculated, not less than 2EO pieces of ordnance,
some of them of the very heaviest calibre used in warfare.
This work, like Malakhoff, is also defended by a broad deep
ditch, with a cleevaux de frise, but without stakes, on the
slope of the parapet.
From between these batteries a moat admirable view
could be had right down into the town behind them.
Even with the naked eye everything could be seen quite
distinctly ; but, with a good glass, a minute examination
of every house could be made. But the most minute
examination which -I could -make failed to show me
that we had inflicted any injury worth speaking of in the
town. The little huts of the Turkish and Tartar population
outside the walls are destroyed. The handsome town in-
, side the walls is, as a town, uninjured. A barrack and a
few warehouses nearest to the walls aro much perforated,
and file roofs nearly gone, but this is all. The large
public buildings, the barracks, churches, and rows of
splendid houses, show no mark of injury of any
kind. As I looked at some of the best streets
could hardly persuade myself that I was not gazing at.
some of the better parts of Bath or Brighton, so white,
regular, and handsome was their appearance. Very few
persons were in the streets • probably I did not see more
than 30 or 40 in all, and of this small number, at least
two-thirds were soldiers. I saw no women of any class.
A good many boats were busy about the harbour, and
many people seemed at work on shore, a little above the
water's edge on the north, where numbers of carts and
arabas were passing to and fro, but beyond these signs o
life there seemed nothing doing. The town itself eppsare
almost entirely deserted.

After this inspection I walked past the front of our ad-
vanced trenches, midway between ours and the enemy's.
The truce had now lasted nearly two hours, and as I looked
towards the middle ravine, I could see by the very few of
the Allies and Russians who remained upon the spot, that
most of the dead had been removed, and that therefore the
brief peace would soon terminate. Impressed with this
notion I hurried in without farther loitering, as, if the
flags of truce were hauled down, I should be left alone in
open ground in the midst of a cross fire from batteries and
riflemen of both friends and enemies, a perfectly novel
situation doubtless, but one which also had its own pecu-
liar disadvantages. I therefore turned up in the direction
of our lines, so as to pass along the front of our batteries,
and came out upon the Woronzow road. The ground over
which I passed was rough and very stony, without a sign
of vegetation beyond a few violets and ,crocusses here and
there. Sometimes it was very rocky, with pits, quarries,
and small cairns of stones—the very model of good skir-
mishing ground, but the last one would choose to conduct a
siege on. I was quite surprised at the extreme distinct-
ness with which. every one of our deences could be seen
by the enemy. From the picket' house in roar of our
lines it is only with much difficulty that our trenches can
be seen below us, but from the Russian side the profile of
every battery shows clear and sharp upon the hill sides.
As I came nearer to our lines the tokens of the contest and
the prodigal manner in which Old enemy used their am-
munition almost hid the ground. In places where then) we, e
hollows in the earth the shot and pieces of shell had rolled
into them in such a manner as to quite fill them level with
the. surface. Everywhere, in fact, along the whole extent
of our works the shot lay in thousands and thousands,
covering the ground in such a manner as to make it seem
of a deep brown colour. An immense proportion -of the
Russian shells have never exploded at all, and there they
lay just as they issued from the gun. Within about a
hundred yards of our works the ground is .quite cut to
pieces by the deep shot furrows, while the balls themselves,
coming in contact with others on the ground, have
shivered into little fragments in all directions. In the
parts oforon.ny road,
lower the 11.7 below Gordon's Bat-
tery, the shot and shell have rolled down th. ...ad
almost choke the way.

! After this t our I returned on the rightattack, and waited
there until the last stragglers of the enemy had gained the
shelter of their lines. Instantly the Russians hauled down
their flags of trims.; we did the same. The snap shots of
the riflemen began on both aides, our right attack fired r
shell, the Mamelon replied, and then everything went on
..!,+. 1.0. 1,,,,, for the fast six mouthe.
Ar.,.n.tc
Last night the French again had a smart skirmish 42 with
the rifle pits under the Mamelen. It was attended with
very littlelresults. The French had to recover the three
pits from which they had been compelled to withdraw
their Chasseurs the morning before. After skirmishing
and firing for about an hour our allies were unable to effect
their purpose and discontinued their attack. Tho rest of
the night passed off quietly on both sides.
This morning a heavy gun on the left embrasure of the
Mamelon was opened in No. 3 battery, in the right attack.
The electric telegraph has now been completed between
Lord Raglan's head-quarters and all the trenches, and by
this a message was sent, informing his lordship of the
opening of the gun, and asking advice. The reply was
"fight it," and preparations wore made accordingly. A
long 68-pounder gun, from. the Terrible, was found to bear
upon the precise spot, and this, therefore, was the gun
selected to fight the Russian one. The practice made with
it was perfect -never was better firing seen since the siege
commenced. The very first shot tore away one side of the
Russian embrasure, and laid the enemy's gun completely
open. The next struck the gun full in the muzzle,
shattering and dismounting it within five minutes
after the order had been given to fight the enemy's
gun. Lord Raglan was informed by the telegraph
that it had been fought, and was then dismounted and
broken. Orders were then sent back for the same 68-
pounder to fire every half-hour in the same spot for the
rest of the day. Before the day was half over the greater
part of the earthwork at each aide of the embrasure was
quite destroyed, and what seemed most strange, after theii-
gun-was dismounted, not a single Russian battery fired a
shot in reply to ours. This unusual circumstance no one
could account for. During the course of this afternoon
the pickets on the heights around Balaklava observed an
unusual force of the enemy between the Woronzow road
and Tchon r.,ourr. These troops were not there yesterday I
and iu consequence of their sudden appearance orders for
increased vigilance have been issued to the sentries and
out-pickets round Balaklava. The Highlanders now ap-
pear in their kilts and feathsr bonnets, as the weather has
much changed, and become almost unpleasantly warm.
The general condition of all the men improves still more
each day.
Not 10 per cent. of the huts to be erected are yet at the
front. The railway, as far as Karani, is used to get them
up, and each truck holds two or three : but the steepness
of the incline on which the stationary engines are situated
has, it appears, been much under-estimated, as the engines
are not strong enough for the work, and only two tracks
at a time can be drawn
-up very slowly. This is a serious
disappointment, as it was fully expected the engines weak',
be able to draw up a dozen trucks at once.

MARCH 26.
Nothing occurred last night. This quietness is the calm
before the storm, as our final bombardment is certain now
to take place in a short time. A few days since cud to:
morrow was said to be the date fixed, but, this, of course,
is premature. Still so little is the way of preparation now
remains to be done, that if it were Lord Raglan's wish
there is nothing wanting of sufficient importance to hinder
him commencing to-morrow. It is said we now wait for
the arrival of the French Emperor, but this I imagine is a
mere conjecture, though, if he is really coming, it is likely
enough to be true.
Each gun, I am informed, has now 400 rounds of ammu-
nition, and the store of powder necessary for this amount
of shot is also nearly completed.
To day the City of London arrived from Malta. She
brings four 13-inch mortars and an immense supply of 10
and 13-inch shell. The mortars are to be landed to-morrow
and forwarded to the front with all speed. A party of
workmen will also be engaged all to-night in sawing and
joining beams for mortar beds.
The general opinion is, that within three or four days at
latest we shall open fire ; and I certainly think such a
step will be taken in the course of another week at latest.
What will be the result of this second bombard-
ment of course none can tell ; but our engineer officers
seem at last confident that the place will be ours, though
not without a desperate contest. One thing, hollleievarls a
i
allied
matter of positive certainty—namely, that if
commanders swish it, the whole town could be uaattierlyupdoen-
stroyed in 24 hours. Not one stone will rem
another if our guns and mortars are directed_e
anaegmaiynetirto.ors
To-day a still stronger assemblage of th
minute's was observed round Tchonrgoum, and
were sufficiently
arm
the rest of the day.
suspicious to rouse their movements
mst.heTwhhcyo,lehfoowrceevear,
Balaklaxa, who turned out under
lava,
Bal
made no further demonstration during
While this force remains in our vicinity at
the garrson I'a to be under arms at daybreak,
times be prepari cid to turn out at a notiacen.da akt all
mown to sinope, to organise there a
Ali Bey has gone
_rinaki,,g fascines and gabions.
regular department for making
procuring
Provision depots hazvteaoabllsoos I:teesu
fuel, meat, and ve-elatelyvisited these ports, and by the
l-eaders some account of their
and Terms. I have
our
next post shall give
compelled to write
supposing that i
rithe mean-
trade and resources—always
time I do not suddenly findmyself
on
the capture of Sebastopol.
The weather during to-day has been extremely hot, and
the close days of an Asiatic spring are fast advancing.
Nothing o c c zr r e d
si n a
alarmed,
ah
re
rillteli nn
acetao;2. :fail
Nothing of
night, but the whole of Balakolafvtahew
o'clock, by the rapid ringing
instant every one near the harbou • ships' fire-bells. In an
the Leander, Diamond W i was on the alert, an.l
, asp, g:c , beat to qunrters. It
turned cut to be a fire on board the. transport No. 113, a
vessel lying alongside one of our powder-ships; Fortu-
nately the promptitude with which the alarm was given
brought such assistance °put out the fire with little diffi-
culty, though, as youfr, readeig will readily imaging, great
nalna(iimina
mach,
vcoeussfetils soallii a:the time prevailed in the harbour,
ppe(l their eable3, though not one of
them could have go out. The fire, it appears, must hava
lboenognintghe
Lact of an incendiary, and two Greek sailors be-
-1,9 the Y 0360, and who had only just returned to