The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-31 00:00:00

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 21.—Said Pasha, the Vice-
roy, is just now here, but is talking of taking a trip
by sea to Candia. His mind is still fully occupied
with soldiering, to the neglect_of the more impor-
tant interests of the country. Never did Alexan-
dria, even in the time of Mehemet Ali, witness so
much marching and countermarching through the
town of cavalry, infantry, and horse artillery, par-
ticularly of the last, whose barracks are at the east
end of the town, and the whole corps is frequently
made to march through to show itself to his High-
ness, whose palaces are on the western side. This
activity among the troops has, moreover, no con-
nection with the war between the Sultan and Rus-
sia, as Said Pasha says he cannot send any more
men to his assistance.

The canal connecting Alexandria with the Nile,
by which all produce of the country is brought
down, has been so much neglected that great de-
posits of mud have been formed in it, and even at
this advanced season it is not navigable for large
boats, while usually they come down in July.
The unfortunate railway between Cairo and
Alexandria is dragging its slow length along, and,
though it was to have been finished last July, its
promised completion is now put off to the eud of
the year, and, judging from past delays, it is not
unlikely that we shall have to wait until next sum-
mer for its full operation.
. .

A considerable number of Egyptian sailors, be-
longing to the Egyptian ships of war, have just
been sent back to Alexandria from Constantinople,
their vessels having been either lost or dismantled
as unfit for use. The once proud Egyptian fleet,
which numbered 11 line of battle-ships and 20
smaller vessels, and at one time during the Syrian
war held the Sultan in check, has now received its
last blow, and is reduced to three or four corvettes,
which are employed in bringing wood from the
coast of Asia Minor.

Cholera is at last dying away, and in Alexandria
there are only five to eight cases daily, while the
other parts of the country are free from the disease.
Dr. Graph, the. South African missionary, has
just returned from a mission to Abyssinia from
Bishop Gobat, of Jerusalem. He had several in-
terviews with the King, who seems bent upon im-
proving his country, and his authority is now so
firmly established that he can carry his wishes into
execution. The King of Abyssinia has prohibited
slavery, renounced polygamy, banished the Jesuits,
and is anxious that some European mechanics, par-
ticularly masons, printers, and gunmakers, should
settle in his country.

The Piedmontese Gazette announces that the
King of Naples has concluded a new contract for
30 years with the Swiss regiments. In case the
regiments be disbanded before the expiration of
that period it is stipulated that the men shall re-
ceive pensions.

---
The Madrid journals of the 25th have arrived,
but they do not contain anything of interest.

AUSTRALIA.

The Australian accounts yesterday are dated
Melbourne, the 19th of 'Tune, being 16 days later
than those previously received. The import mar-
kets maintained their tendency to improvement,
although the quantity of goods offered was still
much beyond the demand. The rise in the price of
flour and provisions was still going on, and created
some anxiety. Politically, the affairs of the colony
were not in a satisfactory state. The budget of the
Colonial Secretary for 1855 showed a deficit of
600,0001., and a proposal for additional taxes in
the shape of a stamp duty and 10 per cent. ad
valorem on all imported goods at present free,
had been defeated in the Legislative Council by a
resolution that no additiona taxes should be im-
posed this session, The result would be the stop-
page of a great portion of the public works,
although an opinion prevailed that what was
needed was not this, but a reduction of lavish
Government expenditures. With regard to the
Government bill on the Chinese immigration ques-
tion, it appears that the plan was to put a
.tax
of Si, on each Chinaman imported, and to limit
ships to bring only one passenger to every 10
tons register. The latter clause had been adopted,
but the Council had made an alteration in the
former, raising the sum to 10/.9 which the Govern-
ment had not confirmed. Sucli a tax would
virtually amount to a prohibition, and would
appear a singular anomaly. The number of Chi-
nese already at the mines was 20,000, and their
services in developing the production were very
considerable.

THh WHITE SEA.

The following is a report, dated Aug. 8, from
Ad►n:ral Kl►roustcheff, military governor of Arch-

.
"At the time the attack was made on the village of
Alegra six pea-ants received the assa lant on the chore
with a volley of musketry, and for hair hours prevented
his landing and seizing some small vessels moored in the
vicinity. The enemy at last penetrated into the village,
where he set on fire three houses, two bathing houses,
two sheds, and also several ships and barques at anchor
hard by ; then returning to his steamer, he shattered
the windows of the houses that had escaped the fire, and
carried off all he could.

"On the morning of August 3 an English steamer
with two masts came to anchor at 200 sagenes from the
village of Suzma, and after firing nine cannon shots at
it, sent against it three boats full of armed men. Pro-
fiting by the superiority of numbers, the enemy occupied
the village, broke with violence into the church, where
he seized the holy gospels, several images, and smashed
the holy doors of the altar. From the houses of the
pea,ants he carried off some effects, as likewise the whole
of their smaller live stock and poultry. In the house of
the communal administration two images were carried off
and cut to pieces.

On the 4th of August, when the morning mist bad
cleared up, signal was made from the Mondug light-
house of there being a French three-tnasted steamer near
the Nikotskaia spit, to tho north of the iron gates.
This steamer having cast anchor sent a boat to the spit,
the object being, by what appeared afterwards, to get
water from the wells that are there. On the first alarm
the men of the military detachment cantoned in the
neighbourhood under the command of Sub• Lieutenant
Kovetsky, of the 2d battalion of the city of Archangel,
assembled, and when the enemy approached the iron
gates by the Nikotskaia spit, our chain compelled him by
a few shots to regain his steamer in all haste. Then he
despatched four boats, but when these saw that our
chain was receiving a teinforcement, directed by the
Naval Commander Ogilvie, they withdrew. After that
the steamer fired shot and shell for two hours, but with-
out doing us any harm.

"At eight in the evening a boat of the enemy ap-
proached the Nikotskaia spit ; the men who were in it
landed and set fire to the remains of the Nikolsky
wooden tower and to three fishermen's huts. The next
day, about noon, the steamer made for the offing."

RUSSIAN ACCOUNT OF TIIE BOMBARD.
MEET OF SWEABORG.

The Invalide Russe publishes at last a detailed
and official account of the bombardment of Swea-
borg. This statement is " founded on" a report
from A.D.C. General Von Berg, who commands
the Russian forces in Finland. The following is
the document :

" The enemy's fleet, having collected in sight of
Helsingfors and Sweaborg, to the number of 10 ships of
the line, 7 frigates, 7 steamers, 2 corvettes, 1 brig, 4
ships of a peculiar build, 16 mortar vessels, 25 gun-boats,
2 yachts, and 3 transports, took up its position for
August 9, between the isles of Grokhar and Renscher,
in a line parallel with the fortress, having on its right
flank 2 screw liners of 80 guns, and 1 frigate of 31 guns,
near the isle of Stura-Miol-o (opposite Sandham).
"The line of battle formed by all these ships was dis-
tant between 3 and 4 versts (1 verst = 5 furlongs 12
poles), from the outer line of the fortifications of Swea-
borg ; a little in front of the others, the ships of a pecu•
liar construction were stationed, and behind the mortar.
vessels and gun-boats ranged in two lines, and behind
these latter, entirely beyond the longest range of the
guns in the fortress, the large ships.
"At this very remote distance the enemy opened fire
on the 9th August, at a quarter-past seven in the morn-
ing, from his gun-boats, mortar-vessels, and the ships
of a peculiar build, directing his aim at first pretty
equally against all the batteries of the fortress opposed
to them, namely, the forts of Wester-Swarto and
Longern, the ship Ezechiel, and a part of the batteries
on the right flank, that is to say, the Nicholas battery
on the isle of Rentana, the Ulricasborg battery, and the
land hattery No. 1.
" On our extreme right the effprts of the assailant
were directed against the isle of Drums-o. Two of the
enemy's frigates and one corvette having stationed them-
selves in a bay at the south-western part of the isle, and
at less than a verst from the shore, fired at first against
the telegraph, and afterwards kept up a cross-fire against
the isle, firing one broadside after another.
" During this cannonade the assailant several times
sent his boats with troops fur landing on and occupy-
ing Drums-o ; but being received by a well-directed
fire of musketry and rifles from the lodgments erected
on the shore, they were obliged to retire not without
loss. At two in the afternoon the enemy's vessels
ceased firing, and withdrew behind the isle of Miillk-o.
"From ton in the morning, after the first conflagra-
tion kindled on the isle of Lilla-Oster-Swarth-6," this
was the centre of our line of defence, that is to say, the
fortress of Sweaborg, which became the chief object for
the enemy's aim. In the impossibility of obtaining any
decisive success against our fortifications and batteries,
the assailant evidently proposed to himself to profit by
the long range of his projectiles, and while exposing
himself as little as possible to our shots, to demolish and
set on fire the edifices inside of the fortress, and every
facility for his so doing was offered by the existence of
wooden edifices and immense three-storied houses with-
out vaults.
" Foreseeing this design I gave orders, at the very
commencement of the combat, not to reply from our bat-
teries unless the enemy's vessels, which present only a
very small mark, should come within range, as this would
possibly enable our artillery to do them decisive injury.
" This order was carried out with that laudable cool-
ness, distinctive of a really good artillery, and with such
success that any one of the vessels firing at the fortress
had but to advance in front of its line, when the well-
directed fire of our fortifications compelled it to retire in
all haste. The black flags hoisted on board the damaged
vessels, the steamers that towed them away, and lastly
the quantity of wreck floating on either side, gave evi-
dence that every attempt to approach the fortress caused
loss and injuries to the assailant.
" Shortly after the fire was opened by the enemy a
considerable conflagration broke out in the fortress, and
continued without interruption, notwithstanding all
efforts on the part of detachments of the fire brigade, fed
as it was during the day by an incessant bombardment,
and during the night by the shower of Congreve rockets.
" As soon as an edifice caught fire the assailant re.
doubled the activity of his fire in that direction ; but,
thanks to the presence of mind and tie prudent arrange-
ments of Lieutenant-General Sorokine, doing duty as

the commandant of Sweaborg, and of Major-Genera

Alexeieff, his aide-de-camp, the victualling magazines of
the land troops were saved, as were likewise the officers'
barracks of the curtain and the four-storied barracks.
"Notwithstanding the shower of bombs with which
they were constantly struck, the powder magazines re-
sisted to the last moment, except four depots of live
shells, placed on the Isle of Gustavaward, in some old
magazines of Swedish construction.

"On the 9th, about noon, the explosion of an enemy's
bomb charged with combustible matter set fire to one of
these depots ; the fire spread immediately, igniting the
three others that were in close proximity, and the whole
four blew up almost simultaneously. By a most special
favour of God the loss caused by these explosions was
limited to one man killed and three wounded.
"The violent bombardment of the fortress continued
without interruption for 24 hours ; as the night of the
9th approached it slightly slackened, but only to quickly
resume fresh strength, and then in theintervals between
the bombs the enemy kept on firing rockets, so as to
keep up and spread the conflagration in every direction.
" During this bombardment the assailant attempted
to approach the isles of Skansland and Kungsholmen,
near the fortress on one side, and ou the other side near
the intrenchment of Longern, the Nicholas battery, and
the ship Ezechiel, but he was constantly prevented from
doing so by the well-directed fire of these batteries and
this ship. On this occasion the intrenchment of the isle
of Skansland fired with peculiar success, and did not

admit the approach of the enemy's gunboats so as to
rake the right side of the Citerne battery.
"The ship Russia, stationed opposite the strait of
Gustaysward in order to rake it, could only take part
in the combat with a small number of its guns, by rea-
son of its position, whereas by being in the direction of
the projectiles shot from different sides against the for-
tress and the isle of Skansland she received a great
quantity of them in her hull : bombs from the enemy of
the most enormous calibre passed through her decks,
and one of them even penetrated almost to her powder
hold ; this ship was indebted for her escape from explo-
sion solely to the wise measures taken by her captain,
Paplonski, and to the presence of mind of Popoff, a sub-
lieutenant of the naval artillery, sent down to inspect
the powder hold, who, with the assistance of the men he
found there, extinguished the fire immediately after the
explosion of the bomb. _ _

" o,► our loft flank, at the same time that the combat
commenced against the fortress, two -erew-liners and
one frigate, stationed off the isle of Sandham, approached
to about two vents from the batteries on the south side

---,...................,"",.........a.-•"......... .....e ,1,
of the isle, and moving in a line parallel to these Dli
un-boats of n ,5t
teriee opened the heaviest firs against
thewser.ea it
against five g the Ist battalion,
the neighboorliood. The battery No. 3, situated oitc
emt-e of the area. thus at taelse:, was inundated- witb_si
shower of projectiles, but it replied with so leech al,
,
vity aed precision, that on the 9th, about nor' t,
7
enemy's vessel, were compelled to suspend the ertnit
add and sheer out of range of our fire. One of the
Ec
idler
ships was even obliged to take the other in tow ; heo
of them took further share in the combat, and to 043';
august inclusively each was busy repairing dalusr_
fragments of these ships floated close up to our batten;
"Night did not put an end to the combat' °rot
contrary the enemy, profiting by the darkness, , tte
a mortar battery he had previously constructed ri
Pei;,
night on a rocky islet of Longern (situated ill hiii oit
tion), and on the following night opened fire froboi.
giving at the same time greater vivacity to the born
to
went executed by the vessels. Their fire ignited ref
to
fortification of Strura-Oster-Swarto, the buildings °
harbour with all their workshops and nortgazices' the
"On the 10th of August, at 10 in the raornisg"hici,
roof of a boat-house caught fire in Gustayswasilc.eiti
served as a depot for shells and ammunition. v
ees.
the imminent danger that threatened the Citernsie;.•
tery and all the fortifications of Gustaysarard, l' rs 0
General Sorokine made an appeal to the volunteeeos
go and extinguish the fire. All the officers that W fee`
asill
that moment near the Citerne Battery set an - 5,100
devotion, which was followed by the soldiers , that
withstanding the vivacity of the fire directed ab the
moment by the enemy against the boat-houses de
flames were soon extinguished. The first vibe les,P1:00;
the roof to get down the fire was the artificer 31'
of the artillery garrison. obsrJl
" During the entire day of August 10 the h°,000;
ment was most violent, and did not cease one hi.,sse
it gradually diminished in the night, 50d secs
c't
gether the next morning about 5 o'clock. , sseal;
"In the night between the 10th and 11th tue-belos
fleet fired Congreve rockets into the fortress and to,
tifications depending on it, but with no great,stitseV
"On the second day of the combat, the I°l''.A tool
tion of the enemy on our right flank was lithi,./eorx
cannonading of the Isle of Drums-o, from Bin t 7,00
ing to 9at night. This cannonade was resigns'. o,it
12th of August, at 3in the afternoon. It `lid:le:id°
mage to the telegraph, and set the forest severe' 'l'd,
fire, but each time it was immediately eetingaisbe,y,rt"
. on the left flank of our line of defence, the ego
pulsed on the 28th from the Isle of Sandbernts° lid
made any attempt, and our batteries confined theatblesell
to the firing of a few shots against the boats his rsia
taking soundings, or firing rockets against
at the iutrenchments. ° eseilo
"On the 11th of August, during the daY, Lo 0,4
was busy reinforcing his mortar battery on th65:.,,911116
rock, and in the night he fired some rockets eg••thole
11l
isles of Kungshohnen and Skandsland, though
causing any damage. gaio "
" On the 12th, the enemy hoisted his boat/ -sitait,
hoard, and in the afternoon demolished hi
bole-1101
battery. On the 13th August, at 8 a.m., the 91d
, ~,
weighed anchor and retired in a southerly direc" °bed r"'
"The large ships of the enemy, such as th°3elergf
line, the frigates, and the steamers, by reason eiktbsoejtl
surface they would have offered to our fire, t°°-islagsj
in the combat against the fortress, carefully ay it eel
damage ; the gun-boats that bombarded us ti,°: oe°'
on their part, to shift their place continuallf ''''
lib
of their screw-propellers. t, °
. It results from these united circumstances that,
the exception of a few fires which it was 4131rEsele°,h4
prevent, the injury done by this violent le°1311! of ref,
of eight and forty hours' duration, to the w°r? Wlv
fortress and the batteries, has in g, eneral beep lel es
nificant indeed. . . .... ..,
~, bit) rl
" After an approiiiiiatii6 cal-mg-36°n l!te pie°
mark,D the enemy must have fired- against 7't S'l°.
Drums-o about a thousand projectiles, 4.1.10 id'Si
borg and the baateries on the side of IleiSirti'V Slj
to this fortress, about seventeen Ih°/.,1' ' A
against the isle of Sandharn more than.3;00w0i01:10(
"Notwithstanding the vivacity of this 10044, 11
losses in men have been very moderate ; sve see
.t.,
killed, 2 superior officers, 3 subaltern offieer,s;',.oo');
men wounded. Among the officers and solcie.,t t 10."
ing from contusions, a part of them did net VI d,
posts, and the others returned to their ranks' 1,00 '-:
"I attribute the slight importance of this `Ol,- so C 0:
prudent arrangements of the particular chisAfs: 05°1'
rived to turn to account the shelter foul': arefv
tress and the natural embankments,or fe tos if I°l'
eusly constructed on the isles, so as to Wes the
e
so
Biers from the enemy's fire.
"Besides the losses of the garrison, tePrtesci e
eeiii'''l:
.re CO
bo.'
had on board the Russia 11 me killed, "Ij 1,0.'3
rern officer and 88 men wounded orcontussci.
Bidet
the Ezechiel one seaman wounded. I 000 to
"In giving an account of these events, sbief;so
it incumbent on me to testily that, from ther, risll", :e
the commonest soldier, the troops of his I°4-,Boe/ i'f
jesty confided to my command have Perf°r sly
duty with the firmness and courage that hs'e
characterised the Russian army. ea
aged
" I at the same time regard it as a most esc;nrgtii,se
to signalise those who more especially tlisitc;do/iP;
,hemselves by their coolness and military t'sle-t ei'il';,
chose two days of a bombardment so desPers-6050/$
our fortress, and of the attack on our Pesiii°Pia--d tbe'es
the chiefs of the centre, of the right flank' liv; eird ,j:
flank ; Lieutenant-Generals Sorokine, Bams3s'sfir.g, ro
Guldenstube ; Major-General Barantsofir ;"-f oil itbl
testy the Emperor's suite ; the artillery elj'e Ad 113510
troops entrusted to my command, and 4,stas'lit 1 1:150
ibikhmanoff, naval director in Finland. I:: 'ye-, t
tight to mention those whose names have ye-ritsgeig rg.
me by my principal companions in arms as Ili' oor
cicularly distinguished themselves. the 'el'',
" Lieutenant-General Sorokine mention' t,OO cb' t,
Generals Alexeieff and Kostine ; the foraeet,:eutee°,3o
Colonels Grippenberg and Briakileff; tlissi'ss° r01;14,s;
Colonels Krohnholm and MagnuschevskY, "'-'Astil'eol
and Heckstrom ; Captain Westermarck, of theoeut 0 ,
Captain Martynoff, commanding the dke:stbePl:coi
naval engineers; Captain Jacobson, adjutany.,„',lt,sll°"Aei
Second Captain Yon Kranke, of the is ''''.. se'$e'
Sappers of the Depot,
and the Field Eogiseetirs:
of
Captain Verestchinsky and Lieutenant 11 liilrfll' of
" Lieut.-General Ramsay mentions C°l°lLses fl°lsop'
the battalion of Grenadier Rifles ; Alajot 1",- post— "
he 2d Regiment of reserve Grenadiers, 141 L. i 00!
tain Iretsky. 03." ding
" Lieutenant-General von Guldenstubsolose 01
Rear•Admiraal Nordman, Colonel Pest' ers • C°l°lic ;
BarclayL de Tolly's regiment of carbive!, regiiiitsiu
atnoni and Major Pakhatcheff, of the s°'-hel , Car 'e'
the naval commanders Yessaouloff and Scs-,:ieneers.,,;'
Leo, of the staff ; Captain Quist, of the ne;kel, "- the
vend-Captain Grebner, Lieutenants fie vrias,o, 0f
feld, and Yermolaieff, Captain ItlitiPeeeeon• CBI
marine artillery, and the Naval Cadet De'ithe post'cio‘
"Rear-Admiral Shikhmanoff mentionen9.rognt
tains Poplonsky and Brooteyne, the CaPtl,i. Dal'
fieoff
and Akouloff, and Lieut. lslojaisky, °s tub the 873 the
"In those days of active struggle wi.'s tht°og,,„, aeci
my chief and most indefatigable assist3,l3';ss I°GL:este!
medium of whom every arrangenesu", Dieilt' ,stus'
every requisite preventive measure, Ora.' and tlie tont
ss Gofer°
Nordenstamm, acting as chief of ray '49' '
State Councillor Langescheld directieg t"-
bsr
if Nyland. enders, 0011
" At the same time I ought also to °stied t° - Col,
ing perfectly disharged the missions I CO :
..0,01,,p,
Colonel von Minkwitz, on the staff of th obes.de.o
fe'eo,
Grunt, chief of the Engineers ; my li''ot, 51',41 , 0
Lieut.-Col. Yousbkoff, Second Capt. Copt. Berge
Lieut. Kastiandre of the Guards, and Lie 0, l'eliel sod
likewise the A.D.C. of his Imperial 315jefit Siecfe'' tai
the gentleman of the bedchamber, Conn to
it taos% sieeers
Capt. Forselles, of the Engineers, a'
of the ,:effrd, i'fl‘f
person, as likewise Lieut.-Col. Brandt'
of the b
a• tl'' Second Captain Alfthan on the staff
Capt. Devel. he (3°MrilenDie°so
"The Commander de Grew
s'i
_so eoni ..bed
Nicholas Battery, and Captain Tesleff,..7"diitisguol'coti,
the fortification of Longern, esPeniallYs sod the
hemselves in the combat by their coolne e 0
lOW
rate fire of their batteries. cod, fr° etsil;
" I cannot refrain, on corning to an__Off of th! Cl"
honing with particular praise Capt. per:,
...rid Con
placed at my disposal for special miss,i,on .
doff, a superior officer in the service.

A SKIRMISH YEAR Bla

blishes a
The 11l ea/ide Russe
,:etelvlonareelilitriiiFd;n:3o et:
that took
‘AvViiiiidaauu.) :
Sie"vGeresn,eroaflthe cavalry, relative to au 111
9,1
ergogvieCe:l3;
pslaiecveero:ofAtuhgeucsatv6:irby
Baltic corps, announces, under date of August ' scrsii
eveein
etc timers
that on the sth two of the enetnY „a
cast anchor near Dotnesness (betweeD
eoevii
beinC
"The following day, at 7 in the tuerniug, t'e
opened fire against an unrigged lotka, which 91,5;: baste
coast,so
ho,:fisclticlhble:oecaddtetniwntitis)ieeetht)
coast guard n toltaii:fdaCehs'ftsr:ailini°lgnthhiirtset'pell'clagli twee filo::
kept at half a Yerst from the oho

Devil
via
baste
ouli!
r
tb*'
obord