The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-10 00:00:00

MEDITATED ATTACK ON BALAKLAVA.

Although many here have been disposed to treat as
idle rumour and even to turn into ridicule the reports
that the Russians meditated an attack on Balaklava, it
would appear that this danger has not been disregarded
at head-quarters, where information has doubtless been
received on the subject. The Leander and Diamort
frigates have been lying moored by a single cable, and
Lieut. Fletcher, commanding the Triton war-steamer,
has directions to be in readiness to get his steam up at
brief notice, and tow them out of Balaklava harbour to
a position whencel their guns would bear ou the Marine
Heights.

A. RUSSIAN "SURPRISE."

It is unnecessary and inexpedient to detail the parti-
culars of our own preparative measures ; but I may re-
mark that they are such as to leave small ground Iftfear
that the enemy's attempt, if it be made, will turn out a
surprise " to any but themselves. If grape, canister,
musket-balls, and bayonets can repel them, their ad-
vance will be short and their retreat rapid. The bridge
,)f boats which they commenced throwing across the
harbour last week is all but completed, and, from its
br,a ith and apparent strength, will permit of the pas-
sage of the heaviest field artillery. Whatever may be
the special purpose for vtli ch this structure is being put
together, some important purpose it ha, and the fact
that it will be capable of greatly facilitating the move-
meets for some such attack as I have mentioned gives a
strong degree of inferential proof to the information
received from our spies. We know, of course, that
the main force ef the enemy's moveab:e soldiery is at
present on the north side, and, with the aid of this new
bridge, fifteen or twenty thousanil of these, with any
number of heavy field guns, could be thrown into the
town in less time than as many hundreds could be ferried
over by the few steamer 4 in the harbour ; whilst, should
the attempt prove.a failure, a ready and safe means of
retreat would be available for both men and materiel.

ANTICIPATIONS OF PEACE.
Notwithstanding all these preparations for action, I
repeat that people seem less confident, or, at any rate,
talk less of that which two or three days ago every one
declared to be imminent ; and last evening some sari.
guine spirits, who doubtless, and with good reason,
would prefer a day or: the moors to a night in the
trenches, were heard confidently to predict approaching
peace. The Russian,, they declared, could sustain the
contest no longer, owing to the want of water and the
d►tficulty of obtaining supplies ; their final attempt had
been made at the anion of the 16th, and, finding them-
selves totally repulsed with heavy loss at the point they
had selected as offering most chances of success, they
would not risk another attack, but would yield, treat for
peace, make the necessary c bncessions, and in a couple
of months the British army would go home again. Tae
hopefulness of youth and a certain vivacity of imagina-
tion may doubtless qualify a man to produce rose-tinted
sketches of this kind, and there certainly cau be no
manner of question as to the i►nmense superiority of
a merry Christmas in England to a muddy one on
Balakiava's heights any more than of that of the
smoking sirloin and tenderly-fed turkey over Crimea's
lean trine and fowls that refuse to be fattened. But
there is no magic in wishes any more than in words,
and it is to be feared that these prophets of peace
underrate the Russian's tenacity and endurance. It
is certain that his position is a difficult one, if, as is
now the growing belief, he runs short of water and
cannot get up supplies fast enough for the number of
men necessary to hold his position. That such is the
case we have evidence worthy of consideration, but
which must not be unhesitatingly rec ived, since it is
chiefly that of deserters. A.:cepting it, for argument's
sake, as trustworthy and positive, the enemy's only al-
ternative is to attack or to give in. To get tnem to
attack is just what is most to be desired. Setting aside
the idea of a siege, which, in fact, is no siege, we have
two powerful armies, each occupying a line of extre►ne•y
strong positions, not to be taken without severe loss a id
some risk of defeat. Evidently the di.qtdvantiga is with
the army which is first compelled to assume the off tn-
sive. The result of the action on the Tchernaya is suffi-
cient proof of thi,. Since it occured the defences of the
point then assailed have been greatly improved by the
French, who laugh at the idea of a similar attempt being
made with even a shadow of success. An attempt o❑
Balaklava or a general attack on our lines would be a
strong indication that the statements of the straitened
condition of the Russians are well founded, and that
they are driven to a desperate effort. Such an attack,
if our generals prove as able as we know our soldiers to
be brave, ought to recoil with terrible force upon the
heads of the assailants, occasioning them heavy losses
of men and giving us solid proofs of success in the shape
of newly-acquired positions.

THE ENEMY'S " IMPROVEMENTS."
Yesterday I went down into our advanced trenches,
and from the fifth parallel, the naest forward of them,
a good view could be bad of this latest of the enemy's
improvements." Without the aid of a glass, I could
see crowds of people passing and repassing from the
north and south sides of the harbour, whilst workmen
were busily engaged about the middle of the bridge in
completing it. Some fifty or sixty yards off
the corner of the dockyard lay the huge Tw.lve Apos-
tles ; and, about midway between her and the broken
line of the mast beads of the sunken ships, runs the
bridge—apparently some 20 feet in breadth, and pro-
tected on either side by a low handrail, Sail boats and
barges, laden with various kinds of stores, were plying
between the two sides of the harbour ; and altogether,
as looked at through the rifle loophole from which I
viewed it, the whole scene appeared as undisturbed and

•
industriously busy as if not a French or English soldier
had foothold within the realms of the Czar. From
within revolver shot of the sedan a very prolonged or
complete survey was, of course, not convenient ; but
even with such glimpses of the place as could be had
from the parapet, I saw enough to convince me that,
whatever may be the state of the besieged's commissariat,
they are as active as they could be if fed upon the best.
In the open, some 50 yards from the parapet which shel-
tered me, poor Yea received his death wound on the
disastrous 18th of June, and all round were strewn the
sacrificed hundreds who fell on the same memorable
morning. Fifteen or twenty perches beyond runs the
low broken hedge of stakes forming the abattis, stretch-
ing down the slope towards the similar defensive barrier
in front of the adjacent Mal ikhoff. A s seen at a dis-
tance of about a hundred and fifty yards, this obstruc-
tive live appears, at first sight, as if it could offer little
hindrance to an attacking force ; but a closer scrutiny
of it shows it to be just low, intricate, and strong enough
to check assailants, whilst au extra diQcharge or two of
grape could be poured into them from the black muzzles
or SO yards beyond,
bristling in terrible array vino 70