The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-05 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS.

THREATENED ATTACK ON KERTCH.

MARSEILLES, DEC. 4.

By the Euphrates we have advices from Con-
stantinople to Nov. 26.

Admiral Lyons continues to cruise near the
shore of the Crimea, to survey the point of Kertch,
against which the Russians seem to be preparing
an attack during the winter. They are fortifying
Arabat, and are concentrating in its environs
30,000 men, whilst 15,000 more are sent towards

Genitchi, in order to re-establish communications
between the mass of the army of Prince Gort-
schakoff and the interior of Russia by the road
over the Spit of Arabat.
The guns of the boats and steamers of the

Allies, and of their floating batteries, can reach
the Russian convoys along the whole route, and
across the whole breadth of the Spit, unless mari-
time operations are suspended by the freezing of
the Sea of Azoff.

Accounts from Kertch state that the Rusiiau
cavalry, which bad been in the neighbourhood of
that place, have retired into the interior.
Five gun-boats are still cruising in the Sea of

Azoff.
Three hundred sail of merchantmen are lying
wind-bound in the Sulina mouth of the Danube.
Three Anglo-German regiments were expected
at Constantinople.

HAMBURG, TUESDAY.
A despatch from St. Petersburg announces that
a grand council of war is convoked.

All the Archdukes, with Generals Paniutin,
Berg, Sievers, and Grabbe, and all the Admirals,
except those employed in the South, are summoned
to attend.

[General Grabbe commands the army corps in
Esthonia, General Sievers that of the Baltic occu-
pying Courland and Livonia, General Berg that
of Finland, General Paniutin the central army,
and the troops collected in and around St. Peters-
burg are under the command of one of the arch-
dukes.]

KONIGSBERG, TUESDAY.

An order has been issued prohibiting the im-
portation of goods of any kind from Russia across
the land frontier. Personal communication is also
restricted to a minimum. The cattle disease has
broken out in a malignant form.

MADRID, DEC. 3.

The Cortes have carried a vote of confidence in
General O'Donnell, by a majority of 131 to 8.

THE CRDIEA.

The following letter (French) has been received
from Constantinople, under date of the 22d ult. :

" The news from the Crimea brought by this
day's courier is of the 20th. It seems that any
movement whatever, under present circumstances,
has become impossible. The Russians occupy for-
midable positions, which they do not appear to
think of quitting, as they construct each day new
works, such as they so well know how to make,
which would indicate that they have no intention
of evacuating thu Crimea, as most persons suppose.
They are far from being in want of provisions or
munitions of all kinds. These facts you may rely
on, as I have them from a person who has just ar-
rived from the Crimea, and who was in a good
position to know exactly the position of both armies.
Be this as it my, our troops, as I mentioned in
my last letter, are always prepared for the combat.
Our positions are impregnable, and to have any
chance against us a regular siege would be neces-
sary. The Russians know it well ; the only
idea they can have is to attempt to surprise
us, and the thing is not possible. The only
thing that remains for them is to change
the theatre of war. The expedition to Kinbourn
has given the Russians a sufficient indication, and
they therefore work at Nicolaieff with the utmost
ardour. It is General Todtleben who, directs the
works, and you know what ho has done at Sebas-
topol.
" At Eupatoria an important affair is out of the
question. The Russians have choked up the wells,
and, besides, they have a considerable furce. Gene-
ral d'Allonville, tempted by his first success, wished
before engaging in a new action to ascertain the re-
sources of the enemy, and you know that on the
occasion of his great reconnaissance lately he stum-
bled on 80 guns and an army of 60,000 men. He
has therefore judged it prudent to undertake no-
thing in that quarter. The campaign is regarded
generally as over for this winter, and we must wait
for spring. If Sweden enter into the Western alli-
ance, and Russia be seriously menaced at Cronstadt
or any other points, she will soon be obliged to
draw off her forces from the south.
" The health of the army is excellent. The num-
ber of beds in the hospitals has been diminished,
and they are even speaking of suppressing the hos-
pitals of Maltope and Daoud-Pasha-. In the Crimea
hospitals are established for 6,000 sick."