The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-21 00:00:00

THE BRITISH EXPEDITION.

(From Special Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
SEBASTOPOL, SATURDAY, DEC. 8.

When will a blow be struck ? Wlien will the
Muscovites give us the opportunity ? We are told
in history that even the rapid Bosphorus, through-
out its 16 miles in length, has been fully frozen
over no less than seven times. And now it is more
than hinted that as soon as the Tchernaya be frozen
(and this may not prove the case) Gortschakoff
intends to throw his troops across and to at-
tack the allies. In the meantime the allies do
not attack Gortschakoff. They do not fire a single
gun against the works ou the north side. But the
north side fires daily upon the south; and although,
as I have frequently said, with little effect, I am
now sorry to add that in one day during the pre-
sent week we had a private of the 18th killed and
four wounded, English, while cooking near the
dock ; and on the other side of the Arsenal Creek
one Frenchman killed, and also an ox. So that
there is even yet some danger in "seeing the lions"
at Sebastopol. During the fete of St. Barbe, lam
happy to record, we did not lose a single man. Had
a shell fallen among even one of the many military
re-unions gathered together on that night, the
enemy might have made a grand coup. But
Providence watched over the Artilleurs Francais.
Some of their brothers in arms were not so fortu-
nate, for a colonel and four captains out shooting
near the Tchernaya, and somewhat too eager in
the pursuit of sport, were surrounded by Cossacks
and taken prisoners, dogs and all. Shooting is an
amusement that cannot be indulged in every day,
for the weather is now very unsettled and variable.
As to gales and rain, the winter has certainly set in
this year more fiercely than did the winter of
1854, and at this moment the valley of Inkerman
resembles a lake, while our roads are knee-deep
in mud in many places, and parts of the plateau
and plain perfectly like a swamp, and impas-
sable. The sudden changes to which the climate
of the Crimea is liable tell very much upon
strangers, and I am sorry to announce that on
Thursday there were two cases of cholera in the
92d regiment. You will remember that the 92d
did not arrive in the Crimea till after the capture
of the Malakhoff, so that they cannot here be yet
considered acclimatised. People are in some parts
of the camp suffering a good deal from boils on the
chest, which are attributed to the water, never
good, having become much worse since the rains
set in. Our medical officers are on the alert and
watching the men most anxiously, so that, come
what illness there may, it is reasonable to presume
that with our increased comforts, and experience,
and huts we shall not again have to deplore the
loss of so many of our fine fellows.
The medical officers in the Crimea are now get-
ting up a subscription for a general monument in
memory of all of their own profession who had
died on duty during the campaign. This will pro-
bably be erected at Chatham. Our medical men
here are watching each Gazette in the hope of see-
ing therein a brevet promotion, believing that their
recent memorial and the "pressure from without"
have at last induced the Government to look more
favourably on their position and to recognise their

Although for the greater part of the week we
have suffered from rain and hail and high winds,
Monday was fine enough to admit of a steeplechase
coming off near the Monastery ; Tuesday found
all the French celebrating the Feast of St. Barbe ;
on Wednesday morning a very strong rumour was
current within Sebastopol that the Docks were
on that very day to be blown up, in which we
wore unfortunately disappointed, owing perhaps
to the very bad weather ; and on Wednesday
also at Balaklava the " great passport question"
came off at the Commandant's, and I among scores
of others got thoroughly drenched in riding across
the country to receive my new papers. On Thurs-
day morning before dawn we experienced another
storm, which blow down one of the huts of the 92d
and some others ; and then yesterday (Friday) we
had again a sunshiny summer's day, fires in our
tents and huts were unnecessary, and people took
their meals with open doors. 1 may repeat that
these great changes affect all of us more or less ;
and they cannot but do so, for it is not at all un-
common to experience in 24 hours specimens both
of spring, summer, autumn, and winter weather.
Those who are here watching barometers and ther-
mometers day after day will have very curious in-
formation for our literati by and bye.
-Having ridden across to Balaklava to take up
my new passport, or rather permis de sijottr, at
the Commandant's office, opposite the Main Guard,
I was astonished to find that my number therein
was as; high as 1042. These " tickets of residence"
contain the name, occupation, and residence of the
applicant, and are dated in the present month and
signed by the Captain Superintendent. There aro
some of our population here who are better known
than trusted. Accordingly, instead of presenting
themselves at the office, these worthies have sent
in some friend to personate them, and to leave such
passport as they might have been able at Athens
or Constantinople, er Smyrna to procure. Calling
next day to receive the passport and permis,
many, on their names being asked for, forgot their
assumed one, and answered in their own, which,
of course, instantly opened the eyes of the officials,
and led to the passport being committed to tho
flames and its bearer to the police. The bearer,
in company
.with others in the same predicament,
soon finds himself on board a steamer bound to
Constantinople, where he is dropped on the pave,
and the original owner of the passport is also
sought out, and forwarded to the same destination.
By these summary means we, at Balaklava, shall
be well rid of spies, if not cut-throats and cut-
purses ; and as Kamiesh is acting in the same
way as Balaklava, the Crimea will soon necessarily
stand in a very improved position. We have
had these Russian sympathisers and spies too
long among us, but I our happy to say the new
system will gradually root them out. And a glorious
capture has this week been made by the English
police of a celebrated Russian spy, whose " pock-
marked face" and " grey horse" have figured in
our local Hue and Cry for some time past. Ile was
this week literally " caught napping" in a hut on
a sly spot not a hundred miles from the Monastery
and Karani. The French swear that had they
caught him they would have shot him instanter.
Another spy has been just taken near the Monas-
tory, where lie has been in the habit of making
night signals to the Russians, by bonfires and
rockets.
Since writing the above I have been told (and
the authority seems good) that the docks at Sebas-
topol will be blown up in the Christmas week. The
delay has occurred owing to the necessity for build-
ing a bomb-proof to shelter the man who will fire
the train.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
The mail with papers to November 23, has ar-
rived.

A very excellent plan is about to be followed
out, for which General Codrington deserves the
greatest praise. Canteens will soon be established,
under the charge of a non-commissioned officer, in
each regimeht, and our Greek canteen-keepers, and
such other adulterators, will be banished the penin-
sula.

A Cossack deserter has come in with one of our
most celebrated spies, whose name it would be im-
prudent for me to mention. The Cossack is under
surveillance at head-quarters.
Owing to some strictures made by Mr. Russell
in the Times on drunkenness in the army, and his
advising the withdrawal of the soldiers' field allow-
ance granted by her Majesty, his house was at•

tacked by the redcoats the other night, and serious
consequences might have ensued but for the prompt
arrival of the picket.

I hear that 11r. Russell (the Times' Special Cor-
respondent) will, in a day or two, quit the Crimea
on leave.

THE FALL OF KARS.
(From the Times Special Correspondent.)
CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 10.—Letters from Erze-
roum to the 27th of November were received here
on the evening of the 7th instant. They were to
the effect that Kars was to capitulate on the 25th
of November. Major Tee.--dale had gone out to
arrange a meeting between General Williams and
General Mouravieff, who, having attained his ob-
ject in that quarter, was detaching part of his
forces to Akhaltsik and Kutais to act against Omer
Pasha. Selim Pasha, says a correspondent from
Trebizondo of the 30th Nov., was still at Erze-
roum. The Turkish Government has advices from
the authorities at Erzeroum up to the 27th No-
vember, and denies the truth of the above intelli-
gence respecting Kars, which it deems premature.
I suspect it has received it, but does not choose to
let the bad news be known until the capitulation
has actually become a fait accompli. Official infor-
mation of the capture of the place will, in all pro-
bability, get to England before this letter. The
event is a matter of surprise to no one after the in-
formation that has for some time past reached us as
to the scanty stock of provisions remaining to the
brave and much-enduring garrison. A number of
men had died from hunger, and it was impossible to
hold out longer. The price of cats had risen to 100
piastres a-piece. The Russians have little to boast
of in the capture ; for, although they thus close the
campaign of 1855 (otherwise uniformly disastrous to
them) with a triumph and a trophy, the number of
their prisoners will hardly equal their own loss in
their late unsuccessful assault, and Kars is not a
place of any use to them, or one that they will be
likely to retain when the spring campaign opens.
Possibly they may not even attempt to do so.
The defence of Kars, although it has terminated
unfortunately, is one of the most remarkable ex-
ploits of the present war, and one of the most
honourable to those engaged in it. It is as worthy
of applause as the mismanagement that rendered it
unavailing is deeply to be deplored and strongly to
ho condemned. All that could be done was done
by the gallant Turkish troops, and by the English
officers, who assisted them with their counsels,
shared their privations, and headed them in the
fight. When want of forage and scarcity of provi-
sions compelled the departure of the cavalry, the
garrison could but patiently await—ready and able
(as they have shown themselves) to repel an at-
tack—the arrival of relief from without, or
the exhaustion of supplies within. Sorties, with
infantry alone, were out of the question ; for the
Russians were not besieging the place, they were
watching and blockading it, and Gen. Mouraviefrs
head-quarters were actually at three leagues from
Kars. Had the garrison attempted the offensive,
they must have gone to a far greater distance from
their fortress than it was possible to do without
cavalry and artillery, in both of which arms the
Russians were strong. So they kept, perforce,
within their defences, hungry, and with little hope,
but patient and fearless, doing everything, in short,
that brave men could do under such circumstances,
without rushing madly on destruction. It is at
least three months ago that General Williams wrote
to friends here that it was a mere question of time
and of the stomach ; that the place could certainly
be held, unless famine, more powerful than the
Russians, should put an end to the possibility of
resistance.

The fall of Kars, if all the circumstances attend-
ing it be considered, should produce a great sensa-
tion in England and France ; not on account of its
real importance, which, I repeat, is not great, but as
exposing gross neglect and mismanagement in some
quarter or other. Prisoners of war are brought to
a court-martial when restored to their service ;
those made in Kars would assuredly be most honour
ably acquitted of blame, but there must be other
persons not iu Russian captivity, who will have
to stand their trial before the tribunal of public
opinion. It will surely be asked by whose fault it
was, that while the enemy quietly blockaded
Kars ever since Midsummer, large bodies of troops
were kept idle and useless on the Bosphorus and
elsewhere, and the formation of an army in Asia
was delayed until winter was at hand. When too
late, some activity was displayed. Turks were
sent from Bulgaria, Egyptians from Eupa.toria ;
other troops have lately been shipped hence for
Trebizond, and we now learn that Selim Pasha has
12,000 men at Erzeroum, and are assured on Turkish
authoritythatO mar Pasha andMustapha Pasha, with
a force estimated at nearly 40,000 men (some portion
of which, I suspect, are now upon the ars., or perhaps
not even shipped),are advancing on Kutois, which the
Russians are said to be evacuating. It is extremely
improbable that the Russians are doing anything
of the kind. They are not the people to abandon
so easily so important a depot and stronghold, at
a moment when winter must quickly put an end
to the campaign. A winter campaign in that
part of Asia I believe to be impossible. What
is to be expected is that Omer Paella will go into
winter quarters at Souchum-Kaleh, Mustafa Pasha
at Batoum, and that at Erzeroum, where the slug-
gish and incapable t elim Pacha commands, there
will be forced inaction and possibly no litttle con-
fusion. All that the tardy concentration of troops
in Asia will have done will be to have them in rea-
diness there for next spring. Effected two or
three months sooner, it might, and in all proba-
bility would, have saved Kars.