The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-08 00:00:00

the place is covered with the debris of the walls. It
was evacuated in great haste, the gunshaving been
left usspiked, and the magazines were full of
powder. In one place where a sentry had been
posted, the man had left his musket leaning against
the wall, having most probably taken to his heels.
We then entered the town by the famous loop-
holed wall, and Sebe.stopol was before us. It was
at once apparent why our seaward batteries had
made so little impression On the place. The high
buildings and houses of the town, which had ap-
peared so close to the walls, were more than a mile
distant, separated by a deep ravine. Shot and shell
from various quarters had left their marks on every
shattered wall and perforated roof. We then, by
virtue of a pass, went to Fort Alexander, contain-
ing 163 casernatee, looking seaward, each casemate
armed with a heavy gun, and affording lodging for
15 or 20 men. A long open gallery connects every
part of this work. In the basement storey of this
enormous fort we observed several cuttings, which
at the time of the bombardment, were being driven
,under su supporting walls, for the purpose of exploding
the whole. The workmen were interrupted, and
had left their work, their tools being in the same
state and condition as when dropped by them.
From this spot we ascended to the highest part of
the town, to visit what had been a club-house.
This is a fine building, with a basso-relievo slab of
some Russian historical subject, which we could not
understand. This structure is a copy of the Museum
at Kertch. Near it is a copy of the Temple of the
Winds, at Athens. We were generally disappointed
with the town of Sebastopol ; it is irregular,
and, of course, now very dirty. From the town
we descended to the waterside, and entered the
dockyard. Little was left here, the destruction
having been complete ; a few boats, riddled with
shot, and the charred remains of ships, being all
that was visible, except-guns; these were in very
perfect order and in largo numbers ; we counted
1,000 and then left off. Walking round the edge
of Dockyard Creek, we soon came to the dock.
We arrived suddenly among the wonders of Sebas-
topol, and where all that we had heard of the glo-
ries of the place faded away before the magnificent
reality. First of all we inspected a dock, where
ships of the largest size are hauled up out of the
water, or launched again, by means of a cradle,
placed on a tramroad. This is the work of the
Englishman Upton. Then we came to the intended
Government foundry, whose walls were rising to
the height of ten feet, over a space of nearly twelve
acres ; part of this was obtained by cutting away
the spur of a mountain. The remainder of the hill
was upheld by a freestone wall, every stone beau-
tifully squared and fitted, to the height of 350
feet ! This wall cost 60,000,000 roubles (about
100,0001. sterling). We had the advantage here
of joining two English engineers, who had been
employed for many years in Sebastopol ; these be-
came our guides, and gave us a great deal of infor-
mation. We then went to see the famous docks.
These consist of a series of locks like canal locks,
the upper end being twenty feet higher than the
entrance lock, which is even with the level of the
sea. The upper end has fusee locks abreast. Then
comes a compartment equal in area to three, then
again three more, the middle one of which is en-
tered by three other locks from the harbour,
making altogether nine chambers as it were, and
the large space in the middle. These are all dry,
but can be filled by water pumped into them
by two steam-engines. Each chamber is 270 feet
long, 60 feet wide, and contains from 25 to 37 feet
of water, at pleasure. A large ship may be
floated into an upper lock, all the water can then
be let off, and the ship left in her cradle as dry as
if on shore. The docks with their magnificent ma-
sonry casings of gigantic granite blocks, steam en-
gines, and iron gates, with the aqueducts for bring-
ing down water from the Tchernaya, cost
20,000,0001. sterling. In one of the docks a steamer
had been burnt ' • all her machinery was standing
complete, but not one bit of wood remained, The
docks are all to be destroyed ; in fact Sebastopol is
to be made a desert. From this point we skirted
the harbour, and, passing through the faubourgs,
made our way towards Careening Bay, passing
within cannon shot of the Russians on the north
side, who are working vigorously-there in raising
forts for our reception. We passed some time in
looking at them, and crossed over to the Little
Redan, the Central Bastion, until we reached the
Malakhoff, which the French so successfully sur-
prised, and so won Sebastopol. Its enormous
strength has not been overrated at all. We then
went to the Redan, and, skirting all the fortifica-
tions, returned to our ships on the opposite side of
the town to which we had entered, having made a
circuit of 15 miles. One sight I saw filled me with
horror. In a ruined house, 50 or 60 bodies were
thrown in a heap, all swollen and disfigured, in
every stage of decomposition, exposed to the gaze
of every passer by. It was too bad to leave them
so for an hour. Nearly 500 bodies were found in
this state in a cellar the day before yesterday, and
as they were removing the bodies for burial a
wretched wounded Russian, from the midst of the
horrible group, staggered to his feet, and implored
protection. It was instantly accorded to him. At
Fort Paul, which was blown into the air, crowds
of wounded are said to have perished in the ruins.
It was reported that the Russians have 40,000 sick,
and the French and ourselves, being unable to take
care of them, we are obliged to leave the Russians
unmolested, lest these and more should be thrown
upon our hands."