The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-13 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND THE WAR.

7- •
The Altaland, a periodical which enjoys a high
reputation in Germany, has an article containing
some statistical information relative to Russia that
is well worthy of notice :

" Russia," says the Ausland, "is not likely to relin-
quish her plans against Turkey, and to consent to any
real limitation of her power' until she is brought so low
as to be incapable of any further effort. The foreign
commerce of Russia has entirely lost its import-
ance. The trade of the Baltic ports, which was
formerly 32 per cent, of the whole export trade of the
empire, has almost ceased to he. It is true that a part
of the raw produce of Russia may find its way through
Prussia, but the expense of carriage is so enormous that
very•little business can be done. Southern Russia is
in a still worse situation. As a consequence of the large
consignments of corn to foreign countries, landed pro-
perty in Southern Russia rose enormously in price, and
a very large amount of capital was invested in agricul-
tural establishments. That capital is at present dead,
for if the hands to till the soil were to be had the corn
grown could not be sold to advantage. The landed
proprietor, who is obliged to pay high interest for his
borrowed capital, to maintain his servants, to give war
contributions, and to satisfy the demands made on
him by the State for transport service, is on the
verge of total ruin. A picture of the misery and dis-
tress of Russia can hardly be too highly coloured, for
20 years of profound peace will hardly bring her to the
point of material development at which she had arrived
when the war commenced. The interruption of the
trade of Russia inflicts a deep wound, but still it would be
erroneous to suppose that she will immediately consent
to a humiliating peace. She may carry on a suicidal
war for some time to come, as she has provisions, the
materials for clothing her soldiers, leather, iron, and
horses. Of sulphur and saltpetre she is in want, and
the export of those articles from Austria has just been
prohibited. In 1851, when Russia was at peace, she
ithported 232,000 pods of sulphur, and now she will be
obliged to manufacture that article out of pyrites. Salt-
petre may be obtained from Central Asia. The war
will be most onerous to Russia by its effect on the popu-
lation. European Russia has a population of 55,000,000
souls ; 27,000,000 of these people are of the male sex,
including boys, men, and grey-beards. According to the
statistical tables of Baron Reden, 13,500,000 of the male
population attain the age of 20, and, at most, 11,000000
the age of 35. Thus,Russia has 11,000,000 or 12,000,000
of men capable of bearing arms, but it most not
be forgotten that they have other duties to perform be-
sides shouldering the musket. If, during the war, only
4 per cent, of the male population has been raised, the
country has been deprived of the services of 1,000,000
of men, and it must be supposed that the Russian army
was 500,000 strong when, in 1853, the Czar issued the
order to cross the Pruth. If Russia continues the war
but five years longer, and loses as many men as she has
done during the last two years, she will literally have
used up the whole population fitted for the purposes of
war, and will be entirely at the mercy of her adversaries.
All these facts the Western Powers know hull well, and,
therefore, they are in no hurry to renew the negotia-
tions for peace."

REVOLT OF THE BASHI-BAZOUKS.
A letter from Smyrna of the Ist gives details of
the mutiny of the Bashi-Bazouks on board the
Tancrede, to which we have already briefly alluded :
—" A tragical scene took place yesterday morning
on board the Tancrede steam-packet, at the moment
when she arrived from Syria. On her leaving
Jaffa, the English agent had embarked on board
her 105 Bashi-Bazouks belonging to the English
contingent. As these men were proceeding to their
destination without any officers, and had received
five months pay, or 400 f. in advance, they thought
the best plan to adopt was to desert, and then re-
enlist with some other agent, and be paid over
again. At Tripoli and at Alexandria they endea-
voured in vain to deceive the vigilance of the cap-
tain, and they therefore plotted together to force
their way from the vessel in a body, when they
reached Smyrna. When they attempted to carry
their intention into effect, the captain of the Tan-
credo armed his crew, and notwithstanding their
numerical inferiority, they bravely opposed the ef-
forts of the Bashi-Bazouks. But 13 men could no.:
long resist 105 of these bandits, who had armed
themselves with handspikes and other formidab e
weapons. Signal was then made to the Olivier frigate,
and Capt. Lamothe sent a body of man under the
command of two officers. The Tanorede was
boarded, and some of the Bashi-Bazouks jumped
overboard, and others took refuge in the hold.
They were disarmed, but not without resistance,
and some blood was shed. The ringleader of the
revolt, a tall negro, who had assassinated three
persona before he left Jaffa, was severely wounded,
as were fourteen others. Ten of those who had
jumped overboard were picked up by the boats of
the Olivier, and with the others, making 89 in num-
ber, were delivered over to the Turkish authorities.
The wounded were removed to the civil hospital."