The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-18 00:00:00

EUPATORIA.

EUPATORIA, MARCH 29.
Yesterday afternoon the Bashi-bazouks showed
themselves for the first time in the Crimea in all
their glory as irregular troops, but at the same time
in all their ferocity. After the cavalry demonstra-
tion last week, which served to mask the construc-
tion of the new works, when it became clear that
the Turks had no intention to advance, the main
body of the Russian cavalry, w hich had been brought
rip for the occasion, was again withdrawn, and only
the usual outposts left. The first of these posts is to
the right on the other side of the bridge which
leads over the creek running iu from Lake Sasik.
The next to it, towards the left, leans on the
village of Bazar, situate on a slope leading down
to the above-mentioned creek. The videttes thrown
out by this post occupy a ridge overlooking the
village, and concealing it. It was determined to sur-
prise this post, and push forward to the village. In
Order to draw off the attention, several large bodies
of regular cavalry wore ordered out ; among the
rest, some squadrons with one of the rifle guns were
sent to the right, towards the bridge. While this
cavalry was displayed on the most prominent points,
the Bashi-hazouks divided into three bodies, and,
concealed by the undulation of the ground, went off
at full speed towards the village. The Russian
videttes, accustomed to former reconnaissances,
which were always seen half an hour before they
could reach, thought themselves in such security
that they had got off their horses and some of them
even laid down. The videttes had scarcely time to
mount and to retire on their reserves on the ridge
above the village when the Bashi-bazouks, with a
yell of " Yallah, Illah!" were upon them; a hand-to-
hand melee ensued,Cossacks and Bashi-bazonke were
for a moment mixed up together, furious yelling and
firing on both sides, which ended in the flight of
the Cossacks towards the village. In the village
they made another stand, the fusillaee continued
unabated, but the Cossacks were evidently de-
moralised, and soon after made a precipitous retreat
from the village, leaving all their baggage, fur
cloaks, cooking utensils, and a quantity cf corn and
hay behind them. The Bashi-bazouks, intoxicated
by their success, were for following them up
to the ridge beyond the village, where they
had halted, but already clouds of dust were seen
in the distance, and shortly after nine squadrons
and four guns appeared in sight. So the little
drums began to beat the retreat, and the Bashi-
bazouks, laden with copper dishes, cloaks, fo-
rage, &c., singing and caracolling, retTed unmo-
lested. A Bashi-bazouk cannot understand war-
fare without liberty to plunder. Plunder is for
hini a proof of victory, and one can see him often
taking up the most useless things, only to have
something to show. When he sees plunder before
him the Bashi-bazouk becomes reckless; thus in
the affair of yesterday while one part of them was
fighting in the village at close quarters with the
Russ:ails, others were dismounting from their
horses, and taking up whatever they could find,
regardless of consequences.
Considering the numbers engaged and the shots
fired, the 10-ses on both sides were triflin. 400
Laski-bazonks attacked about 300 Cossacks and a
sqqadron of regular Lancers, and the former lost
two horses and ono man, while the latter had two
men and three horses killed and ono man severely
wounded.
When the Bashi-bazolik wlio was killed fell from
his horse, the latter galloped off towards the Rus-
sians. Immediately a dozen Bashi-bazeuks set off
after him, and caught him quite close to the Rus-
sians, without being molested by the latter, which
showed clearly how browbeaten they were.
Jf the Russians, one officer of Cossacks was killed
before the village, one man fell in the village, and
a third, evidently heavily wounded, was carried
back by his horse, clivging to its neck.