The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-05 00:00:00

LONDoN, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER, 5 1855,

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

The following are extracts from letters received
from the Crimea, dated August 24 :

AN EXPECTED ATTACK.

Orders were given this morning that no officer
or man should quit the camp. An attack is expected,
and the army is on its guard. Large bodies of
Russians have been seen to issue from the town,
and it is thought they meditate an onslaught upon
the Sardinians. It may possibly prove a false
alarm, like many others that we have lately bad.
On the 21st, on returning to camp from sending
off my despatch, I found the troops under arms.
The enemy had been observed in motion on the
heights beyond the Tchernaya. Nothing came of
it, nor of other similar alarms, but the qui sive is
becoming our habitual state. It is to be hoped
this vigilance may not be relaxed at the moment
when it is most nee led. The general opinion
seems to be that the Russians will make a second
attempt on the Tchernaya line, combined probably
with attacks on other points. It is thought th-y
will come on in great force, and it is therefore desir-
able we should have strong reserves in readiness,
in order that the ultimate triumph, on which we
confidently reckon, may not be limited to she re-
capture of positions snatched by the first heavy
onset of overwhelming numbers.

the hospital-huts and marquees, and of their' in-
mates. '

ANOTHER NEW PARALLEL.

The French have now 'exteinded the right boyou
on the Malakhoff hill, and, haying brought it round
with a curved sweep, hive 'connected it with the
most advanced point" of their foremost approach.
They have thus -formed-,:aaitlyer parallel towards
the Korniloff bastion. The ftrencli appears very
steep, and the parapet high and strong. There is
a very capacious place.d!arnies immediately in the
rear. The most advanced part .of this parallel is
only 70 French metres from-the' Salient angle of
the bastion, and 30 metres.from the abattio before

the ditch. On the right a. trench is being extended
from this parallel; in front of the proper left flank
and curtain of the Kornilofflisition, to connect it
with the approach in front of the work called the
Little Redan. This appr.lach is still bearer to the
enemy's line than the new parallel in front of the
Koruiloff bastion. It is now only 50 metres dis-
tant from the salient angle, The Russians are
waking the most determined efforts, by keeping
up a constant discharge of grenades and bouquets,
to prevent .the advance of our allies in this direc-
tion. At the same time the French batteries oc-
cupying.the, heights on each side of the Careening
Bay ravine keep up a destructive fire ,against the
whole line of the enemy's works, from the battery
of the point above the Careening Hailanur to the
Malakhoff. The abattis in front of the Korniloff
bastion is greatly destroyed: It is 'eipected-that
the Russians have
_partly assisted in this displace-
ment. A few nights sinr4'werk ints-heard-to be
going on near the ditch, and in the morning, the
earth was observed to have been turned immedi-
ately behind the abattis ; probably fougasses had
been laid down in this situation.
The Russians are observed to be working hard at
the bridge ; it is fast approadhing towards comple-
tion. The unfinished portion is in the centre.
A SUSPECTED SPY.

The soldier of the 44th Regiment, reputed to he
a Pole, and who charged the keeper of a canteen in
the 62d Regiment with being a spy, is himself
missing, and is suspected of having deserted to the
enemy. He was enlisted and drilled with the
Depot Battalion at Walmer, and appears to have
given plausible reasons for doing so. He stated
that he had made. up his mind to serve with- a
foreign legion, but would prefer joining the ranks
of an English regiment. It was thought that his
knowledge of Russian might be turned to useful
account. His charge against the canteen man was
no doubt intended to divert attention from his own
proceedings. It is not unlikely that he may have
had something to do with the fire which has lately
been directed against the position of the British
camps. As to the entente raised against the sup-
posed spy in the canteen, which has been already
alluded to above, the unjustifiable and disgraceful
character of the whole proceeding has been fully
established after clue investigation, and General
Simpson has published the following order on the
subject :

Head-quarters before Sebastopol, Aug. 21.
The Commander of the Forces regrets that he has to
notice, in terms of marked displeasure, an outrage that
was committed on the 17th instant in the camp of the
Furth Division, the perpetrators of which, to the dis-
credit of the army, are still undiscovered.
A number of soldiers, assembled under pretence of
pursuing a supposed spy, destrkyed the tent of a canteen
keeper, plundered its contents, including a considerable
sum of money, and escaped in the darkness.
By the articles of war the punishment of such a crime
is a disgraceful death.
The soldiers of this army have met their enemies nobly
in the' field—khey have endured hardship and danger
with admirable fortitude—let them not ft irfeit their high
character by reckless disorders in camp, or by such dis-
creditable breaches of discipline as that now published.

vessels And boats carrying traders and hucksters
of almost every nation ; that Kadikoi has now
reached the size of a large populous mercantile
town, comprising shopsand eStablishinents'of etery
description ;..and that scattered over the whole area
upon which our reginients are encamped are the
tents or shed§ of sutlers; in whiCh a mixed popula-
tion of Greeks, Italians; Germans, Armenians,
Maltese, Poles, Hungarians, and others find occu-
pation. ,Not to mention the,means :of ceunnuni-
cation by the seaboard, since the etten.sion of our
base towards the',mountain,diStrict. of Baidar and
Tchorgoun, no great skill or dexterity would be
required to find plans'of • communication by land.
Under snob circumstances' the ''coninichi safety re-
quires,an active, and thorough system of sUrveil
lance over all, followers and • Strangers., No 'one
should be' permitted to remain beyond a certain
time thrshore, or to inspect „ the camps, without
an authorised passport, which should not be given
unless the character of :the applicant - were fully
known. There is at present a regulation that no one
can establish. a store at Kadikoi , without permis-;
sion of the commandant; but porters,' labourers,_ as-
sistants, friends;' and hundreds of others, come and
go to the proprietors of these. stores arid to, ean-
teens and shops in the camps withobt inquiry Or;
hindrance. The-Frinch'haVedone their part in pro-
viding against anycalamity arising from such laxity.
The " Geridarnierielmperiale" is as perfect in the;
Crimea. as it is in Paris,_ In the, well-ordered and
now 'fortified,port: of Kamiesh no individual can
jland withoutspecialpe 9nission. Not only the keep-,
ets-of_theithope—anti .staies..are licenied.-and tiegia4
tered, but every helper and servant. 'lf a -stranger
appears in the streets in an unrecognised dress, he;
is watched and very probably accosted' by one.
of the • men in the well-known uniform With!
the yellow sword belt. Not tinfreqUently English,
officers indulging in mufti costumes, strange to the!
eyes of the police, have been interrupted idinaking'
their purchases and detained until some friend in
uniform casually arrived who could testify to theiri
character and social status. The canteens attached j
to their regiments are, of course, completely mili-+,
tary establishments. "Little .Kamiesli;r as thei
French have called the ..colleCtion_ I
of shops and'
market near: the Woronzoff-road, now 'A small vil-
lage, is under their direction and control, and the j
same police regmlations ,are enforced aS at Ka tniesh, 1
near the port of the same name. I