The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-22 00:00:00

THE PRINCIPALITIES.

VIENNA, June 16.--A. sad event which has just
occurred at Jassy and been reported here by tele-
graph has produced a great sensation in this
capital. The Grand Boyard, Constantine Balsh,
step-son of the reigning prince, has been killed in
a duel by Count Stelberg, a major in the Austrian
hussars. \Ve do not yet know the details or the
cause of this affair, but the victim has left a young
widow, who is considered to be one of the belles of
Jassy.

RUSSIA.

A letter from Odessa of the 9th, in the Ost
Deutsche Post, says :—" We learn from Shn-
pheropol that the division of dragoons of Gene-
ral Montresor has left Karessan Baidar for
Kertch, and on the 7th established its camp on
the side of the Mountain of Mithridates. General
Chomutoff has, it is said, entered the Peninsula
by the Isthmus of Arabat with 22,000 Cossacks,
7,000 infantry, and 40 guns ; and has effected
a junction with General Wrangel not far from
Abei-Bey. General Osten-Saeken has left Se-
bastopol for the camp between Belbeck and the
Tchernaya. Liprandi commands all the troops
on the right bank of the Tchernaya. The rein-
forcements which he sent to Kertch were im
mediately replaced by detachments from the
2d corps d'armee. In the hospitals of Sebas-
topol some cases of typhus and of scarlet fever
have broken out, but, with that exception, the
sanitary condition is as good as it can be in a
garrison of 60,000 men. A great many of the
inhabitants of Rertch have gone to Simpheropol,
which circumstance has increased the dearness
which previously prevailed in that town. Since
the capture of Kertch by the Allies, the Rus-
sians are labouring more actively than ever in
fortifying Perekop on the side of Kherson. Last
week the 11th brigade of artillery passed through
iNicolaieff on its way to the Crimea. The harvest
promises to be magnificent in the south of Russia.
Wheat has accordingly undergone a considerable
decline, but the price of meat and oats has risen."
A letter from Galatz of the 6th, says :—" The
Russians have placed the mouths of the Pruth
and the Danube in a good state of defence, and
have collected a number of small armed vessels
which will render good service. At the mouth of
the Pruth there are 18 gunboats and 2 war steamers
of 4 guns each ; near Kilia there are 12 gunboats
and 12 steamers ; near Tchetal, in the Black Sea,
12 gunboats are stationed as an advanced post ;
and at the mouth of the Sulina the Russians have
formed two strongly entrenched camps."

RATING OF MINES BILL.--Bill No. 2, brought in by
Mr. Kendall and others, prescribes the mode and rate
of assessment of the occupiers of mines to the rates for
the relief of the poor. The annual rateable value of the
mines is to be estimated at the sum which for the year
ending the 25th of March immediately preceding such
assessment shall have accrued to the 19rd for the rent
royalty or toll in respect of such mine, or the value
thereof in money where the same shall be rendered in
kind.

THE CAPTURE OF TIDE MAMELON AND
QUARRIES.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT,

CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, JUNE 7.
At 4 o'cleck this morning a still and sluggish atmo-
sphere, half mist, half the result of gunpowder, hung about
the town, and, the sun enfilading, as it were, all the points
of view from his low level in the horizon, telescopes were
put out of joint for the moment. The Redan, however,
which stands up boldly in front of -'s-he hills that slope from
Cathcart's Mound, gave some evidence of having yielded
to rough treatment, the jaws of its embrasures gaping, and
its fire being irregular and interrupted. Captain Peel came
by, on his way up from the trenches, about 5, very dusty
and powdery, His reckless and dauntless seamen had been
making beautiful practice, and had met with what must
for them be considered a very moderate proportion of loss,
having to record two deaths only and 14 wounds during
the 15 hours, and, with one exception, the last were not
very serious. Though delivering a capricious discharge of
shot and shell, the Russians in the Medan were making
their contempt of danger conspicuous, some few of them ap-
pearing in front of the work, and one or two mounting on
the parapet. By and by there was a glorious change in the
weal her, which adapted itself to the circumstances most
amiably. At 9 a cool breeze, much stronger than usual,
sprang up, and continued throughout the clay, blowing,
the wreaths of smoke out of the batteries, and carry-
ing off the solid little round nebulie extemporised by
bursting shells, which can only be compared in their ex-
pansion to the genie who, in the "Arabian Nights," comes
out of the iron pot sealed with Solomon's seal. The whole
range of fire from right to left became visible in a bright
sun, that for once was not a scorching one. On the ex-
treme left, towards the Quarantine, there was very slight
firing from the French. The perpetual hiss and crack of
shells was still the chief point of contrast with the last
bombardment in April. The enemy could not or would
not keep up every vigorous reply. All the early part of
the day we had the work very much to ourselves, but, since
it has been very much the habit of the Russians to knock
off work in the hotter part of the 24 hours, no very im-
portant disclosure was contained in this fact. As last night,
so this morning, for the fun of the thing, they launched
a good many heavy shot• into the ravine which leads up
to the Light Division, and the same avant garde of mis-
chief cease careering round the shoulders of.the hill below
the Lime-kiln where we stood to gaze. About 11 o'clock
a konell from the Russians ex loded a magazine in our 8-gun
battery, and a yell of applause followed the report. Very
slight harm happily resulted from the explosion—one man
was killed, one wounded, and a few scorched a little. The
real casualty of the morning was the death of an Engineer
officer, Captain Dawson, who had but just arrived in the
Crimea from England; indeed had been only two days
in camp, and was on duty in the trenches for the
first time. As the day wore on it leaked out that
something of import was undoubtedly to take place
before its close, and that the double attack would pro-
bably commence at five or six p.m. An immense con-
course of officers and men were gathered all the afternoon
round the flagstaff on Cathceet's-hill, and streamed along
the spines of the three heights which wind towards Sebas-
topol from the English encampment. The fire on our
side, which had cor
Ainued since daybreak, quietly .and
soberly, assumed e. sudden fury about 3 o'clock, and was
kept up from "ii.nat hour to the critical moment with great
activity- the affair itself came off but little after the
anticipated time. Between five and six Lord Raglan and
his Et'saff took up a conspicuous position on the edge of the
11:;11 below the Limekiln, where it commands very plainly
our 4-gun battery, and looks straight into the teeth of the
Redan. A flagstaff was erected with threatening ostenta-
tion shortly before he came down, and a little angle of
rude wall was hastily thrown up as a breastwork. The
man with the signal rockets was in attendance, but there
was a pause yet for a while. Sir Colin Campbell was ob-
served to plant himself on the next summit, still nearer
to the enemy. " commonly called," to use a legal phrase,
the Green-hill. His appearance drew some fire and the
shells dropped and flashed close by, but without disconcert-
ing his purpose of having a thorough good look-out place.
It was about half-past six when the head of the French
attacking column came into view from these two spots, as
it climbed its arduous road to the Mamelon. A rocket was
instantly thrown up as the signal of our diversion, and as
iustantly the small force of our men detached for the post
of honour made a rush at the quarries. After one slight
check they drove out the Russiami, and, turning round
the gabions, commenced making themselves snug ;
but the interest was so entirely concentrated upon
the more exciting scene, full in view upon the
right, that they had to wait a good while before attention
was directed to their conflict. The French went up the
steep to the Mamelon in most beautiful style and in loose
order, and every straining eye was upon their movements,
which the declining daylight did not throw out into bold
relief. Still their figures, like light shadows flitting across
the dun baffler of errthworks, were seen to mount up un-
failingly—were seen sunning, climbing, scrambling like
skirmishers up the slopes on to the body of the work, amid
a plunging fire from the guns, which, owing to their loose
formation, did them as yet little damage. As an officer,
who saw Bosquet +wave them on, said at the moment,
" They went in like a clever pack of hounds." In a mo-
ment some of these dim wraiths shone out clear against the
sky. The Zouaves were upon the parapet firing down into
the place from above • the next moment a flag was up as a
rallying-point and defiance, and was seen to sway hither
and thither, now up, now down, as the tide of battle raged
round it ; and now like a swarm they were in the heart of
the Almaden, and a fierce hand-to-hand encounter, here
with the musket, there with the bayonet, was evident.
It was seven minutes. and a half from the commencement
of the enterprise. Then there came a rush through the
angle where they had entered, and there was a momentary
confusion outside. Groups, some idle, some busy, sonic
wounded, were collected on the hither side, standing in
shelter, and now and then to the far corner a shell flew
from the English battery facing it. But hardly had the
need of support become manifest, and a gun or two again
flashed from the embrasure against them, than there was
another run in, another sharp bayonet fight inside, and this
time the Russians went out, spiking their guns. Twice
the Russians made head against the current, for they had
a large mass of troops in reserve, covered by the guns of
the Round Tower. Twice they were forced back by the
onsweeping fl sod of French, who fought as if they had eyes
upon them to sketch the swift event in detail. For 10
minutes or so the quick flash and roll nf small arms hid
declared that the uncertain fight waxed and waned inside
the enclosure. Then the back door, if one may use a hum-
ble metaphor, was burst open. The noise of the conflict
went away down the descent on the side towards the town,
and the arena grew larger. It was apparent by the space
oiler which the battle spread that the Russians had be, n
reinforced. When the higher ground again became the
seat of action,--when there came the second rush of the
French back upon their supports, for the former ono was a
mere reflux or eddy of the stream,—when rocket after
rocket went up ominously from the French General's posi-
tion, and seemed to emphasize by their repetition some
very plain command, wo began to get nervous. It was
growing darker and darker, too, so that with our glasses
we could with difficulty distinguish the actual state of
affairs. There was even a dispute for some time as to
whether our allies were going in or out of the work, and
the Staff themselves were by no means clear as to what
was geius, on. At last, through the twilight, we discerned
that the 'French were pouring in. After the interval of
doubt our ears could gather that the swell and babble of
the tight was once more rolling down the inner face of
the hill, and that the Russians were conclusively beaten.
"-They are well into it this time," says one to another,
handling over the glass. The musket flashes were no more
to be seen within it. There was no more lightning of the
heavy guns from the embrasures. A shapeless hump upon
a hill, the Mamelon, was an extinct volcano, until such
time as it should please us to call it again jute action.
Then, at last, the more hidden struggle of our own men in
the hollow on the left came uppermost. " How are our
fellows getting on ?" says one. "Oh ! take my word for
it, they're all right," says another. And they were right,
so far as the occupation and retention of the quarries was
concerned, but had nevertheless to fight all night and
repel six successive attacks of the Russians, who displayed
singular pertinacity and recklessness of life. As it grew
dark our advanced battery under the Green-hill made very
pretty practice and pretty spectacle, by flipping shells over
our men's heads at the Russians. From the mis-shapen
outline of the pits a fringe of fire kept blazing and spark-
ling in a waving sort of curve, just like a ring of gas illumi-
nation on a windy night ; the attempt to retake them out
of hand was desperately pushed, the Russians pouting in a
most terrific discharge of musketry, which caused us no
small loss, and as it came up the gorge, contending with
the fresh wind, sounded in the distance like water gulphed
simultaneously from a thousand bottle& Meanwhile the
fall of the Matnelm and the pursuit of the flying foe lid
not by any means bring the combat to an end on the side
of our allies. The Zouaves, emboldened by their suc-
cess, and enraged by their losses, carried their prowess
a step too far, and dreamt of getting into the Round
Tower by a coup de main. Ae new crop of battle grew
up over all the intervening, hellow between it and the
Mamelon, and the ripple of musket shots plashed and
leaped all over the broad hill-side. The combatants were not
enough for victory there too, but they were enough for a
sanguinary and prolonged contest, a contest to the eye far
more violent than that which preceded it.• The tower itself,
or rather the inglorious stump of what was the Round
Tower, took and gave shot and shell and musketry with
the most savage ardour and rapidity. The fire of its mus-
ketry was like one shelf of flame, rolling backwards and
forwards with a (lancing movement, and dwarfed as it was
by the distance, and seen by us in profile, could scarcely
be compare Ito anything, small or large, except the notes
of a piano flashed into fire throughout some rapid tune.
Our gunners, observing the duration and aim of the skir-
mish, redoubled their exertions, and flung their shells into
the Round Tower with admirable precision, doing immense
mischief to the defenders. It was dark now, and every one
of them came out against the heavens as it rose or swooped.
From Gordon's Battery and the Second Parallel they
streamed and plunged one after another into the enceinte
up to which the Zouaves had won their way unsupported,
heralded every now and then by the prompt and decisive
ring of a round shot. The Russian defence, rather than
their defences, crumbled away before this tremendous fire,
but on the other hand, the attack not being fed, as it was
not designed, began to languish, and died gradually away.
It was a drawn battle so far ; hut there
.may be another
story to-morrow. I learn that one volunteer accompanied the
French in their attack on the Mamelon—Commander Der-.
riman, of the Caradoc,—Who conducted himself en zrndaz
Gonave—skirmished up to the outer defences of the Round
Tower, and escaped by half-an-inch having a bullet through
his head. His services and his insignia were neither suffi-
c••.o however, to convince some of the more suspicious
his fellow-combatants. He was twice marched! off as oa
..
captured Russian between two French soldiers.
12 p
.m.

It is now blowing great guns. There was a heavy thun-
der storm to-day, visible over to the south-east ; and to-
night, as last night, there has been a rival display of
heaven's artillery. The French are putting the new front
of their position in a state of lefence, and employing an
immense number of hands. WC derived one advantage
at hest from the fleet outside—namely, that the presence
of a large mass of Russians in the rear of the Mamelon was
communicated to the Generals, and the attacking columns
proportionately strengthened. On the other side our men
are still in their warm berth under the Redan, repelling
the attacks of the Russians. There was but ono embrasure
left in a comfortable state in the Redan at the end of the
evening, and the Quarries are too close under it for heavy
guns to be brought to bear.
To-morrow, with a new point d'appla on each side, we
shall have to choose between fighting, as of old, for per-
mission to keep what we have got, and taking on one side
the Malakhoff, on the other the Redan.
JUNE 8.

During the night repeated attacks six in all, were
made upon our men in the Quarries, who defended their
new acquisition with the utmost courage and pertinacity,
and at a great sacrifice of life, against superior numbers,
continually replenished. The strength of the party told
off for the attack was in all only 1,000, of whom 600 were
in support. At the commencement 200 only went iu, and

another 200 followed. More than once there was a fierce
hand-to-hand fight in the position itself, and our fellows
had frequently to dash out in front and take their assail-
ants in flank. The most murderous sortie of the enemy
took place about 3 in the morning ; then the whole ravine
was lighted up with a blaze of fire, and a storm of shot was
thrown in from the S rand Battery and every other spot
within range. With a larger body in reserve, it is not
doubtful that they could have been into the Redan in a
twinkling. This is asserted freely both by officers and
privates, and the latter express their opinion in no com-
plimentary manner. They were near enough up to it to
see that it was scarcely defended, and one officer lost his
life almost within it. Generally speaking, the Russian
gunners were not very active through the night; indeed
there was little for them to do, and they are evidently shy
of throwing away ammunition. On the other hand, their
fatigue parties were as busy as bees, repairing and strength-
ening their shaken defences, and the sentinels outside our
advanced works were near enough to hear the sound of
their tools, and see the light of their tobacco-pipes.
The French,l on the other hand, were losing no time
in the Mamelon, in which, by the by, they found only
seven guns, five of them spiked. When morning
dawned, with the wind blowing• even sfronger than
yesterday, the position held by both parties was one of ex-
pectation. The French were in great force within and on
the outer slopes of the Mamelon, and also in possession of
two out of the three offsets attached to the Mamelon on
the Sapoune-hill. Their dead were seen lying mixed with
Russians upon the broken ground outside the Malakhoff
Tower, and were being carried up to camp in no slack suc-
cession. In the rear of the Mamelon their efforts to in-
trench themselves were being occasionally interrupted by
shells from the ships in the harbour and from a batter?
not hitherto known to exist further down the hill, while,
on their left front, the Round Tower, showing still its for-
midable platforms of defence and its ragged embrasure
above, fired upon their working parties in the western
face, and upon their reserves in the background. The
morning brought out on every side, along with the percep-
tion of advantage gained, and a prey lying at our feet, all
the haste and circumstances of the scene, with its painful
admixture of death and suffering. On our side 365 rank
and file and 35 officers had been klled and wounded. On
the French side nearly double the number of officers, and
a total of not less than 1,500 men, probably more. It has
been stated as high as 3,700, bat there may be error in the
statement.

12 o'CLocEK.
At this last moment I hoar it stated that the Russians
aro carrying shot and shell off to the other side of the har-
bour—which may mean that they are getting ready for a
bolt; may it prove true