The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-20 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA.

ERZEROUM, Oct. 23.—Letters from Trebizond,
bearing date the 18th inst., have been received here.
They contain the intelligence that Omer Pacha was
concentrating his troops at Soukum Kaleh. These
numbered already 20,000 men, and 10,000 more
were expected in the course of a week. A corps of
6,000 men, commanded by Ferhat Pach4g(General
Stein), has already started for Kutais, and will soon
be joined by the army of Omer Pacha. It is ex-
pected that this general will be in Tiflis in about
three weeks. From a reconnaissance undertaken
by order of Omer Pacha, we learn that in Anacria
and Tiflis the Russian ford scarcely counted
10,000 men, the whole consisting of Georgian

Selim Pacha, ox-muchir of the army of Batoum,
has lauded at Trebizond. He had loft that place
accompanied by a force of about a thousand sol-
diers of the regular infantry, on his road here.
Ho is expected to arrive in about five or six days.
The body of troops who are to be under his orders
will be about 12,000 men. They will be sent on
her as feat as they are landed at Trebizond.
Otlvir private letters say that although Omer
Paella appears to wish to march ou Tiflis, his plan
will bo to attack Kutais, and from thence to march
on ~.k.kaltzik. There is no doubt that the GeorYians
will accord a favourable reception to the army
of Oiner Paella, the more so as the reputation
of that general, and the imposing force which
he commands, are sufficient guarantees of suc-
cess. It appears certain that the whole Russian
army in Georgia does not amount to more
than 50,000 men. All above this number are
Georgian militia, Caracapacs, and Kurds. These
troops, and more particularly the latter, aro not to
be depended on. They have no principle or charac-
ter, and serve the strongest party, or that which
pays the best. It is to be observed that the Rus-
sians in Georgia will have ()Teat difficulty in obtain-
ing reinforcements. The Sea of Azoff is thoroughly
well watched by our fleet, and thus the communi-
cation between the Crimea and the coast of Asia is
cut off. On the Caspian, the Circassians in summer,
and the ice in winter, will be obstacles to inter-
course. Wo may, therefore, conclude that the
Russians are nearly isolated in Georgia.
The battle of the 29th September was a terrible
blow to the Russian army, which lost 15,000 or
16,000 of their best troops. It will be impossible
to repair these losses.
The last letters received from Kars on the 20th,
dated on the 16th, say that on that day Gen. Mou-
ravieff had despatched a convoy to Alexandropol.
His troops were occupied in making excavations to
serve as barracks. These were covered with planks.
It would appear by this that they aro willing
to cause it to be believed that they intend to pass
the winter before Kars. They would then endea-
vour to effect a retreat to Alexandropol without
being attacked by the Turks. In the meantime
the road to Kars is less watched than formerly by
the advanced posts of the Russians.
After the battle of the 29th of September, a ru-
mour became current that Mouravieff had lost his
senses. It was not believed here for some time,
but succeeding accounts seem to confirm it. It is
said, moreover, that General Bebutoff has been
requested to take the chief command of the army,
on account of the state of Mouraviers health.
General Bebutoff had replied that the state of
affairs in Tiflis was such as to demand his imme-
diate presence.

In the meanwhile if the Russians have any
serious intention of attacking Kars a second time,
they will find to their cost that the means of de-
fence in the city are increasing in proportion as
their means of attack are diminishing. Last week
the Kurds of Bayazid—the same, I believe, who
were previously in the service of the Russians—
brought hero the contents of a mail directed from
Tiflis to the camp at Uch Klissia, It is said that
before the Kurds obtained possession of the bags a
skirmish took place, and that about 19 ponons of
the escort were shot. Among the number were
several Persians.
In the bags that were taken were found despatches,
as well as French journals and Russian bulletins con-
taining the news of the fall of Sebastopol. Among
the private letters was one from a girl in Tiflis to her
father in the country. In it she stated that she had
not received letters from him for months past, that
the cholera was raging in Tiflis, that provisions were
excessively dear, and that they were living in the
greatest anxiety. This pressed upon the minds of
the greater number so heavily that they were
resolving to retreat to some other district where
they might live in tranquility. The contents of the
•fficial letters have not been divulged. They have
all been sent on to Constantinople. The last news
that we received from Teheran arrived here last
week. It contains intelligence that the cholera
prevailed in the city, but that it had not made
extensive ravages. It has not made its appearance
at Tabruez. By tho same post wo received news
from Herat.

You will have learned that Cameran Shah, the
last King of Herat, was succeeded by his Vizir,
Jahr Muhamet. The latter usurping the throne,
to the detriment of the rights of the son of Came-
ran Shah, Jusuf Mirza gave in his submission to
Persia, who guaranteed him in the possession of his
power. Jahr Muhamet haVing become imbecile
during the latter years of his reign, was succeeded
at his death by his son, who had enjoyed all the
privileges of government during the latter years of
the life of his fa then Within the last few monthsthis
second usurper declared war, and organised an ex-
pedition against Hagira. Scarcely hgd he left
Herat when the chiefs of the city despatched a
deputation to Jusuf Mirza, who had been detained
a prisoner in Meshed, and received a pension from
the Persian Government. The deputation an-
nounced to Jusuf Mirza the deposition of the son
of Jahr Muhamet, and the proclamation of himself
as the successor to power, soliciting him at the same
time to return to Herat. 'Jusuf Mirza did not need
to be asked a second time, but mounted his horse
and returned to his capital. The governor of
Meshed, directly he heard of the departure of Jusuf
Mirza, sent off a party of horse to arrest him, but
was too late. He had already taken possession
of
the vacant throne, amidst the acclamations of his
subjects. The inhabitants of Herat are famous for
transactions of this nature. They are very war-
like, and got rid in a comical manner of any one
who displeases them.