The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-19 00:00:00

THE BALTIC FLEET.

The following is an extract from a private letter :
" Her Majesty's .ship. Imperieuse,
Great Belt, April 12, 1852.
" Will you be kind enough to send us a Navy List for
this half-year, as soon as it becomes due ? We are now
on our way to Kiel, where we stop only a few hours, and
then proceed up the Baltic as far as the ice will permit.
We left Nyborg this morning, where we had lain three
days coaling and waiting until the ice bad broken up,
and cleared out of the Belt to enable us to proceed.
After leaving Nyborg, and getting about six or seven
miles off, it came on so fo.zgy that we wera obliged to
anchor (the Eurvalus in company ; Ctiliflct we left at
Nyborg, and to join us to-morrow ; the rest of the
squadron were at Landstrona, Jost below Esineur). At
12.30 to-day the fog cleared away, so we weighed anchor
and proceeded through the Great Belt, passing a great
quantity of ice. We shall get to Kiel to-night, if not
stopped again by the ice or fog. We received one pap,r
only at Nybarg -the Evetzing Mail, ,-f the 21st March,
which was old news to us. However, I hope we
shall receive the re,t when we arrive at Kiel. We
are now cuttinT our way through a large field of ice
about fire or six inches thick; it grinds juA as if the
ship were mining on shore.

"Kiel, April 13.
"We arrived here this morning at eight a.tn. After
passing throtiah that field of ice yesterlay afternoon we
kept pretty clear of others we saw until eight o'clock
last night, when an immense field of ice wa,. reported
ahead, and a few minutes alterwar is crab she went
right into it, when she became firmly fixed ; the Enryalw.
being astetn of uq, of course kept clew=r of it. We tried
every means to get her off, and at last, by sending
hawsers to the Euryalus, we were towed off. The ir,e
was a- firm as a rook ; it wai about 18 feet thick. We
07i-, off about 11 15 that niffht, and steamed clear of the
ice, where we anchored till tlayli,,ht. At 4.15 this
morninv, we witiabed and proceeded nnder steam f r
Kiel, where we arrivel as I have told you. On onr arrival
here we got our pripeller up, when we found that one
comer of one of the blades had struck the ice. and wa-
nent very much. We were also told that the ice up the
Baltic was now 30 feet thick, aid it was impossihle for
us to get up thtre. This Waco has been clear of ice
only two days, so had we come earlier we could not
have got in, Ido not know how long we remain here.
I have not any more news to tell you at present."

SARDINIAN CONTINGENT.
ALEXANDRIA, Apnit 14.—This morning the re-
view and benediction of colours took place on the
Plain of Marengo, about a mile to the eastward of
Alexandria. Some of the troops bad been camped
on th ground for several days before, and all were
formed by 10 o'clock this morning. About 11 his
Majesty arrived by special train from Turin, at-
tended by a numerous staff and the representatives
of France and England. He immediately mounted
and repaired to the field; where he was received
with the usual honours. and, after passing up and
down the line, he took his station facing the chapel,
which was placed in a pavilion, decorated with
military trophies, on a slightly elevated mound,
and round which the troops were grouped at a dis-
tance of 100 or 200 yards. The mass was per-
f Trued by the senior chaplain of de division, and
after the colours had been blessed by him they
were brought up to the King by the officers to whom
they were confided, and the Minister of War read
the following speech in the name of his Majesty
"Officers, Sob-officers, and S .ldiers,—A war, foundet
on justice, on which depends the tranquillity of Eur •pe
and the fate of our country. calls you to the East. You
will see far lands, where the Cross of Savoy is not uo
known, You will see brave peoples and armies whose
fame fills the world. Their example will be a stimulus
to you to show to all that you have no less valour than
our fathers.
"On other occasions I have led you on the fitld of
honour, and I remeraber with pride sharing dangers and
fa igurs with you. I now grieve to separate myself
from you for a time. My wishes will follow you every-
m here, and it will be a happy day for me when I shall
be renni:ed to you.
"Soldiers,—There are your colours. Generously un-
furled by the magnanimous Carlo Alberto, they record
a distant country and eight centuries of noble traditions.
You know how to defend them. Bring them back
crowned with fresh glory. and your sacrifices will be
blessed by the present and future generations."
At the conclusion there were several rounds of
hearty cheers given for the King, in which the ci-
vilians present joined with as much enthusiasm as
the military. The spectacle concluded by the troops
'defiling before his Majesty, and their appearance in
so doing elicited the admiration of all who saw
them. There were present portions of each divi-
sion and regiment of the expedition for the East,
amounting to about 7,000 men, in complete march-
ing order, so complete that a part, in fact, marched
off the ground to Novi, en route, for Genoa. In the
afternoon the King gave a dinner at the Palace
here to the chiefs of the expedition, the Minister.%
of France and England, Count Cavour, &c., and
returned by rail to Turin in the evening.
We read in the Opinione of Turin of the 15th
that after the solemn distribution of the colours to
the troops of the Piedmoute to expedition, the King
of Sardinia gave a grand banquet to the chief com-
manders. The French and British ambassadors,
the ministers, and other persons of distinction
were present.

84
83
35
30