The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-11 00:00:00

THE CRIMEA.

The accounts from the Crimea, brought by the
Jourdain, are to the 29th ult. They confirm the
success of General d'Allonville. The French occu-
pied very important stategical points. The situa-
tion of the corps at Eupatoria was excellent.
General d'Allonville was scouring the country and
burning the depots of the enemy. The RussiAns
had detached a division of the corps of the Belbek,
and sent it in the direction of Eupatoria. A Coun-
cil of War, at which the Commanders-in-Chief of
the land and naval forces were present, had decided
on the destruction of the docks at Sebastopol. The
engineers had commenced their preparations for
that purpose.
_ . _

A letterfrom Sebastopol, in the Post Ampt
Gazette of Frankfort, declares, on what it repre-
sents to be good authority, that the vessels sunk
by the Russians at the entrance to the port can be
raised without much difficulty. The Russians, it
says, closed these vessels in every part but one,
and then filling them with water, sank them
straight, at the same time taking the precaution of
fastening the masts by cables to prevent them from
falling over, and attaching hose to the hulks so as
to enable the water to be pumped out when re-
quired. The Russians were so sure of getting up
the vessels again that they called this sinking.
"putting them in store." The above journal re-
marks that the allies, instead of blowing up the
ships, would do well to send down divers to seek
for the hose, so as to draw off the water and enable
them to rise.

THE ALLIED ARMIES IN THE CRIMEA

( From the Times' Special Correspondent.)
CAMP OF THE ALLIED ARMIES, ON
THE TCHERNAYA, SEPT. 29.
The taking of the Malakhoff was a surprise for
he Russians which forced them to evacuate the
town rather more precipitately than they expected.
The fall of Sebastopol seems to have been a surprise
for the Allies, which found them unprepared to take
immediate advantage of it. Twelve months of siege
operations, carried on on a space scarcely exceeding
10 square miles, and in a country where they must
entirely rely on sea transport for all the necessaries
of life, has had a prejudicial effect on their move-
ment, while the sad experiences of last year have
made them very cautious how to advance in an in-
hospitable Taurida, and how to go to any distance
from the place where their supplies have been so
laboriously collected. Besides this, now, iu the
face of active field operations, the paralysing influ-
ence of a divided commanelership makes itself
doubly felt. As long as the question was only to
decide upon secondary matters, when the object
was clear and palpable and the direction given,
this divided Generalship, however embarrassing,
was a lesser evil than now when a new direction has
to be taken, and when such questions as " Shall
there bean advance," or "Is it too late for this year,
and if so, where shall this advance take place," have
to be considered—when ,there may be a difference
of opinion as to the main point, namely, whether
the Russians are inclined to yield to the slightest
pressure and retire before a series of harmless de-
monstrations, or whether they think to be able,
and hold it worth their while to defend the north
plateau and the rest of the Crimea—and when
there may be even two views as to whether it is
worth our while to continue a series of hazardous
operations after having effected the chief object of
the Crimean expedition—the destruction of the
Russian Black Sea fleet—and after having broken
the power of Russia to harm Turkey by her supe-
riority at sea ; or whether it would not be prefer-
able to seize this opportunity to withdraw with
honour from the Crimea, destroying what is de-
structible, and begin next year a campaign where
there may be more chances of injuring the vital
powers of Russia than by attacking and holding
this far removed point, which, if we should even
cut it off for the moment, will be only as the loss
of the tail to a lizard, or that of the claws to a crab.
Which of all these opinions may have been
adopted it is impossible to say for the uninitiated,
for the position of the allied armies has since tho
fall of Sebastopol materially very little altered.
They form now on this side one long line, which
runs nearly straight from west to east, beginningat
the harbour of Sebastopol, andfollowing the course
of the Tchernaya to Alsu, then going over to the
plateau to the south of Czembash, and crowning
the heights which enclose the valley of Baidar to
the north, up to the pointiwhere the road leads
from Bazu over the Siurnikaia mountain to the
Upper Belbek. The French, who occupy this po-
sition to our extreme right, aro thus in possession
of the heights which lead out of the valley of
Baidar to the rear of the Russians. They hold
the two only roads, one to the right, which goes to
Markoul and Koluluz, and the other to the left,
which runs by Czembash in to the Tchouliou val-
ley, and from there to the defiles of Aitodar and
Mangup Kale. The Russians are still down at
Markul, which is situate in the gorge formed by
one of the feeders of the Belbek. They are, how-
ever, evidently only a strong grande garde, a few
battalions, and the usual accompaniment of Cos-
sacks. Towards Czembash the Russian outposts
hold the plateau on the right bank of the little
stream of Upa, overlooking the head of the
Tchouliou valley. The outposts on both sides are
so close to each
othez that shots axe continually

' exchanged between them. The features of the
country are particularly fit for such encounters,
the heights being covered with brushwood, and the
little ravines on all sides facilitating the approach
of both parties.
Both the roads which lead up from the Valley
of Baidar to the north are only country roads, and,
of course, nearly impassable in winter or after rain.
Having taken up this offensive position, the French,
with their usual foresight, have begun to make
them both practical for the march of an army.
All these positions have been occupied by the
French without anything worth the name of a fight.
They were only occupied by Cossack videttes, who,
as usual, at the approach of a-force retired. We
have evidently not come to the line which the Rus-
sians intend to defend.

Any one who goes about in Sebastopol must be
struck with the immense advantages which the de-
fending party must always have over the attacking.
Every step is a position, and the Russians had only
to follow the nature of the ground in all their for-
tifications. The ground about Sebastopol is an
image on a small scale of the whole south of the
Crimea. It is a natural fortress, which we are
moreover attacking from the south, that is, its most
difficult face. If you look at the map you will easily
see that all the abrupt cliffs have more or less a
southerly and the slopes a northerly direction. This
is principally the case as regards the heart of the
Russian position between Bakshi-Serai and the
north plateau. It is a succession of steep plateaux
divided by gorges, through which the Tchernaya,
the Belbek, and the Katcha, with all their feeders,
find their way to the sea. With the exception of
the road leading over Akyar or the Mackenzie
heights, all the others follow the river courses.
Most of the plateaux are too steep to be scaled by
an army, so the defiles must be forced, and this
seems the line the Russians have chosen all along
for their defence. Whenever an advance was
made on our side they abandoned without firing
a shot all the points in advance of this line. We
occupied the Tchernaya line, we marched to Tchou-
lion, and looked at Aitodar, now we have the
heights of Baidar, and all without resistance. The
battle of the Tchernaya being made for a special
object, against Sebastopol rather than against the
Tchernaya line, cannot of course be taken into con-
sideration.

Our position at Baidar is therefore only a conve-
nient point for approaching the Russian position.
In that line of plateau which extends from Bakshi-
Serai down to the north plateau of Sebastopol, from
north-east to south-west, there are five approaches.
First, the double road leading up from Inkerman,
the °Lie straight, near the first Inkerman light,
the other through the Trestrena valley, joining the
Mackenzie-road. The second is the Mackenzie-road.
The third is the pass of Aitodar and Mangup
Kale. The fourth is the passage of the Belbek,
by Kutshuk-Sioren. The fifth, the defile of
the Katcha, by Katchil Kale and Pitshku. Then
come the rocky heights of Tashifut Kale and the
Upper Alma, over which there are no roads except
mountain passes to the north. One or more of
these positions have to be forced if we wish to turn
the Russian position to the north of Sebastopol
from our position, unless we begin from the north.
Whether this be practicable or not I can, of course,
not decide. Whether there are means of tran-
sport to send a large force to the north by sea and
work down, having only some of the intervening,
rivers to force, which are too long to be effectu-
ally defended, and which may always be turned
with the help of the fleet near their embouchure,
but it certainly seems to me that we should have a
much easier work from the north than from the
south.

Four days ago a reconnaissance was made from
Eupatoria towards Sak. 16 battalions of Turkish
infantry, besides Turkish and French cavalry, pro-
ceeded along the sea-shore. Having passed the
narro sv strip which separates the putrid lake Sasik
from the sea, they turned to the left into the nar-
row isthmus which divides the Lake Sasik from
that of Tuzlu. Here the forces divided. The
Turkish cavalry went into Sak, from which a few
hundred Cossacks retired. The village was all but
deserted, and was set on fire—a very bad idea,
whoever it was, as there are, without that, not too
many villages in that part which could afford shel-
ter in case of an advantage. The only spoils found
were two camels. The French cavalry, accompa-
nied by the Bashi-13azouks, returned by the north
side of the Lake Sasik towards Mamai without en-
countering any force of the enemy except the usual
Grande Gardes. Reconnaissances are never of any
avail with Russians ; they are too cautious to show
their forces. They can never have the pretension
of disputing the moving out of Eupatoria, and
they will never be carried away by their ardour to
accept a fight for the sake of fighting.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Daily News.)
Camp, Sebastopol, Sept. 29.
The period since the last mail left has been very
unproductive of events. There is scarcely anything
to record beyond the continued bombardment of the
north side, and the increasing fire of the enemy
against the town and Karabelnaia on the south side.
The fire against the latter suburb has so much in-

creased, that, although little mischief has been done
beyond the further destruction of houses already in
ruins, it-has been thought prudent to abandon it
for the present. It does not prevent, however,
the fatigue parties going for timber, firewood, roof-
ing, and numberless articles of building materials
and furniture, to be employed inhuttingand making
snug against the inclemency of the ensuing winter.
A few accidents have occurred, One day two
Croatians, in charge of baggage animals, were
wounded by fragments of a shell. On another occa-
sion two horses returning from the town with loads
of wood, were both killed by one and the same
round shot. The Russians are employing sunk
guns, and by their means areenabled to throw shot
into the Malakhoff, and some little distance beyond
it. They have the advantage of position, for on the
north side the line of hills is both more lofty, and
rises more directly from the shore of the roadstead,
than happens on the south side. The compara-
tively flat ground on which the Karabelnaia, is
placed, and the low rounded hills occupied by the
town of Sebastopol, becoming still lower as they
approach the sea-coast to the westward, doubtless
caused the preference over the north side for their
establishment. On the other hand, the superior
projectile power in our possession, from the large
13-inch mortars, enables us to cast the heaviest
metal as far as can be necessary. •Already the
French on the right are causing serious annoyance
to the enemy in the Star Fort, and this work is
placed on the highest point in the ridge of the op-
posite line of mountain. Although a sunk fort, it
can be seen to contain very extensive buildings,
apparently ranges of storehouses or barracks. Near
the centre a house stands by itself, and from its
superior height and general character, appears to
be the residence of the Governor. The French have
been throwing shells of heavy charge with great
accuracy into this fort, and on the 27th inst. suc-
ceeded in setting one of the buildings on fire. The
flames were speedily extinguished. The enemy has
not made use of any large mortars on the opposite
side, except one at Fort Constantine, which is
chiefly directed at present against the quarter of
Sebastopol held by the French.
The same day that the fire alluded to above oc-
curred an explosion took place in one of the Rus-
sian magazines near the south harbour, killing and
wounding several men. The magazine, which was
connected with a small flanking battery on the slope
of the hill near the Strand Battery—the one which
crosses the valley adjoining the head of the south
harbour—was intended to be cleared out, and
orders had been given for this work to be carried
into effect. Part of the gunpowder had been re-
moved, and it was imagined that very little more
(if any) remained. About p.m., however, a
tremendous explosion occurred, and from the
force and extent which characterised it the quan-
tity of powder ignited must have been very great.
The cause of the occurrence is not known, but
it is strongly suspected that a lighted pipe was
the source of the ignition. Ono man of the Ist
battalion of the Rifle Brigade was killed and
four were wounded. ; several men also of the Royal
Artillery and of the 4th Regiment were injured. 1,
Stones and the timbers of the magwine were
thrown to a great distance around, and a funnel-
shaped excavation was left in the ground about 24
feet deep in the centre. A horse was killed by a
falling stone at the distance of many yards from
the source of mischief.

Beyond a slight increase for the purpose of
strengthening the position on the Tchernaya—
now the main front of the army—scarcely any
movement of troops has taken place. A military
road is being advanced towards Aitodor, which
appears as if something were intended in that di-
rection. But the lateness of the season, and the
cold and rainy weather having set in some weeks
earlier than last year, make it very doubtful
if any campaigning operations will now be under-
taken. During the last two days the weather has
been sunny and fine, but the nights have been ex-
ceedingly cold. By contrast with the present year,
the army seems to have been singularly favoured,
in respect to weather, during its march from Eupa-
toria and subsequent occupation of Balaklava, and
the position above Sebastopol in September, 1854.
It is said that a part of the fleet is to take its de-
parture soon—the larger sailincr vessels to go to the
Bosphorus, and some of the smaller steamers to
Malta. The Rodney leaves for England in a few
days.

Since the bombardment against the north side
has become more active, the movements of troops
and passage of vehicles have greatly diminished.
Altogether it wears a very deserted aspect. The
canvas town, or Russian Kadikoi has quite disap-
peared, and nothing reMeilari but the witig IA On

----
choly aspect of a deserted camp. Many of the square
tents, supposed to be ambulances, including all those
in the line of our fire, have been removed. Since
the 22d inst., the large camps beyond Inkerman
have also become considerably lessened in extent.
On the day previous a small body of French troops
left for Eupatoria. The occasion was taken ad-
vantage of to send also a number of British vessels
in the same direction, and as the sailors on deck
were for the time converted into marines as far as
dress was concerned, the Russian scouts evidently
took for granted that a combined force was being
despatched for the purpose of carrying on some
active hostilities in that direction. The next day a
large force was observed to leave the north camp,
and a body of troops was also seen by some of our
ships to be marching in a northerly direction along
the coast. False alarms of this nature must tend
greatly to harass the enemy. It was generally
imagined in the camps that this ruse was intended
to disguise some projected movement towards the
Mackenzie heights, but no operation of the kind
took place.
The troops are in excellent health. The cessa-
tion of the trench duties, and the opportunity
gained of rest at night, are evidently producing
the beneficial effects which might be expected.
All are actively employed in making preparations
to meet the coming winter. Military roads are
fast progressing in the directions of the principal
routes. The Divisional Commissariat stores are
accumulating, as well as the head-quarter establish-
ments, and will render the necessity for transport
during the winter a comparatively unimportant
matter. Should the huts which are expected from
England arrive in time to be erected before the
rains set in, there is every reason to expect that
the sanitary state of the troops will be as remark-
ably favourable this winter as it was unfavourable
during the last winter.

THE ATTACK UPON ODESSA.
The anxiety with which the public are awaiting
decisive intelligence of the impending attack upon.
Odessa presents a remarkable contrast to the feel-
ings of the Russian partisans in Brussels and on
the continent. Singularly enough there is a vague
apprehension on the part of the English public that
the attack may only be a repetition of the former
miscalled bombardment, whilst it appears from Le
Nord that the Russian party regard it with undis-
guised feelings of alarm. Le Nord observes :
" The English papers will probably announce to-
morrow the bombardment of Odessa. It is thought
that there are at that place immense stores of
wheat, and, as the supply of grain in England and
France is deficient, it is no doubt considered quite
rational to burn what Russia possesses.
" These are sad expeditions, disasters without
glory, which envenom the hostility of the bellige-
rents, which humanity deplores and morality con-
demns, even supposing them to be attended with
some strategic result. It is probable that we may
behold in the Black Sea a new bombardment of
Sweaborg. Even if it should have worse financial
consequences than the other for Russia, we may
ask ourselves whether such an expedition will ex-
haust itho empire as the English journals assert,
and whether the evil which the allied fleets can in-
flict on Russia will not be a terrible blow to the
commercial interests of all countries which are in-
terested in Odessa. The reply will be, This is
war ; we will burn everything on the coast that is
not surrendered.' Alas ! all will be burnt, per-
haps, but certainly it will not be surrendered."

A letter from Odessa of the 30th ultimo, in the
Cologne Gazette, says :—" Is it not surprising after
the late events in the Crimea that the inhabitants
of this place should lose all confidence in the
strength of our batteries, and the courage of our
troops, and that all those who can do so should
hasten to quit the town. A decree has just been
published which, under any other circumstances,
would have been received with great satisfaction.
It emanates from Count Kleinmichel, dated Peter-
hof, Aug. 3, and orders the commencement of surveys
and preparatory works for a railway from Charkow
to Kaffa by Genitchi and Arabat, and another from
Genitchi, to Sebastopol, by Simpheropol and
Ba,kshi-Serai. The same decree states that sur-
veys are also to be made for a railway from Moscow
to Odessa, by Charkow. General Menilkow and
Colonel Aleksiew, of the Engineers., are charged
with these works. A letter from Kherson stales
that in the course of the month there had arrived
in that port from Nicolaieff 21 vessels, 8 laden
with flour and oats, and 13 in ballast, and that 22
had left port for Nicolaieff and Olschskow, laden
with corn, linseed, timber, salt, coal, &c."

THE PRINCIPALITIES.
A letter from Bucharest of the 29th ult., in the
Constitutionnel, complains that the Austrian troops
in the Principalities have recommenced committing
gross excesses. At Backeo, in Moldavia, it says, a
retired non-commissioned officer of the Moldavian
militia, was, a few days before, wantonly insulted
by Austrian soldiers in a public place ; although
alone, and having only a walking-stick for his
defence, he resented the insult ; a fight ensued,
and at length the Austrians, who were joined by
some of their comrades, murdered the poor man
with bayonets, and then left his dead body in
a pool of blood. The soldiers who committed
this act of atrocity were, it is said, twenty-seven in
number. At Tergowitz, in Wallachia, also the
A'istrians had committed such excesses that the
administrator of the district had been obliged to
make a formal complaint of them to the govern-
ment, and the latter had ordered an investigation.
The letter adds that the Austrians have decidedly
determined on taking up their winter quarters at
Bucharest, and are accordingly building extensive
huts for their men, and stables for their horses.
It also says that they are considerably increasing
the number of forces in the Principalities. The
dearness of food is represented to be excessive; the
poorer classes were looking forward to the winter
with dismay.