The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-21 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY ErENI

LETTERS FROil THE CRIMEA.

CAMP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, July 7.
No change has occurred in the general disposi-
tion of the troops, nor has any incident of peculiar
interest in the siege operations taken place since
the last mail. The Allies aro busily occupied in
perfecting their approaches against the Malakhoff
Tower and Redan, particularly the former position.
The enemy is engaged with equal activity in
strengthening and adding to their defences. From
the enormous number of gabionaseen to be brought
over, it is suspected that the Russians are also con-
structing some inner Works of large size.
Rumours have been prevailing that the Malakhoff
was to -be attacked again shortly,—even the date
has been named. From the state of our works,
however,- it would appear that some time must
elapse—two or three weeksbefore all the propCised
batteries and approaches to be brought against it,
and the shipping, can be completed. There has
also been a talk that the French were to take the
trench duties wholly, so as to set. the British free
for taking the field, but this does not appear pro-
bable. The argument used to defend this sup-
posed arrangement has been that, being already
in possession of so great an extent of the attacks,
both on the left and right, the French would not
find the addition of the centre any serious tax upon
the resources of the vast force they now possess in
the field ; while all chance of mistakes arising from
a want of thorough and complete action in con-
cert would be avoided. It is not likely, however,
that having once undertaken a share, in the great'
work, the British commander would consent to
abandon it, even although, by operating in the
faeld,'his- efforts would tend to the accomplishment
of the same ultimate object. Various circumstances
have occurred to lead to the supposition that part
of the British force would shortly leave for more
active campaigning; but nothingis known respect-
ing the intened operation, or what troops are
likely to move. All the British divisions of in-
fantry, including the Guards and Highlanders, are
now employed in the siege duties.
The following is a brief diary of observation and
occurrences in front since the last mail :
JULY 3d.—The event of to-day has been the
funeral procession of the late Field-Marshal Lord
Raglan, from the head-quarters house, to the
" Caradoc," which was waiting at Kazatch Bay, to
convey the mortal remains to England. There
were many things which combined to render this
ceremonial peculiarly impressive.
As a military spectacle the funeral cortege pre-
sented numerous features of striking magnificence.
In many respects it contrasted favourably with the
grand display which had accompanied the remains
of the great chief, under whom Lord Raglan had
himself so long served, to their last resting-place- in
the metropolis of England. There was not the
gorgeous catafalque,
.with its ponderous ornaments
and long wreaths of laurel and cypress ; but an
ordinary gun carriage formed an equally appro-
priate vehicle ; and a small wreath of yellow im-
mortelles placed on the coffin, which was
covered with a black mortuary cloth, edged
with a white border, told the same tale, but with
more touching simplicity. There was not an,
eqnal variety of courtly costumes, civil uniforms,
and robes of state ; but„ instead, there were the
bravest and picked troops of the armies of France,
England, and Sardinia, and our foreign Allies ap-
peared not in small groups, but in large numbers.
No covered, carriages concealed the followers from
view. A brilliant sun and lucid atmosphere gave
additional splendour to the glittering arms and
bright costumes of troops who formed the escort or
attended mourners, or who, in two long lines, traced
the route of the procession froth 'head-quarters to
Kazatch Bay.
The published arrangements for the funeral pro-
cession have been already forwarded. They were
carried out as directed, and throughout were con-
-ducted with admirable order. -The coffin left head-
quarters at the time named, under a salute of 19
guns from a field-battery brought up for the occa-
sion. The British troops lined the road on each side
in double file, as far as the French head-quarters.
From that point to the sea, a distance of six miles,
our Allies lined the road in single file on both sides.
The number of men on duty on this occasion
must have been very great, more than could have
been,expected to be spared from the many opera-
tions in progress. General Pelissier and General
La Marmora rode on the right of the coffin, his
Highness Omer Pacha and General Simpson on
the left. Omer Pacha was conspicuous by the
magnificence of his uniform and decorations. On
drawing near to Kazatch Bay, Kamiesh was on
the right, and the men-of-war's boats were seen
waiting with their oars " tossed," to carry the ho-
noured freight to the steamer. The naval arrange-
ments were simple and effective. By an easy con-
trivance, the coffin, with the sword, hat, sash, and
wreath still lying upon it, was lowered into a barge,
and the barge was then slowly towed away to the
steamer, which was lying in the harbour. The
usual salute was fired from the ships. Half an
hour afterwards the sun set, and at an early hour
to-morrow, before another sun rises, the mortal
remains of the late Commander-in-dhief will
have left the Crimea, and be on their way to
England.
There has not been much fire from the batteries
to-day. The French are busily employed strengthen-
ing their new works on the east of Careening Bay.
The redoubt Blanche is becoming a formidable work.
The embrasures of the small five-gun battery at the
extremity of the spur have bee .t now turned, and
the arrangements for this armament will shortly
be completed. But still further in advance than
this, and at a lower level, immediately overhanging
the water of the Great Harbour, our allies have
commenced a new work. The Russian 12-gun
battery on the opposite side of the harbour has
been keeping up a very constant fire, with a view
to impede the progress of this work, which pro-
mises completely to prevent the Russian shipping
again appearing near the Bay of Inkerman. The
Russian batteries on the west side of Careening
Bay have also been very constantly throwing
shells in the direction of this and the other
French works on the east side. The French have
made a covert approach to the 5-gun battery.
There was none when the Russians abandoned it
on the Bth of June, their covered way to the
Selinghinsk redoubt in front being a sufficient
protection. It became necessary for our allies to
throw up cover to save themselves from the fire
of the enemy's riflemen on the other side of Careen-
ing Bay, in approaching the work from their ad-
vanced works in the Careening Bay ravine. The
trench ascends in a slanting direction fromthe ravine
up the side of the cliff, until it terminates in the
work which extends completely across the spur
of the ridge. The French have another approach
on the right, proceeding directly from the Seling-
hinsk or White redoubt. A covered communica-
tion between the Selinghinsk and Volhynia re-
doubts had been completed by the Russians just
before they were captured by our Allies.
Our new advanced batteries in the right attack
are making rapid progress. It is anticipated by
our engineers that their effect against the shipping
lying off the Karabelnaia suburb will be very de-
structive.

The enemy has undertaken a work of great la-
bour. During the last two nights his working
parties have been actively engaged in filling up the
old embrasures of the Korniloff bastion in front of
the Malakhoff Tower, and also those of a consider-
able part of the Redan near the salient angle. A
large quantity of earth has already been thrown up
on the top of the gabions employed to block up the
embrasures, and also upon the "merlons," the
masses of solid earth between the embrasures. It
is quite evident that a greater elevation is
about to be given to the whole line of battery,
so that a more dominant fire may be obtained
from the Malakhoff against the Mamelon
Vert, and from the Redan against our
Quarry and other works on the right attack. To
complete this operation great labour will also be
required within the work. There is probably an
abundant
which sp of timber still in the shipping
yards, 13; be turned to good account in the
ucpal
undertaking.
The Russians are also seen to be busily occupied
in adding to the outworks of the North Fort on the
opposite aide of the harbour. A new 4-gun battery
has just been completed, which, though connected
with the North Fort, is placed on a commanding
knoll about half way between it and the cliff
overhanging the Great Harbour. Two or three
shots were fired from this work to-day, as if to try
the range. They fell near the French advanced
works on the right of the Mamelon Vert. The
Russian working parties can be seen in consider-
able numbers returning toward sunset from the
direction of the Star Fort, and marching toward
the more distant camps. Every appearance tends
to confirm the suspicion, that the nearer encamp-
ments on the high ground above the harbour, and
stretching along the line of hill to the right of the
Star Fort, are those of the Russian ambulances. Al-
though the greater number of the tents composing
these camps are completely under view, and, with a
good telescope au individual moving among them can
he readily distinguished, there is never observed