The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-18 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA.

The Courrier de Marseilles of the 15th instant
publishes the following letter, dated Constanti-
nople, 6th inst.

" The most recent news from the army in Anatolia
does not, unfortunately, confirm the report of the retreat
of the Russians upou Teflis. It appears certain, neverthe-
less, that their advanced guard, which had pushed for-
ward in the direction of Er zerourn, had returned to Gumri,
under the apprehension of a movement of the Circas-
sians on Georgia ; but soon afterwards the Russians
had resumed the course of their operations, and, if we
are to credit rumours which I mention with every
reserve, Kars was seriously menaced. There is but
one means of efficaciously relieving the Turkish army
of Asia, and that is, to keep the Russians con
stem Lly in dread of an attack from Schamyl.
Hitherto, no attempt has been made to come to an un-
derstanding on the subject with that chief. This is
the more to be regretted, as the intrigues of the
Russians in that quarter might ultimately prove success-
ful, and the imposing force which the Mussulrnan popu-
lation of the Caaeasus could bring into the field would be
thus paralyzed, instead of being ernployed in making a use-
ful diversion in favour of the Turks. We have been assured
that Omar Pasha is about to repair to Asia, with 25,000
men supplied by the Crimean army, and to take the com-
mand in chief of the operations in Anatolia. There is
little doubt but the presence of the Generalissimo would
have the effect of rousing the morale of the Turks and
checking the progress of the enemy. It is added that,
at the suggestion of Lord Redcliffe, a portion of the
Turco-English Contingent is to be placed at the dis-
posal of Omar Pasha. The celebrated Arab chief,
Bou-Maza, has been here for some days. The Porte,
it appears, has appointed him a Bey, and given him
the command of a detached corps of the army of
Batoum at Souchum Kaleb. The well-known talent
and vigour of that chief may be extremely useful on
so important a point as the frontier of Georgia and
Turkish Armenia. The entire brigade of General Sol is
now encamped at Maslak. The sanitary condition of the
troops is excellent."

A letter from Constantinople of the 6th says that
there is nothing new from Kars.

RUSSIAN VERSION OF THE BOMBARD-

MENT OF SWEABORG.

A supplement to the Journal de St. Petersbourg
of the 29th of July (10th of August) contains the
following :
"The enemy's fleet, which wag at anchor at Nargen,
and consisted of ten ships of the line, six frigates, seven
steamers, four French floating batteries, two corvettes,
one brig, one schooner, sixteen mortar-boats, twenty-
three gun-boats, two yachts, and three transports—in all
75 vessels—weighed ant•hor on the 25th of July (6th of
August) at noon, and on the same day, at 5.45 p.m.,
joined the squadron of two ships and three steamers at
anchor off Sandham.

" By two telegraphic despatches sent this morning
(28th of July--911 of August), at 9 and 11 o'clock, Aide-
de-Camp General de Berg announce that the enemy,
having formed a line of mortar boats from Bunskher to
Gr ikhar, and having constructed during the night a
Battery on Longorn Rock, commence,' at 7 in the morn-
ing sending shells from all the mortar and gun-boats
especially into the fortress of Sweaborg, and • also into
Longorn fort, and against the Nicholas Battery ; the
two ships anchored before Sandham also opened fire
against the island, and against battery No. 2."
The lnvalide Russe publishes the following de-
tails, also received by telegraph :
" 28th of July (Aug. 9), 20 minutes after 12.—The
cannonade of the enemy against Sweaborg has become
heavier. They fire from 15 to 20 shots per minute. Our
artillery, especially that of the St. Nicholas Battery, re-
plies with success.
" 2 40 after Midnight.—The fire of the enemy has
become very heavy; they fire at the rate of 30 shot- a
minute. Two of the enemy's frigates and a steamer have
taken up a posii ion between Melt-E and Drorons-E, and
keep up a steady fire against tho-e ishvid. The enemy
has already fired about 5,000 shells from the fleet.
"5.55 a m.—The fire of the enemy is concentrated
upon the fortress, but since 3 a.m. it has somewhat di-
m Our b ateiies on Sandham Island have acted
sucaessfully that the besieging vessels withdrew from
their raage at ni,on, and one of the vessels, having re-
ceived serious damage, was obliged to be taken in tow.
"8.15 p.m.—The bombardment continues with in-
tensity.

"29th of July (10th of August), 20 minutes after
Midnight.— Since nightfall the aggressor has been firing
Congreve rockets into Sweaborv. According to an ap-
proxinitte calculation at least 10,000 shells must have
been fired on the 28th (oth), from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The
enemy is now firing 30 rockets a minute.
"2.40 a.m.—The stream of rockets on the islands and
forts does not diminish ; that of the shells is less. The
condocof our troops is excellent.

" 7.34 a.in.—Frc;m 2 to 4 a.m. the fire of the enemy
was slacker, but since 4.30 the fire from the mortar and
gun boats has again increased in intensity.
"9.50 a.m.—The enemy has brought up his mortar
and gun boats nearer to his loft fl•trik, concentrating his
fire on the fort of Wester-Svarto, but, God be praised,
has not succeeded in cluing any damage.
" All our batteries are intact."

THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, Aug. 17.—The Royal
Mail Company's steamship Magdalena. Captain Ab-
bott, left this afternoon with the fortnightly West India
and Pacific mails, 53 passengers, 2,0001. in specie,
5,0001. value in jewelry, and a full general cargo. The
Peninsular and Oriental. Company's steamship Iberia,
Captoin Christian, also sailed with the mails for Vigo,
Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar, 52 passengers,
among whom are Lieutenant• Colonel Law and lady,
18,4001. in specie for Lisbon, 36,165/. for Cadiz, and the
usual cargo. The Euxine, Captain Joy, with the heavy
portion of the India and Mediterranean mails, is ex-
pected on the 21st ; the Ava, Captain Field, will con-
vey the outward portion of these mails on the 20th-
The Vectis, Captain Powell, from the Malta and Mar.
seilles route, home for repairs, with the return Penin-
sular mails, i 3 expected about the 24th. This vessel will
be relieved by the Alhambra, which sailed with the out-
ward portion of these mails on the 7th ir.st. The Tagus,
Captain Weeks, leaves with the outward Peninsular
mail on the 27th inst. The Royal mail steamship Atrato,
Captain Woolley, h due with the West India, Mexican,
and Pacific mails on the Ist proximo.
APoTMECARIES' HALL. —Names of gentlemen who
passed their examination in the science and practice of
medicine, and received certificates to practise, on Thurs-
day, August 16, 1855:—Thomas Bridge Bott, Bury,
Lanca-lire ; Frederick Stuart Ferguson, Bolton, 'Lan-
cashire.

MINES.—A great demand has existed for shares in
dividend mines since our last, and although a great rise
has taken place in the price of many of them in the
Basset and Camborue districts, it is difficult to obtain
shares even gat the advance offered. Bassets have risen
to 720, 740, ex, dividend ; Buller, 660 (a rise of 200 in
a very short time); South Frances, 575 ; West Seton,
285/ ; Rosewarne, 214 and have been in demand. The
mine is looking better than at any former period ; there
is a course ef ore in the engine shaft below the 46 fm.
level, and in the 46, going east towards Render, the
lode is worth 201. per fm. Wheal Wre!,s are 81. per
share. Wheal Kitty (Lelant) has just sold 12 tons of
tin for 8781 , and has 8 tons more for sale ; in Septem-
ber the first dividend will be paid. In Sortridge, very
large transactions have taken place, with an advance in
price.—Mining Journal.
A man at Swansea, named Lewis, has been the means
of saving no less than eighteen of his fellow-creatures
from drowning. The other day, while engaged in his
ordinary business, and the weather being comparatively
fine, he was himself drowned off Port Talbot, taking a
raft of timber to the works of Messre. Vivian, at
Taibach. A widow and nins orphans are left.

A •
A SWIM IN THE DARIC.--ti. very remarkable attempt
to desert from a merchant vessel was made by a
seaman, in the Sound, on Saturday night.
Fifteen of the crew of the Wanota, Captain
March, now lying in this port, were sent to
prison by the magistrates of Saltasb, on Friday, for
disobedience to the captain while at sea ; and it was
stated at the examination that there were some men
on board who had incited the disobedience. but had
themselves cunningly drawn out of the combination. It
seems the crew remaining on board fixed on the ship's
joiner as one of'these adroit misleaders, and taunted him
with it ; and this, it is stated, probably caused a de-
termination in his mind to quit the ship. He kept hi
own counsel, however, and bided his time. Any or-
dinary mode of transit to the shore being out of his
reach, he prepared, on Saturday night, to commit his
life and substantial fortunes to the waves. We
say "his fortunes," for he had no intention of parting
with his clothes or tools that appertained to his office
as joiner. He, accordingly, secretly dressed himself in
his stock of shirts and trowsers—putting on seven of the
former and three of the latter garments, and packing
the tools in a canvass bag, waited for the flowing tide
to carry him ashore. The tide turned about midnight,
and when the deck was clear and all was silent on
board the joiner secured his person to two of the ships
buoys, and, with his bag of tools for ballast, stealthily
dropped into the water. The Wanota is anchored a mile
and a half from the shore, towards which the adventurer
pushed his way, propelling himself by his lower members.
At first he advanced cheerily ; the night was calm and
starlit, and the current of the tide ran strongly in
his favour, but soon the coldness of the bath dashed his
spirits, and when it was too late he began to feel the
clogging effect of the threefold integuments in which he
had so carefully encased his propelling members. His
efforts to go ahead grew feebler and feebler, and by the
time he had gained half the distance he was so exhausted
that he became alarmed at his danger, and shouted as
well as he could for help. Open ears and succouring
hands were not far off, and this piteous " voice
of the night" being drifted on the breeze to a coast-
guard vessel in the Sound, a boat was immediately
sent to the rescue. The joiner and his life-buoys
were soon discovered by the guard, and a most pitiable
spectacle did the fellow present. He was quite
exhausted—even gone beyond the power of being able to
assist himself and his ballast into the boat, and it be-
came necessary to tow the novel voyager to the coast-
guard vessel ; he was with some difficulty got on board of
her and revived. Early in the morning he was taken back
to the Wanota, where the culprit's appearance on deck
occasioned a great deal of amusement among the crew.
He has since been " under arrest," but we should
almost think the suffering and frig} t of that star-
lit voyage were a sufficient punishment for the fellow's,
iiatantional desertion..-Eyntoua Mail.
_ _