The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-10 00:00:00

LONDON, MO - DAY EVENING. SEPTEMBER 10 1855.

PI OGRESS OF THE SIEGE.

CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, AUG. 27.

The state of tension in which we were kept during
the greater part of last week, in daily and almost hourly
expectation of an attack, has somewhat relaxed during
the last 24 hours, although every precaution continues
to be taken. On the night from Friday to Saturday our
commanders seem to have felt very confident that some-
thing serious would occur ; everybody was afoot or in'
readiness to turn out at an instant's notice, and dusty
and disgusted enough looked some of the Staff after
knocking about all night in anticipation of a fight that
came not. It was doubtless in consequence of the severe
extra duty thus entailed on officers as well as men that
the ceremony of the investiture of the Order of the Bath
was postponed until 2 o'clock to-day, when it is to take
plaee with due pomp at General Simpson's head-quarters.

On the 18th, however, very few of our poor fellows
aaaohed even thus far the desolating storm of
the enemy's fire having swept them down be-
fore they could cross; the intervening space.
Beyond this hedgerow of stakes runs the line of
earthworks which connects the Redan' with the. Malak-
hoff bill ; and a short way higher up, as the eye tracee
the ascent of the slope, are seen the mixed gabions and
sandbags which form the inner face'of the parapets of
the new French trenches in front of the Mamelon. At
first glance the distance between the most advanced of
these saps and the Round Tower seems not more than
fifty yards, hut it is in reality above a hundred, and that
a space;too, of the most broken and difficult ground over
which attacking troops could have to move. Narrow also
as is this belt of ground between the besieged and their
assailants, the former have very boldly occupied a portion
of it with their sharpshooters, and from these deadly
marksmen the French suffer heavily. The Mamelon
plays upon their hiding-places with grape and shell;
but tinder 'cover of the'inequalities of the ground, and
the additional shelter which they have managed to
throw up for themselves, they hold out, and daily and
nightly play havoc amongst our ally's gunners, both
within the Mamelon itself and the battery in advance.
The surface features of the ground in this direction hay,
been so often described in your tutins that I need not
at present repeat the sketch ; with tote aid of s glass th,
whole can be seen from far behind; say either otir owe
Twenty-one Battery or the French Victoria Redoubt.
with quite as great clearness as from this nearer and less
safe point of observation with the n4ed eye. This fifth
parallel being the limit of our arkroach towards the
town, one's optic* can only be intjEcived from it through
the confined and rather unsafe outlet 61 a rifle loophole ; ,
and even through this inconvenient opening the surve;•
taken must be rapid and spasmodic Bough if one would
avoid courting Minie compliments from the sharp
eyed and watchful sportsmen some hundred and fift3
yards ahead. These loopholes are small portholes,
so to speak, through the upper portion of the parapti
of about four inches square, and so distributed as to
be ret. di red as far as possible indistinguishable front
the accidental openings and inequalities between th
sand-bags along the top. Narrow' And concealed a
tt ey are. however, many a' death-wound has been re.
eel ee ti .rough them, and along the sides of not a fee:
are to be seen traces of the leaden missiles from the
enemy's pieces. Still, from these Or men keep up :
pretty citnetant fire into the embrasures f the Redan, an,
upon the lurking places of the riflemen in its front-
Pretec ed a, the ferintr are by the thick network cutta,
of rope which hangs over each gun,it, Is rare, however,
that a bullet can penetrate, unless it hrppens to enter
I.teugh the very limit, d opt nieg left h r annieg the gut .

THE ORDER OF THE BATH.

MONDAY NIGHT.

The ceremony of the investiture of the Order of th.
Bath came off to-day between 1 and 2 o'clock. Sir B
Jones was ill and unable to attend, and Lord Stratton
rle Redcliffe went to his quarters and invested him there
L rd Stratf.rd, I think I mentioned in my last, ar
freed here two days ago, accompanied by Lord Napier.
M. Pisani, Mr. Moore, Mr. Brodie, Mr. Allison, and b
Dr. Tice, staff-surgeon, as medical attendant. Ti.
place where to day's ceremony came off was a squat-.
court in front of General Simpson's quarters. One Sid.
if the court is formed by tbe long, low building occupie.
by the English Commander-in-Chief, two others b 3
tables and outbuildings, while the fourth is open t.
the downs. This square, over which, a year ago,
Crimean pigs and poultry grunted and crowed,
glittered to-day with British and French uniforms,
gilding, and embroidery. At the entrance to the
house a sort of tent was formed of flags. Above
waved the standard of England, flanked by the
British ensign and French tricolour, and by the Sat
diniate and Turkish colours. The square of build
ings s'as lined by another of troops—detachments re
Guards, Rifles, Line, Arti!lery, Cavalry, and Naval Bri
Bade. From the side facing the house there extended 1.
double lie, of lancer sentres along a gentle slope, at the
extremity of which guns were in readiness to fire ti
salute. Inside the square assembled a number of office: I.
n full dress. Outside were other officers and a few oiti
flans, among whom some ladies' riding habits were to h
observed. General Pelissier came in his carriage, evi.
his staff, and other French 'generals were there. TI.
corpulent person. and—dark couple-then. of -ilre Frenci
commander contracted strikingly with General Sitnpsore.
tall, slender figure and white hair. When all wer-
e -Fembled the ceremony was proceeded with. Lore
Stratford made a dignified speech, which acquired addi
tic nal interest from the circumstances. He remark,
on the unprecedented nature of the investiture, occu .
ring. as it did, almost on the ground where the servicr.
had been rendered and the exploits achieved for whir,
the holeiur was conferred, and almost under fire of tr.
Enemy's guns. As he spoke the words a loud boom {roe
the batteries gave peculiar appropriateness to his expre-
sine a end a dramatic interest to the scene. Sir Coll:
Campl ell and Sir Edmund Lyons each spoke& few word-
in reply. The troops presented arms, the baud plays
" God save the Queen," the artillery fired a Roya
salute, and then the force assembled, which about 1,00.
men, flied tiff, and the numerous groups of office, •
eliorth is It the ground. The pageant was favoured Io
a brilliant sunshine, tempered by a pleasant breeze, an,
could not have gone off better.
OPENING OF SOYER'S KITCHFN.
Later in the afternoon we had a spectacle of a dif
leterit kind, but, in its humble way, of a not less int,-
restine nature. Soyer, the Regenerator, now the camp
co. k par excellence, opened his kitchens on the esplanads
in front of the Guards' camp. A row of huge iron
loiter, supple d each one its diff. rent soup or stew, core
cected entirely from the rations daily furnished to the
troops. From tbe summit of a large marquee fluttered
the French and English colours ; smaller flags waved
gaily over the enclosure, which was formed by garland,
of foliage. The guests, who were very numerous, psi._
due homage to the savoury cauldrons, the depth ce
which alone saved them from speedy exhaustion.
There was bo denying the excellence of the cookery.
Five o'clock is a hungry hour in the Crimea ; and I wan
answer for it that few of the guests contented themselves
with merely tasting. General Simpson smiled approba.
tion of the skill of the French artiste, and General Pe,
lissier seemed highly to enjoy his countryman's potags.
A great number of persons were present. There were
rice pudding and Cossack plumpudding (all rations),
snug tents, with champagne, and the most crystalline of
ice (not rations), and Soyer was voted, net. Con., the
worthy chef of the army in the Crimea.' To speak seri-
ously, he will render real service if he teaches the sol
dier, as I understand he proposes to do, to make the
most of the very excellent materials now supplied to
him, and which hitherto have unquestionably been more
or less wasted through ignorance of a few of the simplest
laws of the gastronomic science.

neighbourhood of the monastery -of St. George ; but—
I don't know whether from change of diet, or because
they were already too far gone—many of them have
died, and the two valleys, so sweet formerly, are now
anything but sweet, for the carcasses are left lying
about or thrown among the bushes without any vultures
to feast upon them. If one remembers the host of those
scavengers which infested us during the winter in this
part it seems strange that there is not one seen now-
Whether they have been disgusted by the numbers of
paid Tartar and Croat scavengers enlisted by the allied
armies, and feared to starve, or whether they found
more choice morsels on the Russian side, where there
may be likewise a good deal to excite their gluttony, or,
lastly, whether they are driven away by the heat I can-
not tell.

CAMP OF THE ALLIED ARMIES ON THE
TCHERNAYA, Aug. 2.
We are still living in continual apprehension of a Rus-
sian attack, although no more is heard of the day when
it is to take place. As sailors at the signs of an immi-
nent storm make everything snug and shorten sail, so
we draw in the more exposed posts, strengthen our po-
, 4ition, bring up reserves, and try to provide for every
emergency which might occur.
THE ENGLISH CAVALRY.
In consequence of the daily apprehension of an attack
the English cavalry is regularly turning out every morn-
ing and coming down to the valley, as it was haunting
the ground where its comrades fell, and watching an
opportunity to revenge them. The disasters which be-
fell our cavalry last year have left no trace, and,
Phoenix like, it has arisen more brilliant than ever from,
its ashes. The effect is imposing—perfect, one might
say, if anything human could be called so. Hnrees and
,nen are in excellent condition—as fit for work as any
cavalry can be. It would, however, not be at all de.
irable that this daily turn-out should continue. It has,
,ndeed, the advantage of saving the turning out for
darade, so that the horses rest after they back from the
alley, except to go down for water ; but if those daily
'naming rides are to last, they will soon bring down the
horses in condition, and then they would have some
lifficulty in facing a Crimean winter, even in good
tables. Thus last year I think it was chiefly this cir-
:•umstance which was fatal to the horses. They had in
ieptember and October harassing outpost duties to do,
nd you could see every day detachments of cavalry
hunting sly Cossacks to , ards the Tchernaya, so that
he horses were in very indifferent condition when the
irst rains began, and their weakened constitutions caul I
io more face hunger, wet, and cold.

TEE SARDINIANS.
The Sardinians, who. from the very begi.ming had
teen encamped on this-side, were only rarely seen about
-he British camp, and the intercourse was mostly con-
ined to a passing "bona," which seem to have become
the first universally received word in the cosmopolitan
niguage which is forming itself out here. There was
touch more companionship between the French and
'iedmnntese, as many of the latter as well as Savoyards
peak French,. and because they were close neighbours
n the Tchernaya. But from all one sees, now that airy
.re close to each other, the inability to express their feel-
-I:igs does not prevent the Highlanders and Piedmontese
rom entertaining reciprocal feelings of good will, the
eighbouring canteens furnishing the means of eloquence
t both parties. Scarcely three days have passed since
heir first acquaintance, and the copious mixture of red
,eats with grey ones must strike every eye. The Sardi-
iian ba-id, which is playing every evening on an open
pace in the centre of the Piedmontese camp, seems to be
'he rendezvous where the first step is made. I don't
Know whether it be by the law of contrasts, or from the
toincidence that both are distinguished from the rest of
.heir respective armies by their peculiar dress, but it
eerns to me that the most intimate intercourse exists
oetween the tiny Bersaglieri and the tall Highlanders.
OMER PAORA..
Omer Pacha is expected every moment. Yesterday
he horses were sent down again for him to Kamiesh.
fe will retain the command of the Torkish troops in
;le Crimea, visit Yenikale and Eupatoria, and then go
o Asia, taking with him a division from here. There is
tot much chance of his doing anything there this year ;
.he season is too far advanced, and in a month, or at
asst six weeks, the campaigning season for that part
viii be over. He may, however, do much in re-organis-
,,ig the army during the winter.

47XTRAOTS PROM A LETTER FROM AV ENG-
LISH OFFICER, PRISONER IN SEBASTOPOL,
TO HIS BROTHER.

AIIOUST.—No description of mine could give you an
Ldequate idea of the misery existing within this fort.
.Vlien our army was in the greatest distress last winter,
ce were healthy and happy compared with what the
Russian troops in Sebastopol have been s'n .e Z was made
L prisoner, and, by all accounts, I r months before. All
• ;inks appear to see and feel that sooner or later the
lace must fall, and in private the officers say openly
:tat had there been but one head instead of two direct-

g the allied armies, Sebastopol would long ago have
"-en in possession of the French and English. The
iqmers are well cared for, particularly the ,fficers, by
Russian authorities, and have little to complain of
esond loss of liberty. The scoundrels who deserted
'rem our ranks to the enemy have long ago found out
ieir mistake, I fancy. They are are greatly distrusted by
heir new friends, and kept in a sort of dishonouiable
-urveillanc,, but looked very strictly after. One of them,
miscreant who deserted some time ago from one of the
lighland regiments, bad the insolence to speak to me
!;e other day, and complain that he was "worse treated
~an the prisoners." He asked, " what would be his
to if Sebastopol fell into the hands of the allies ; would
he be shot ?" I replied, "certainly not ; that he would
.e hung before the whole army, and by the hands of
the lowest Greek or Bulgarian that could be found in
!amp."

. . . . .
It is surprising how well the Russians know every-
thing that goes on in our camp : there must be many
spies in our lines.

The Russians speak of the bravery of our men, infantry
-end cavalry, as something perfectly marvellon,, but they
seem to think our troops are not well handled by the
zeneyals, and that we thus throw away our best chances.
An artillery officer confessed to me the other day that in
the open field, with equal numbers, an English army
would get the best of a fight, "unless," he added,
"your superior officers let the %hole affair be lost by
want of arrangement and utter confusion."
Nearly all the younger Russian officers, and many of
the seniors, speak English perfectly well, so I can get on
pretty well in spite of not knowing a word of French ;
but this is a weary life ; I often wish myself back in
London, or even with the old depot at Cork or
Fermoy.

The -Russian officers think we were insane to attack
the Redan as well as the Malakoff. If the latter was
taken, the former must have fallen ! but if the Malakoff
had been held by the Russians, no troops in the world
could have held the Redan. They gay if the combined
forces of the allies had "gone in for" the Malakoff on the
famous 18th, Pelissier and Lord Raglan would have
commanded within Sebastopol. But that chance has
passed, I think.

Carlton House, as known to many of our readers,
occupied that portion of Waterloo-place which is south
of Pall-mall. The name of the original architect, in
the time of Queen Anne, is not knnwn ; but the cele-
brated landscape gardener-architect Kent laid out the
grounds when the property was in Lord Burlington's
hands, between 1725 and 1732. These gardens ex
tended along the south side of Pall-mall, and are
said to have been in imitation of Pope's garden at
Twickenham, with numerous bowers, grottoes, and
terminAl busts. Mr. Cunningham speaks of an engrav-
ing of them by Woollett. The property came into the
possession of the father of' George 111., and being as-
iigned as the residence of the prince—afterwards George
IV.—in 1783. great alterations were made under Hol-
land.
In accorciance with that system of waste in ex-
penditure on public works which prevails most in con-
nection with royal palaces, the costly fabric under
notice was of very short duration. It was taken down
in 1827. The riding-house and stable., however,
remain. The main front of the house had a central
portico and projecting ends, the walls being rust•i
cated, and the portico being partly rece-sed, and
partly projecting, leaving a wide intereolutt nin the
, ink for a carriage•drive under. This very desirable
arrangement, however, involved an appearance of weak-
ness, and in spite of the grouping of internal columns.
The columns have been used again at the National Gal-
lery, though denuded of much of the decoration.—The
Builder.

[ADVERTIS7MENT.]--Hollnway's Ointment and Pills
are superior Remedies for Bad Leg..—Extract of a let-
ter from Mr. Samuel Shannon, baker, Mill-street, New-
townards :—" Tu Professor Holloway. Sir,—For eight
) ears I suffered with a bad leg, which confined me to
bed for months together ; it was completely black, and
swollen to an enormous size. I consulted at different
times sixteen medical men, but derived no benefit by
their treatment. Finally, I commenced using your oint-
ment and pills, and after persevering with them for two
months the swelling gradually decreased, the black-
ness disappeared, and I now feel as well as though no-
thing had been the matter with me." Sold by all dealers
in medicine, and at Professer Holloway's Establish-
ments, 244, Strand, London j and 80, Maiden-lane,
Now York.

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED SD•

SPORTING. NOTES.

THE ST. LEGER.
The latest movements in the Turf Market have con-
tributed little to the stock of information which the
public already possess respecting the probable compe-
titors for the St. Leger. One important demonstration
was, however, made on Saturday, and it has since been
well sustained. Lord of the Isles retreated under the
effect of a powerful " battery" which was opened against
him, and the discomfiture of his partisans seems com-
plete. That he will recover his lost position is impro-
bable, for the opposition which he encountered came
from well-informed quarters, and was steady and deter-
mined. The precise cause of the horse's retrogression is
not exactly known ; but it is generally believed that the
fears which were excited about his strait stilty legs have
been realised, and that he has broken down. Under
these circumstances, therefore, it would be useless to
discuss the St. Leger pretensions of Lord of the Isles.
111-omened reports have been industriously circulated
about Rifleman. The tactics of his party have been
questioned and "intentions" brought under suspicion.
The betting is, however, uninfluenced by these unfavour-
able rumours, whose only foundation is apparently in
ill-nature and prejudice. If they had any other origin
their effect on the market would be at once perceived,
for dismay would be rapidly spread through the ranks
of his partisans, and Rifleman would retrograde point
by point in the betting. Ever since his elevation to the
premiership he has through good and through evil report
maintained his position with significant steadiness, and
the powerful reaction in favour of Oulston has not evi-
dently shaken the confi lence of his supporters. In for-
mer commurications I have set forth at length the
soundness of Rifleman's pretensions, and on Thursday
last I brought his chance into no "odious comparison"
with that of Oulston. The betting has attested the
truth of the remarks which I then made, and the result
of the race seems likely to prove the soundness of the'
opinions I expeessed. I then stated, " Were I well on'
Oulston and Rifleman, I should await the issue of
the encounter with no desponding expectations." Events
have confirmed my partiality for these two horses, and
I have no hesitation in stating my conviction that I
deem the race virtually reduced to a match between
them. Oulston will go to the post with all the advan-
tages of a Danebury preparation, and it is said that his
condition will be such as to in- pire his partisans with
hope and confidence. The pace will, it is expected, 1 e
tremendous, and fears are entertained of the effect which
the hardness of the ground will preduce upon Rifleman's
legs, whilst the opponents of Oulston aver that the com-
petitors will go " such a du-ter" up the hill that the
Danebury horse, who is reported " thickened in the
wind," will be completely " choked off." These fore-
bodings, however, lam not inclined to entertain. The
comparative merit of Rifleman and Oulston has been so
frequently discussed, and their performances are so wed
known to the merest turf tyro, that I shall not occupy
spice by a re-consideration of the subject, to which it is
i:npossible to impart either novelty or instruction.
Capucino may be deemed the third favourite. Her
running at York was sufficient to excite expectations of
her chat-ice, which must not, however, be too sanguinely
indulged. "Scott's lot" makes no figure in the betting.
li Whether it will be represented by Grmculus Esuriene
or Marchioness, or by both those animals, it is some-
what difficult to determine. Report states that Grrcculus
is sound and well, but short of preparation, whilst Mar-
chioness is, it is asserted, dead amiss. The truth or
falsity of these rumours I have hal no opportunity of
discovering. Whichever animal John Scott starts shall
not be slightingly regarded by A Fresh Man. Of the
outside division, however, no animal appears to me so
worthy of notice as Rotherham, who ba,4, when least
expected, displayed racing ability of a somewhat high
order. He is a fine-looking horse, with splendid action,
and may occupy a prominent place in the return of the
aace.

Little trustworthy information is obtainable about the
Clementine, colt, who, however, is believed to be an
animal of a superior stamp. Whether he will be allowed
to start is not yet determined, as, Sir Roger de Coverley
would say, much may be said on both sides of the ques-
tion lam inclined to take Admiral Rous's views of
the matter. The uncertainty, however, which at pre-
sent exists relative to the qualification of the Clomen
tins colt comil&s me, whatever favourable opinion I
might other xisze be inclined to entertain of the horse, to
disregard his chance entirely and allow no consideration
of it to affect the conclusion at which I have arrived as
to the result of the race. Saucebox, Blooming Heather,
and other outsiders, have pretensions too slender to
require notice.
Mr. Puff says that when critics agree their unanimity
is wonderful. The same remark applies with equal force
to sporting writers, who have only with one exception
pronounced judgment in favour of the " Squire's Horse,"
still, although I am compelled to record my preference