The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-15 00:00:00

LETTERS FROM THE CRIMEA.

(FROM AN OFFICER.)
CAMP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, SEPT. 28.
I have been several times to the Redan to inspect the
work. It is a perfect study, a work of giants, and so
wonderfully intricate that it is almost bewildering to at-
tempt to trace its
several parts and their objects and
connections. the Malakhoff, either as a work to ap-
proach or to hold when entered, is nothing to it. Every
inch of the ground leading up to the Redan, And the
tne
hegke musketrywhi without
eo ui
st
ditch also, is swept by flanking fire; inside it consists of
been battery
adopted,b hi n
ambnadi
might
theeat7gh,
owr
on
nhu ap
reduplicated;
overwhelming
aeanl mdwi
fire covering each line. Every species of defence has
n
so extensive, there are so many ins and outs, works with-
in works, covered. ways and c.asemated communications,
that fighting
either side being a complete victor. Then the bill in the
rear of all these works is completely swept by the Gar-
den Batteries on the other side of the harbour. As the
Russians said, no direct assault of the work could
possibly succeed if the garrison within preserved the most
ordinary coolness and pluck. The Little Redan, though
a less important work,., was constructed somewhat after
the same fashion. Not so the Malakhoff, where there
is scarcely any flanking fire, and where there is only one
line of retrenchment, though a formidab'e one. Once
within the work, the assaulting columns and the defend-
ers would fight very nearly on the same footing. Nothing
but, a model, strictly and scientifically proportioned, will
ever give a just idea of these wonderful works, which
have been growing and increasing week by week for so
many months ; but such an undertaking would involve
endless labour. The photographists, especially Mr. Ro-
bertson, of Constantinople, are very busy, and will, no
doubt, produce lac-stir:4les of some of the individual
parts ; the complicated whole, however, with all its in-
tricate and mutual relations, is beyond their reach.
Nothing but constant, studious inspection can give a due
estimate of the reality.
By the bye, talking of photographists, rather an amus-
ing incident has occurred at the. Redan. A day or two
some curious French visitors, inspecting one of the un-
derground " dunks " with which the Redan abounds,
found a box containing some implements which they re-
cognised as belonging to a photographic apparatus.
They also found some chemicals connected with the
science of photography. The name of a celebrated firm
of ;opticians in Regent street, London, was marked on
some portions of the apparatus. It soon became spread
abroad that the Russians, among other devices, had
been employing photography against us ; and the cir-
cumstance of the Russian savant having sent to London
far his implements, which were fated to fall again into
English hands, as quoted as a curious coincidence.
The most valuable part of the machine, the lens, had
not been left behind and the parts which remained,
therefore, were broken up and carried off by different
persons from motives of curiosity. Some of the chemi-
cals were of actual value, and were alio taken away.
The next day an officer in naval uniform was observed
searching diligently at the bunk from which the box with
the photographic apparatus had been abstracted. Pro-
He
his had
present
visit sently his eye fell upon a broken portion of the staid
for the camera, and then the distressing truth flashed
across his mind. The solved.riddloefwdaasyshere io
up from his ship a couple
visit to the Redan, and had taken some photographs, but
left with the intention of returning to take others,
Not wishing to encumber himself with the convey-
ance back of all his apparatus, he bad concealed the
bulky part of it in the under-ground bunk alluded to,
and estimating too lightly the inquisitive and acqui-
sitive character of his neighbours he hoped to find
his property waiting in the same place for him on his
next visit. So was concluded the " shave respect-
ing, the Russian photographs of the Redan, though, as
some who made the first discovery may not have heard
of the second, the story of this, among the other scien-
tific pursuits of the defenders of the Redan, way yet be
chronicled as an established fact.
have several bells now in camp
suolwa,m,tbcu.il;dtainagtearipueirschfrtoommsyehhaustt,optool. protect against
topol) has tolled midnight. brought
upTfhreombeslleb(awse.