The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

(Front'Special Correspondent of Morning Herald.)
English Camp, Heights of Balaklava,
Feb. 17.
The movements of the enemy in the neighbourhood
of this place still continue to be of the most contradic-
tory nature. During some days large numbers of Cos-
sacks show on the adjacent heights round the Turkish
redoubts, and appear as if engaged in making lines and
trenches, and then, perhaps, for the next 24 hours, not
a soul is to be seen near the place.
Strong additional defences have been thrown up on
the heights to the right of our position, and the advanced
battery covering the head of the harbour and sweeping
the plain in all directions is being rendered still more
formidable by a ne.v ditch and abbattis. The new three-
gun battery on the left of this is also completsd, and it
is intended to con,truA another of eight guns on a very
strong post between Balaklava and Kadekoi. With such
defences, Balaklava, would rival Sebastopol in strrngth if
its garrison were only increased in proportion ; but
though guns have been aided tLere is a part of the lines,
which of course I shall not specify, still very far from
being efficieetly manned in regard to numbers. If this
matter is much longer overlooked, our chances of hold-
ing the place may any day he seriously diminished by
the sudden appearance of a strong Russial force
which might succeed in a well-planned, determined
attack like that of Inkerman. In saying this, I only
repeat a common topic of conversation among all officers
out here, who look with much anxiety upon the small
and inadequate force placed to hold one most important
position. General Bosquet, in speaking on this subject,
is reported to have said that he would desire notl.ing
better than that 10,000 or 15,000 Russians should oh-
taM a temporary possession of Balaklava, as not a man
of them would ever return. This may undoubtedly be
very true, but five minutes' possession of the place
would suffice to burn every vessel we have in the har-
bour, and fir such an object, which would nearly ruin
the whole exped' tion, Russia would certainly not think
10,000 or even 20,000 men, too large a price. In the
course of six weeks more, die intense thick fogs which
prevail here during April, May, and June, will have set
in, and will naturally offer the enemy unusual facilities
for attacking fortified positions, as in such an atmo-
sphere half the guns will be useltes.
Last night oce of the marines fell over the brow of
the tremendous cliffs near which they are encamped on
the right with the Rifles and Zouaves. He fell a sheer
descent of nearly 1,600 feet on to rocks below. Near
this position is a steep and thickly-wooded valley, in
which a large force of French are employed day and
night in making fascines and gabions for the now bat-
teries, which it is intended to erect near Inkerman.
About 2,000 gabions per day have been made here for
the last fortnight, and a considerable number have also
been made by a small party of Guardsmen, who are
stationed at St. George's Monastery for that purpose.
The French ouvriers at Balaklava are kept continually
on the alert by the presence of many Cossacks, who
occasionally dart in, firing their carbines amongst them.
The battery occupied by the marines generally repays
these attentions with interest, and on some occasions,
when the horsemen have ventured too near, the armed
parties covering the French have inflicted severe loss
upon them. These little skirmishes go on continually,
and the French perfectly delight in them.
A number of ships' guns, mortars, and ordinary siege
ordnance have recently been landed, with immense
stores of ammunition, on the north side of the harbour.
Some of these are intended for the defence of Balaklava
itself, but the majority will go into the new works in pro-
cess of construction at Inkerman. One 13. inch mortar,
4 3-inch ditto, 10 long 18-pounders, 28 long 32-pounders,
and 4 84-pounders, still are here; and I believe it is not
intended that any attempt should be made to forward
them to the front until sufficient of the tramway has
been completed to take them over the heaviest parts
of the road. In fact, we have not sufficient horses
in good condition now to do more than forward some
of the huts and keep the troops well supplied with
rations. Parties of men are still employed in car-
rying up 33-pounder shot ; but the B.inch, 10-inch,
and 13-inch shells are far too ponderous to be trans-
mitted in thin manner. A 13-inch shell, empty, weighs
1941 b., and a Winch I cwt. ; so that, except the 30 or
40 wich are taken up daily by the artillery waggons,
the great mass must wait until the tram is completed,
or at least partially so. Whenever that is done it can
take up in one day sufficient shot and shell to supply all
our batteries firing incessantly with ammunition for
three days and nights.
The progress which this tram is making is perfectly
marvellous. It is now progressing at the rate of a
quarter of a mile per day, including all the delays which
arise from bridging small streams, levelling and filling
up inequalities, &c. Half the men are employed in
laying down the rails and sleepers during the day, and
the remainder work all night in boxing up with earth
and stones the spaces left between each sleeper. As an
instance of the rapidity with which the work proceeds,
a pie-driving machine was landed one evening, and car-
ried piecemeal up to where it was necessary to sink
piles for a stout wooden bridge across a small but very
muddy stream which runs into the harbour. T
before he m a-.
chine was erected early the following morning, and
that evening the piles were all driven, the machine re-
moved,h the bridge finished, and the rails
space of 100 yards beyond. The course of
fid
I or ten days must see half the line completed, aud, 39 far
as it goes, in operation. Even forwarding the heavy
laid down for
week
eteke
guns and shells three miles will be, of course, an im-
mense assistance.
There is not the least exaggeration in saying that if
the e Captain
Powell o
is now
t
the Vesuvius. That active officer was gradually getting
wassince batdhleyd managedepartur e obfefir3 '
the vessels into something like arm angement, and bad
g it the masters to observe the rules which he laid down,
itneworse harbour
when he was suddenly ordered off to Constantinople,
aud since then everything has gone wrong. The ships
now lie any way they please, blocking-up the litt'e land-
ing-place, impeding traffic, and injuring themselves. No
vessel could now get her anchors up, and haul out under
a week's notice ; and if we had anything like a severe
gale, all the smaller vessels would be crushed by the
large steam-ships between which they are jammed. No-
thing can possibly be worse than our present arrange-
ments for the shipping.
rumoured that both A.drairal Lc%-a and Captain
_ _