The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-21 00:00:00

ER 2L IA34.

to be moved up to the heights forthwith. Great
lifficulty was experienced in conveying the baggage
hf the head-quarters from, Balaklava, to such a
trifling distance, in consequence of the want of
araba,s. All the vehicles which the Commissariat
lad at their disposalhad been given to the engineers
tnd artillery. The 400 mules which arrived yes-
terday have been " used up" in the service.
We hear with shame and astonishment to-day
that the French Admiral has absolutely sent in a
proposition to the Admiral in command of the
English fleet that he (Admiral Hamelin) should
send in some French men-of-war to batter the sea-
ward forts of Sebastopol, and that, in order to as-
certain the best points for placing his ships,
ae should be accommodated with the loan of
the Samson, as being one of our most service-
Able steamers. Admiral Dundas is said to have
disapproved of the suggestion. Such is the
rumour which is in everybody's mouth, and,
coupled as it is with most painful remarks on
the inactivity of our fleet—every officer and man
of which is burning with a desire to vindicate the
reputation of our flag—it has not failed to produce
very irritating results.
The sailors are busy in dragging up 'guns with
their wonted alacrity. It is stated that an officer of
the 55th, who wandered outside the lines last night,
has not yet returned. The Cossaaks seem to be
rather active to-day. The enemy so firing their
heavy guns with round shot and shell at intervals,
but we are now beyond range. Great quantities of
ammunition have been sent up to the artillery park
to-day. It is said, however, that our supply of shell
is not very plentiful, and that we might have more
round shot without danger of being overburdened.
Dr. Thomson of the 44th, and Mr. Reade, As-
sistant Surgeon-Staff, died to-day of cholera.
There are 170 men sick in the Light Division
alone. The number of applicants for admission to
the hospitals was not so numerous to-day, but
there is still a great deal of sickness in the town and
camp. The town is in a filthy, revolting state.
Lord Raglan has ordered it to be cleansed, but
there is no one to obey the order, and no one at-
tends to it.
Lord Cardigan is indisposed, and it is understood
he will be obliged to go en board ship. The cavalry
have had fatiguing but not very important duties.
They certainly have not done as much as was ex-
pected of them, and at the Alma they were quite
inactive. The misfortunes we have met at sea
tend to multiply to a great extent the value of our
reinforcements. The loss of 170 horses out of two
small regiments is a serious evil, and, worse than
that, it is quite irreparable at present. The
Beagle arrived to-day off the mouth of the
harbour. It is reported that she will land her
two heavy guns. No trenches have been cast up as
yet. Gabions and fascines are scarce, and it is dif-
ficult to get earth to fill them. The Sappers com-
menced tracing lines and drawing the parallels this
morning, and were not molested by the enemy.
The French, on our left, have got five guns in posi-
tion, but have not yet opened fire.
Several 841 b. shot rolled through the camp of the
Second Division to-day. About noon we sent out a
battalion of the Second Division on the right, to
secure an eminence commanding a supply of water.
The Russians moved out two battalions, supported
by guns, and as we would have got under the fire of
the batteries, had we advanced, it was judged pru-
dent to retire our men.
The news of a large force of Russians concen-
trating in our rear and flank, at or near Simphe-
ropol, is repeated in various forms to-day.
Our Sappers, when tracing lines to-day, were
within half-a-mile of the Russians, but the latter
did not interrupt their labours. We hear the Rus-
sians have got a good number of " licornes"—a
favourite gun of the Emperor Napoleon's (III.) It
is a kind of howitzer, throwing 121 b. shot or shell
in the field. They were used at the Alma, but
our artillery officers think they were indifferently
served, or that they are an inferior arm.
Some sutlers, to our infinite mischief, established
themselves here to-day. The result is that, for the
first time, we have drunken men in the streets,
and work for the Provost Marshal will soon fol-
,ow.