The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-25 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN FLEET.

The Russian fleet shut up in Sebastopol is com-
posed as follows :
"Ships of the Line.--The twelve Apostles. 120 guns ;
the Paris, 120 ; the Three Saints, 120 ; the Grand Duke
Constantine, 120 ; the Vladimir, 120 ; the Sviatoslaw, 84;
the Rostielaw, 84 ; the Selaphael, 84 ; the Three Hier-
archies, 84 ; the Tro-Sviatitalia, 84 ; the Varna, 84 ;
the Gabriel, 84; the Empress Maria, 84; and the Tsches-
ine, 80.

Frigates.—The Cagul, 60 guns ; the Koulefgi, 60 ;
the Kavarna, 60 ; the Medea, 60.
Corvettes and Brigs —The C dypso, 18 guns ; the
Pylade, 18; the Ptolemy, 20 ; the Theseus, 20 ; the
Eneas, 20.

Smaller Vessels.—The Nearch, Striella, Orlanda.
Drolik, Ziabiaka, Lastorga, Smaglaga, 11 transports,
and 64 gun-boats.
Steamers 12, six large and six small. Among the
first are the Vladimir, and Gromuostetz, which are
remarkable for their power and the range of their guns,"

" The above enumeration," says the Moniteur
de la Flotte, •
" Presents a total of 17 ships of the line, 4 frigates, 5
corvettes or brigs, 82 vessels of inferior size, and 12
steamers—in all 108 sail, mounting 2,200 guns of every
description. This certainly is an imposing force. It is
well commanded. The crews are expert at gunnery,
and gifted with that passive courage peculiar to Russian
soldiers, who die at their post. Nevertheless, in no re-
spect can the Russian naval force be compared with the
combined squadrons in the Black Sea."

THE WHITE SEA.

ATTACK AND DESTRUCTION OF KOLA.

By the arrival of the Miranda, 16, screw, at
Sheerness, we are enabled to lay before our readers
the following intelligence :—The Miranda left Cross
Island on the 4th September, leaving behind her to
blockade that sea the Eurydice and Brisk, together
with one French frigate and brig. On the 23d of
August she attacked and destroyed the city of
Kola, the capital of Russian Lapland. This
place was defended merely to resist the attack
by boats, as such a thing as a man-of-war of
the Miranda's size and armament was thought im-
possible ever to getup, the navigation being most in-
tricate, and the water very shallow. For a boat
attack this place was certainly very strongly forti-
fied by a battery, and the houses, all facing the
river, were pierced with loopholes for musketry,
all of which, however, was ill-calculated to bear a
broadside carrying the metal the Miranda does, and
consequently was taken solely by this ship, and that
without a single loss of life to any one on board.
Shells were thrown into the town. That appears to
have been the principal mode adopted for taking
the above place. A large warehouse was com-
pletely blown up, with 10,000 bags of flour, and
many others fired, containing provisions and valu-
able goods. We are sorry, however, to have to report
the total loss of a large monastery, containing 21.
towers, which accidentally took fire. It burned all
one night, and the sight was awfully grand, illumi-
nating- the whole place. Such, however, would
have been spared by the British had it not unfor-
tunately taken fire ; but it appears uncertain even
now whether the above place took fire or was de-

stroyed by the inhabitants to prevent it falling into
the hands of the allied forces. She reports, how-
ever, a point called Abraham's Point, going up the
river, which completely overhangs that part, and
would have proved an awkward obstacle in the
ship's progress up, as from its elevation had
it a single long gun mounted, together with
musketry, could have fired right down upon
her decks, thereby in all probability killing
and wounding many of our tars. Aud in spite of
the great care that was taken going up, she ap-
pears to have grounded several times, and remained
with little or no water; but through the indefati-
gable exertion and perseverance of all the officers
and men, directed by their experienced and much-
respected captain, she was got off, without expe-
riencing much damage. On her boats going up
the Pansy River, the ship remaining at the en-
trance, the boats' crews completely surrounded a
herd of reindeer, 28 of which were killed in a short
time ; they found them most delicious eating.
This country abounds with deer and salmon, of
which they got ample supplies from the natives.
She has had no cases of cholera on board, and
scarcely any one sick at all since she left here, al-
though the weather has been very wet, and she
has experienced boisterous weather the greater
part of the passage home.