The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-22 00:00:00

encampments of each were disposed in parallelograms
One after the other, so that there was very little trouble or
confusion in getting the division together. They formed
in front of their tents, and after a rapid inspection were
ordered to strike tents. In a moment or two file after file
of canvass cones collapsed, and fill to the earth, the poles
Were unsplicel and packel up the cauvr res rolled up and
Placed in layers on bullock- carts, the various articles of
regimental baggage collected into the same vehicle--ants
121 a swarm could not be more active and bustling than
they were ; they formed into masses, broke up again,
Moeed in single files in little companies, in broken groups
all over the ground, while the araba drivers looked stupidly,
en, exhibiting the most perfect indifference to the appro-
priation of their carts, and evidently regarding the Giaours
as some unpleasant demons, by whose preternatural ener-
fies they were to be agitated and perturbed as punishment
or their sins. It would seem, indeed, very difficult to re-
form this shifting, diffusive crowd of redcoats into the
steady masses whi h were drawn up so rigidly a short time
Previously along the canvass walls, now fluttering in the
Nat or packed helplessly up in bales. Their labours were,
however, decisive, and in some half hour or so they had
;Transformed the scene completely, and had left nothing be-
Mod them but the bare circles of baked earth, marking
Where tents had stood, the blackened spot where once the
!amp fires blazed, tethering sticks, and a curious debris of
Jam-pots, preserved meat cases, bottles, sweetmeat-boxes,
sardine cases, broken delf, bones of fowl and ham, poma-
turn-pots, tobacco pipes, etc. A few words of command
;Inning through the toiling crowd, some blasts on the
Ogle, and the regiments get together once more as steady
and solid as ever, with long lines of bullock carts and buf-
falo arabas drawn up between them and winding slowly
along over the sandy slopes which led to the sea. Here the
fleet of transports, of which I have so often spoken, lay
anchored with their attendant steamers in long lines, as
close in shore as they could lie with safety. The Vesuvius
team-sloop, Commander Powell, the Simoom and the
flegmra troop-ships (screw steamers), sent in their boats
!.0 aid those of the merchantmen and steamers in embark-
Mg the men and baggage, and Admiral Boxer, aided by
Captain
I Christie, Commander Powell, and Lieut. Rundle,
-N., superintended the arrangements for stowing away
and getting on board the little army, which consisted of
al)out 6,500 men. The morning was fine, and if anything
a little too hot. The men were in excellent spirits, and
as they marched over the dusty plain and wound down the
Randy paths over the common to the landing-places, they
Were greeted with repeated peals of cheering from the
regiments of the other divisions. The order and regu-
larity with which they were got on board the boats, and
Ihe safety and celerit with which they were embarked—
!4tggage, horses, womy en, and stores—were creditable to
the authorities, and to the discipline and good order of the
men themselves, both officers and privates.
"The Victoria (four-masted screw steamer) embarked
wthe 33d Regiment, 990 strong, and 12 horses • the Andes
embarked the 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 900'
and
strong,
12 horses ; the Megzera embarked the 7th Fusiliers, 950
strong, and 12 horses ; the Cambria embarked the 88th
Connaught Rangers, 950 strong, and 12 horses ; the Mel-
bone embarked the 77th, 950 strong, and 12 horses ; the
....
edway embarked the 19th, 950 strong, and 12 horses ;
the Golden Fleece embarked the Rifle battalion ; the Trent
embarked 300 pack horses ' • the City of London and Em-
peror towed up transport No. 4, artillery, and transport
I'l.o. 18, staff horses, ize. ; the Vesuvius, having lent her
Paddle-box boats to embark the men, moved off from her
anchorage in the Golden Horn about 12 o'clock, when all
he troops were on board, and proceeded up the stream of
the Bosphorus to take in tow the Sir George Pollock, with
C:) horses belonging to the Rifle Brigade, &c., on board.
he Golden Fleece was the first to start, and as she had
110 vessel in tow she made rapid way against the current,
and was soon out of view in the bends of this salt-water
Timer. Transports Nos. 44, 46, and 48 were laden with
the men and horses of the Bth Royal Irish Hussars, and
aY out in the stream about two miles about Tophane.
The Victoria, which was to have towed No. 44, ran up
alongside her, and made fast her hawsers to tow, but ere
she could get her away the current caught her, threw her
against a stubborn little Dutch galliot, which anchored
"lead in the way, and snap, snap, crash went bowsprit, yard,
and topmast, one after another, till the Hollander seemed
as if he had just cut from Camperdown. Then the hawsers
got round the screw of the steamer—they were cut or cast
adrift in a twinkling, and the transport fetching stern way
came right upon the shore, sorely discomposing a little
body of Turkish philosophers who were smoking on a plat-
form just where her counter came. The Victoria re-
turned for aid to Scutari, and after a time came up with a
"tug," and pulled off the transport. As she passed on
With her prize the men of the 33d, who were on board,
cheered the Vesuvius till the Bosphorus rang with echoes.
Ple captain of the Sir George Pollock being on shore (for
he had received no orders to bee n readiness), a delay of 3
or 4 hours took place till the Vesuvius could get her to
Move. The artillery were embarked in transports Nos. 1,
2,3, and 4, and were towed by the Medway, Melbourne,
Cambria
and City of Loudon respectively. The fleet was
thus constituted of 2 steamers for staff officers and horses,
7 for troops and 84 chargers, 1 for 300 pack horses, 4 tran-
!Ports for Horse Artillery, 3 transports for Hussars, 2
transports for Commissariat horses. Notwithstanding
some little delays and mishaps, such as those alluded to
above, the whole of the flotilla moved off with great preci-
sion as to time, and commenced its course upwards wit a
admirable order and quickness. No voyager or artist has
Yet done justice to the beautiful scenery of the Bosphorus.
It has much the character of a .Norwegian fiord. Perhaps
the rounded outline of the hills, the light rich green of the
vegetation the luxuriance of tree and flower and herbage,
resemble more closely the banks of Killarney or Winder-
inere. For 13 miles the water escaping from the Black
Sea, now compressed by swelling hillocks to a breadth of
little more than a mile, then expanding into sheets of
four times that space across from shore to shore,
)gush along in a flood of dark blue, like the Rhone as it
Issues from the lake of Geneva, till they mingle with the
Sea of Marmora, passing in their course by a succession of
Wood and dal© ravine and hill-side, covered with the pro-
fusest carpeting of leaf and blade, while kiosk and pleasure
ground, bastions and loopholed curtains, gay gardens,
villas, mosques, and noble mansions stud the .banks in un-
broken lines from the very foot of the forts which com-
mand the entrance up to the crowning glory of the scene,
Where the Imperial city of Constantine, rising in many
coloured terraces from the verge of the Golden Rem, een-
fuses the eye with its masses of foliage, of rod roofs, divers
hued walls, gables, and fretwork. surmounted by a frieze
of snow-white minarets with golden summits, and by the
symmetrical sweep of St. Sophia. The hill strike abruptly
upwards to a height varying from 200 f set to 600 feet, and
are bounded at the foot by a line of quays, which run
along the European side from Perm to Bujudkere, about
five miles from the Black Sea, almost unintetruPtedly.
These quays are very numerous on the Asiatic side also.
The villages by the water-side are so close together that
Pere might be said to extend from Tophane to the forts
beyond Bujukdere. The kiosks and residences of the
Pashas, the imperial palaces of the Sultans, the retreats
of opulence line these favoured shores, and as the
stranger passes on in steamer or caique he may catch a
view of some- successful plunderer of p evince,
some
hoary Pasha, or unscrupulous ex-gov< a
neer sitting cross-
legged in his garden or verandah, smoking away,
and each looking so like the other that they might
all pass for brOthers. The windows of one portion of
these houses are mostly closely latticed and fastened, but
here and there a bright flash of a yellow or red robe shows
the harem is not untenanted. These dwellings succeed
each other the whole length of the Bosphorus quite as nu-
merously as the houses on the road from Hyde-park-
corner to Hammersmith, and at places such as Therapia
and Bujukdere they are dense enough to form large vil-
lages, provided with. hotels, shops, cafes, and lodging-
houses. The Turks delight in going up in their calques to
some of these places, and sitting out on the platforms over
the water, while the chibouque or narghile confers on them
a zoophytic happiness ; and the greatest object of Turkish
ambition is to enjoy the pleasures of a kiosk on the Bos-
phorus. The waters abound in fish, and droves of pm--
Poises and dolphins disport in myriads on its surface,
Plashing and playing about as with easy roll they cleave
their way against its rapid flood, or gambolling about in
the plenitude of their strength and security, till a sword-
fish takes a dig at them, and sets them off curvetting and
snorting like sea horses. Hawks, kites, buzzards, and sea
eagles.are numerous, and large flocks of a kind of grega-
rious petrel (I amagine), called by the French " clues
dainnees" and which are said never to rest on land, keep
constantly flying up and down close to the water. The
flotilla began its voyage at 11 o'clock. Off Tophane some
five or six fine frigates, some of them double-banked, dis-
played the red flag with the silver crescent moon and star
of the Ottoman Porte. They were lying idly at rest there,
and we thought they might be much better employed,
. if not in Severna Bay, certainly in cruising about the
Greek Archipelago. In justice to the Turks it must he
said they maintained the dignified indifference of the
savage to the last. As the men at Scutari landed so they
departed—in silence—and, so far as the people were con-
cerned, in solitude. The caiquejees, or boatmen, scarcely
turned their heads to look at the monster steamers, with
their decks crowded with troops, that tossed their frail
barks with the swell of their paddle-wheels ; the smoking
groups ou shore never relaxed puffing their pipes as the
flotilla went by ; and the only animation they showed was
enee, when the Vesuvius, to astonish the natives, ran so
close by the play that the swell washed over it and
tumbled over the bare toes of the Osmanli, who fled
within lest the steamer should pursue them bodily on
shore.
"It was 5 o'clock ere the last steamer which had to
;wait for the transports got under way again, and night
had set in before they reached the entrance to the Black
Sea. As they passed the forts (which are pretty frequent
towards the Euxine), the sentries yelled out strange chal-
lenges, and burned blue lights, and blue lights answered
from our vessels in return, so that at times the whole of
the scene put one in mind of a grand fairy spectacle, and
it did not require much imagination to believe that
tho trees were the work of Grieve—that Stanfield
had dashed in the waters and ships—that the s forts
were of pasteboard, and the clouds of gauze, lighted
up by a property man ; while those mustachioed
soldiers, with red fez caps or tarbouches, eccentric
blue coats and breeches, and white( belts, might fairly pass
for Surrey supernumeraries. Out o the blue lights l—we
are all left as blind as owls at noon-tide ; but our eyes re-
cover—the stars at last begin to twinkle—two lights shine,
or rather blear, hazily on either bow—they mark the open
ing of the Bosphorus into the Euxine. We shoot past
them, and a farewell challenge and another blue halo show
the sentries are wide awake. We are in the Black Sea, and,
lo ! sea and sky and land are at once shut out from us ! A.
fog, a drifting, clammy, nasty mist, blueish white, and
cold and raw, falls clown on us like a shroud, damps out
the stars and all the lights of heaven, and steals with a
slug-like pace down yard and mast and stays, sticks to the
face and beard, renders the deck dark as a graveyard, and
forces us all down to a rubber and coffee. This is genuine
Black Sea weather. All the club and taproom politicians
who talk nonsense to distinguished circles, and regulate
the motions of the fleets, and criticise the conduct of
armies, should be sent out' here to take the command of so
many Thames wherries till they learn what the real diffi-
culties of managing ships in such a se are. I immedi-
ately repented me of the evil thoughts I had once enter-
tained and was angry at the rubbish I had listened
h d to
about 'apathy, inactivity, and indolence, &c.,' when I a
bad that one night's and day's experience of the Euxine. The
shore was not far off (presumed not to be) on our port quar-
ter, but had it been within a quarter of a mile it would
have been equally in visible. Later in the night we passed
through a fleet which we took to be Turkish men-of-
war, but it was impossible to make them out, and but for
the blockade of their ports these vessels might have been
Russians. In the morning the same haze continued drift-
ing about and hugging the land, but once it rose and dis-
covered a steamer close in shore, with a transport cast off
from her, and hovering about just as a hen watches a
chicken. The Vesuvius fired a gun, and after some time the
steamer tried to take the transport in tow again and pro-
ceeded to rejoin the squadron. We subsequently found it
was the Meemra. The line of land was marked by a bank
of white clouds,b and the edge of the sea horizon was
_ equally obscured. About half past three o'clock the bay
of Varna was visible, with the masts of some large vessels
just peering up ahead, and the Victoria, her Majesty's ship
Vesuvius, &c. ran in and anchored before six o'clock.
The Bellerophon, 74, Lord G. Paulet, the Renzi. Quake

(French), 90, and an Ottoman schooner were lying in the
roadstead, close to the town, and transports Nos. 1,2, 18,
27, 46, &c., busily engaged landing stores and meu. (It
may be as well here to say that the transports lying off
Scutari when we left were Nos. 5 , 7,8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 21, 30.) This disembarkation was proceeding ad-
mirably. Lerge boats had been provided for the purpose,
and the French and English men of war lent their launches
and cutters to tow and carry, in addition to those furnished
by the merchantmen. The rifie s had already landed, and had
marched off to their temporary camp under canvass about a
mile away. The 88th Connaught Rangers were already form-
ing on the jetty, preparatory to marching, and the bay was
alive with boats full of redcoats. The various regiments
cheered tremendously as vessel after vessel arrived, but
they met no response from the Turkish troops. Lord G.
Paulet entertained Lieut.-General Sir G. Brown, and a nu-
merous party, on board the Bellerophon in the evening.
The noble vessel is provided with an exquisite band, and
all night the shores echoed to the melody of the choicest
morceaux of our best composers, while the men who had
not landed crowded the decks of the ships to listen.
" VARNA, June 2.—This morning early the Caton, French
Government screw, arrived here, having on board General
Canrobert, and a small staff. He landed about mid-day,
and after an extempore levee of the French officers on the
beach, proceeded to call on Sir G. Brown. A large French
man-of-war steamer, with the 7th Regiment of the Line,
came in at the same time. The men disembai ked and
formed in about half an hour, their band playing ' God save
the Queen,' out of compliment to our colours. After a de-
lay of an hour on the beach they were marched off to their
camp outside the town. The Marseille, French Government
transport, has arrived laden with stores. At present we
have transports Nos. 3,4, 11, 18, 27, 41, 46, and 48, lying
at anchor and waiting to return to Scutari. Two large pad-
dle steamers, showing French colours, the first towing no
less than five small vessels, the other towing fear brigs, are
in sight steering for this point, and at the moment I close
this letter, a 'Turkish man of war steamer has cast anchor,
towing in French transport brigs Nos. 206, 52, 204, and
127. Three of these show Genoese colours, and only ono
remains to be accounted for as French property.
" Owing to the exertions of Omer Pasha, and the acti-
vity of the Commissariat, the quantity of open and covered
arabas, or bullock and buffalo carts, which has been col-
lected here, is nearly sufficient for all the wants of this
division of the army. They are drawn up in hundreds
along the walls of the principal magazine, and their ser-
vices can be had at a moment's notice. There is a small
army of hairy, wild-looking drivers stalking about the
place and admiring the beauties of Varna, spear or buffalo
goad in hand.
" The cavalry force sent by Omer Pasha to a place
within a few miles of our camp, has been of infinite service
in sending in provisions, horses, and cattle. The latter are
wretchedly small and lean. A strong man could lift one of
the beasts, and there is not so much meat on one of them
as on a good English sheep. The horses are hardy, wild,
mouthless brutes, but the owners are asking too much for,
them. Omer Pasha has forbidden the export of grain from
this port, and from all the ports of Roumelia without ex-
ception. A Pera merchant who came up the other day,
armed with a letter from the Grand Vizier, was refused a
cargo of corn in consequence, though he sent up a vessel
to be freighted. The result of the step, whether right or
wrong, is that there is plenty of corn in store for the troops
no matter how numerous they may be. Omer Pasha has
done another thing, which may have been dictated in
some measure by a regard for his personal comfort.
Within the last few days he has sent orders to suspend all
travelling by post-horses between Varna and Schumla, sin-
less for Government purposes, special couriers, or aides of
the generals. This will cut off a stream of English visi-
tors, and save him many a long pipe and short interview.
" The Brish camp is pitched on a plain, covered with
scrub and clumps of sweet briar, about a mile from the
town, and half a mile from the fresh water lake. The water
of the lake, however, is not good for drinking—it abounds
in a.nimalculae, not to mention enormous leeches—and the
men have to go to the fountains and wells near the town
to fill their canteens and cooking tins. This, however, is
only a temporary encampment, and it is expected that
they will move on Saturday or Monday about eight miles
further off, towards a village called Devno. The cavalry,
the Bth Hussars, and the four guns of the artillery, landed
to-clay, are stationed nearest to the town, not far from
the neck of land which divides the sea from the lake.
Then come the Rifle Brigade ; next to them the 7th Fusi-
liers—which only landed on Thursday, as the Megmra and
her transport got into trouble off the coast in a fog. Tho
camp of the 33d Regiment adjoins that of the Fusiliers,
and beyond it are the tents of the 19th, 88th, and 77th Re-
gimeets—the whole of them being pitched very compactly
and not covering more than mile a of ground. Fresh meat
was issued to the men to-day, but the officers had a good
many complaints made to them by the soldiers, most of
them, however, having reference to want of salt or pepper.
To the hardy stoics at home, who laugh at such petty pri-
vations over their well-filled cruet-stands, it may be observed
that ratiou beef is not of that exquisite flavour and rich-
ness that a little disguise and condiment are not desirable
at times. There is also a grumble at the non-appearance
of the promised ale and porter, which is said to be stowed
under the barracks at Scutari.. I doubt that it is good
drink for this country—rum, I am sure, would be much
better. However, the men have not got either the one or
the other. The bread is brown and a little sourish, but.
agrees well with the men. The medical stores and comforts
Cave all arrived. Sir George Brown is anxious to reduce
them to as small a compass as is compatible with efficiency,
and I believe there is not complete identity of opinion_
between him and the medical authorities as to the amount
of baggage accommodation which will be necessary for
their transport. As some complaints were made to our
Consul, Mr. Neale, respecting the behaviour of some .of
the soldiers after landing, Sir George Brown has issued a
divisional order on the subject of drunkenness, in which
colonels of regiments are enjoined to take strict steps to
check and punish this vice.
" Ail the force, men, artillery, horses, and all of the
light division were landed this morning, and in the course
of the clay. The Arethusa, 50, and London, 90, came over
from the fleet, which is at Baltschik Bay, and anchored
to-day, and three French line-of-battle ships are cruising
off the mouth of the bay. The weather is very hot, but
muggy and foggy. The French force is very small, but they
have got hold of some of the best quarters, and the tricolor
float:, over fhp town from a very high flag-staff. Varna is
something like Sandgate, with a white wall round it.
Great efforts are being made to strengthen it, and along
the sea face are mounted new guns, with earthwork and
tacine parapets and embra,seres. The beach is covered
with heaps of rusty old shot and shell. The hills at the
back completely command the place, and make it a poor
military position. However, enough has been said about
it to make all your readers tolerably familiar with the ex-
ternal aspect of the place. Sir George Brown's staff is all
here. Col. Sullivan, the Deputy-Adjutant-General, and
Capt. Halliwell, Deputy-Quartermaster-General, working
away as zealously and energetically as usual, Captains
Gordon, Hassard, &c., of the Hoyal Engineers (they bi ought
up trenching tools for 1,000 meu with thorn from Gallipoli),
the same ; Drs. Alexander, Tice, &c., the Commissary
officers, Thomson, Smith, &c. Food is good enough and
plentiful ; a fowl can be had for 7 piastres, ls. 2d.; bread
and meat are about the same price as in London ; a turkey
can be had for half-a-crown; wine is dear, and not good ;
spirits, lam sorry to say, as cheap as they are bad. The
camps will be formed to-day, and when I send this de-
spatch I will ride out and have a look at them."