The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-21 00:00:00

THE BLACK SEA.

By telegraphic advices from Varna of the 9th we
learn that the light division had received orders to
hold itself in readiness to march on the 12th. It
was supposed that an attack on the Russians, by
land and sea, would be made on the 15th.
A letter from Odessa of the 6th, in the Vienna
Gazette, says :—" An Imperial ukase has just pro-
longed for three years the privilege which makes
this a free port. The commerce of the place is
completely paralysed : there are only two vessels
in the roadstead,, one of which, an Austrian, ar-
rived yesterday with a cargo of sugar, coffee, &c.
The more wealthy inhabitants of the coasts of the
Crimea are leaving their homes ; Koslow and Caffa
are mentioned more particularly as being com-
pletely abandoned since the enemies' vessels have
been cruising on the coast. Troops have recently
marched from the government of Kherson into the
Crimea, and, according to every indication, it ap-
pears that the Russian Government think an at-
tack on the Crimea possible, against which they
seek to be prepared."

MORTALITY AMONG
THE THE ALLIED TROOPS
IN EAST.
VIENNA, Sunday, Aug. 20.—1 t is reported that
7,000 French and 500 English have died of the
cholera at Varna. General Schaffgattsche's divi-
sion entered Wallachia by the Rothen Thurm pass
on the 18th instant.
We extract the subjoined from an interesting
account, given by the occasional correspondent of
a contemporary, of the survey of Sebastopol by the
combined fleets :
" On the evening of the 21st of July, signal was made
from the Admiral Prepare for sailing,' and in the early
light of the following morning the English and French
fleets got under way in a moderate breeze, the Agamem-
non having on board Generals Brown and Canrobert,
and several engineer officers, who had arrived the
previous day from Varna. By 6 o'clock all were well
under way, and in capital spirits, our object being
manifestly, not only once more to cast the glove before
our friends the Moskova' at the entrance of their
harbour (giving them even the advantage in point of
numbers), but also to make a reconnaissance of the
country around their stronghold preparatory to a descent
thereupon by our tented brethren now at Varna.
Towards afternoon a dead calm came on.
" July 22. —Still steaming and towing. A fresh breeze
springing up later in the day, steam was again dispensed
with,
"23d (Sunday).—Stiff breeze, in which the rolling
propensities of the fleet were beautifully illustrated.
"24th.—The London and Vengeance ordered to chase
with the Napoleon, Jupiter, and a third French liner.
The London had the advantage. During the morning
23 ships were reported in sight, causing great rejoicing
at our having at last naught the Russians out of their
shell, until the ships ' proved to be trees at the St.
George's mouth of the Danube.
"25th.—Towards evening the Fury, the Terrible, and
the Cacique steamed from the fleet on to Sebas-
topol, carrying with them Generals Brown and Canro-
bert, and Admiral Lyons ; the Fury having also on
board the pilots of the fleet. If these vessels are to be
a lure to draw out the Sebastopol fleet, they are, at all
events, pretty well baited. Meanwhile the fleet creeps
along darkly in the night, under steam-power, the
Agamemnon towing two liners, and the Napoleon two
three-deckers and one two-decker. At noon they were
56 miles from Sebastopol.
"26th.—At half-past five sighted the advanced
steamers off Sebastopol and joined them, thence steered
to the north-west, along the coast, to reconnoitre. Cer-
tainly a more beautiful country for the landing of an
army to conduct operations against Sebastopol cannot
be well wished for ; a long grassy plain, extending miles
inward, to the mountains of the Crimea, and sloping
gently and gradually towards the great fortress ; cavalry
and artillery will be in their glory upon it ;it hay-
making time in the Crimea, and the whole plain is
covered with the small cocks ; no wonder the Generals
hoisted a signal ' Perfectly satisfied' on beholding such
ground. Afterwards we, steamed for Sebastopol, off
which we remained for some time, counting the guns at
its most formidable entrance, some of them ensconced

gloomily in the embrasures of the many-tiered casemated
batteries, and others blackly overtopping the white
shining walls or bright grass-grown earthworks. Imme-
diately commanding the entrance, I counted, on the
north side, in a casemated battery of two tiers, and guns
in barbette, 32 guns ; on the south side, a casemated
battery of 3 tiers, containing 102 guns ; to the right of
this a battery of 2 tiers and guns in barbette of 108 ; to
the right of this 48 guns in a battery of 2 tiers, and guns
in barbette ; to the right of this range again, 30 to 40
guns upon an earthwork ; in the rear of this, between
it and the town, is a similar battery ; there is also a case-
mated three-tiered battery of perhaps 18 guns, which
would fire right down the entrance of the harbour. Two
large encampments were visible upon the hill on the
south. These guns are what we saw and counted
merely at the entrance ; after this inspection we stood
out to sea again.
"27th.—At daylight in the morning standing towards
Cape Aia, and at 10 o'clock were under the pretty
little monastery of St. George, which nestles among
trees on the summit of a lofty and broken cliff ; on the
plateau above is a telegraph station which, judging from
a greatdisplay of bunting on the occasion, duly reported
our proceedings to Sebastopol. We then stood in
Balaklava.bay—the Fury, Highflyer, Cacique, Monte-
bello, and Britannia in tow of the Retribution. The
coast here is most bold and rocky ; at the entrance of
Balaklava•bay, upon a lofty rock, stand the ruins of a
castle of the Byzantine period; on the low rocks were
many soldiers with rifles, and upon a position command-
ing the entrance to the little harbour we could dis-
tinctly perceive a couple of rocket-tubes being planted.
Towards evening stood well out to sea, the Cacique and
Tribune being ordered on to look at Kaffa, and the
Highflyer to remain till the fonowing morning 30 miles
from Sebastopol to meet the Firebrand.
" 29th—The Highflyer rejoined the fleet at daylight
and ordered to the Sulina month of the Danube ; it is
said she will also look in at Odessa.

We hear that a Russian steamer (supposed to be on
her way from America to Sebastopol) called at Kosloo,
the coaling station, the other day, coaled, and then de-
stroyed two Turkish brigs there. The Firebrand is at
present looking out for her. The troops, it is said, will
embark from three stations—Varna, Baltchik, and Kos-
tenje. The fleet has been busy making breakers for
them lately. The troops will occupy Enpatrio in the
first. place, between which and Sebastopol they will have
a splendid country.
" Captain Parker's loss is severely felt by the officers
of the Firebrand, and by all who, knowing him, could
appreciate his public and private life. You will have
heard of the circumstance connected with his ship's first
visit to Kostendje some four months ago, from which
place some Cossacks had just retreated, leaving behind
many decided proofs of their amiability of disposition.
In one hut were found the bodies of a Bulgarian man
and woman, upon whose remains was stretched a child
but a few months old ; its hand was extended upon its
mother's breast, and through a part of his little wrist
the ball had passed which had deprived her of life ; near
them was a little terror-stricken boy about three years old,
whose left arm was in a sad state from the effects of no less
than five bullet wounds. Immediately on their discovery
the two boys were sent on board the Firebrand and
properly cared for, Captain Parker expressing his in-
tention of taking them entirely under his charge. These
little fellows are still in the Firebrand, where, of course,
among sailors, they find an abundance of nurses ; the
eldest, a fine little intelligentßulgarian specimen, answers
to the name of "Johnny Firebrand," and already speaks
English ; his brother has just been weaned, by the assis-
tance of a goat, and is at present undergoing the painful
mysteries of teething, having thereby imparted great
knowledge to the unmarried officers of the ship on that
subject, When the time arrives for the Firebrand to
be paid off the officers will be dispersed, and there will
be no home for these young Bulgarians. There is to be,
I believer, a subscription in the fleets on their behalf,
and lam quite sure that this will not be limited to us
of the Black Sea. and that there will also be found some
English charities whose funds are applicable to such a
case."