The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-18 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

THE CAPTURES BY THE BRITISH NAVY.
The vessels stated to have been captured by Sir
C. Napier's fleet are said to have been laden with
sulphur and other articles contraband of war.
They had been under surveillance for some time
past, and were last from Lubeck, and on their way
towards a Russian port in the Gulf of Finland.

COPENHAGEN, April 16.—The fleet has passed
the Island of Bornholm. A heavy cannonade wits
heard in the course of last night. The Austerlitz
has rejoined Admiral Napier. Admiral Plumridge,
with the English cruisers, has captured five Rus-
sian ships laden with salt, and carried them ,linto
the Bay of Kioge. The whole of the Danish Cabi-
net remains in office.

A letter from Stockholm of the 9th says :—" The
movements of troops for the purpose of reinforcing
the garrisons of the seaports and of the Island of
Gothland have already commenced. A battalion
of infantry has left for Carlscrona in three steamL
ers. It is known at Stockholm that the Russian
troops have abandoned the island of Aland, and
that all the cannons and gunpowder have been re-
moved to Sweaborg ; but it is doubted that the bar-
racks, which were built at great 'expense 14 years
ago, and the fortified works at Bremarsund, will
be destroyed. The statement made by the German
journals, that England has offered subsidies to the
Swedish Government, and has invited it to take
an active part in the war, was copied from a Stock-
holm journal which deserves no credit. It is
evident that it owes its origin to a passage in the
despatches by which the Western Powers recog-
nised Swedish neutrality, to the effect that if neces-
sary they will aid Sweden in causing her neutrality
to be respected."
A letter received from an officer serving in the
Baltic fleet by friends in England, dated Kioge
Bay, near Copenhagen, April 11, says, some of
the ships have very large sick lists, being princi-
pally cases of influenza (entre nous, common
catarrh), which appears to be epidemic. Steamers
laden with people from Copenhagen steam daily,
weather permitting, around the squadron, giving us
most hearty cheers en passant. We have heard that
the Russian ships have managed to get up to St.
Petersburg, and it is rumoured that the Russians
have been experimentalising on a grand scale with
their shipping against their forts to try the effect of
heavy shot upon them. They have brought out
some of their large ships and anchored them off
their forts, and have plied them heavily with shot
without producing the slightest effect upon the
granite of which they are composed. It is
also currently reported at Copenhagen that the
enemy is setting traps for us. It is said, with
what degree of truth I know not, that they
are submerging, in the narrow waters, sun-
ken cylinders, or cases of powder, to be
discharged by galvanic wires as the ships approach
or pass over their track. The different ships have
received a circular from Sir Wm. Burnett, regard-
ing the preparations to be made in the cock-pitb
during battle. We all got a double supply of
chloroform before leaving England. Admiral
Plumridge with his squadron was ordered up 'the
Gulf of Finland, as some intelligence was received
here about the breaking up of the ice. The Light-
ning no doubt will have brought some intelligence.
Lest I might lose the letter bag, I will close this
letter, hoping you are quite well. P.S.—I have
opened this to say that the signal to prepare for sea
has just been made. I suppose we are off to the
Gulf of Finland. We have not gone ashore any-
where—there is no leave. How very disgusting."