The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-07 00:00:00

THE BRITISH EXPEDITION.

We extract the following from a Varna letter of
July 29 :—At Varna there were 33 cases of cholera
in our hospital last night, and a much larger num-
ber of men from the same cause in the French hos-
pital. The Duke of Cambridge has been suffering
from diarrhoea ; indeed, a large percentage of
officers of the different divisions have been attacked
by this complaint, but great precautions aro taken
by the medical officers to prevent neglect in the
early stages, and to .check the premonitory symp-
toms, which are too often disregarded until it is
too late.

This morning Captain Gordon, R.E., returned in
the Vauban from the Circassian coast. It is re-
ported that the Russians are employed night and
day in strengthening the defences a Anapa, and
in fortifying some small redoubts south of it.
Their vessels often take a peep out of Sebastopol
and run in again,.

_
Sir George Brown has not yet returned. When
last seen the English fleet was standing off the
h
of the Danube, with the Lieutenant-
Generalmout on board, and it is believed General
Canrobert was also with them, but the French
vessels are still at anchor at Baltschik. However,
they art not far from Kostendji, in case they are
required to embark the division which has moved
up there. Lord Raglan and M. St. Arnaud
continue in their quarters at Varna. The cavalry
division under Lord Lucan, which has been en-
camped on the other side of the bay, was to have
moved 5 or 6 miles away this morning, and their
camp and ground to be occupied by the division of
Si England, but these orders were counter-
mandedrit this morning. They will be close to the
edge, and ready for embarkation in their
n
when they occupy it. Two batteries of
awreatNtiv lelre's camp,ry
moved out from Varna on Friday, one to
Devna, the other to Aladyn. These countermands
are frequent.

There is a most magnificent preparation going on
just now.
from The the Ist
Sappers and Miners and fatigue
'
and 3d divisions, are working
away as hard as they can makirr, fascines. To-day
parties
they will be set to work on gabions, and orders
have been issued for an immediate supply of sand-
bags.
By news from Rustchuk, to the morning of the
17th, we hear that Omer Pasha, with 30,000 men,
was lying at the left bank of the Danube, opposite
Rustchuk, in
an entrenched camp. His line of
videttes were not more than 800 yards from the
Russian videttes, and the main body of the latter
(45,000 strong)
lay facing the Turks, with their
left resting
on the marshes of the Danube, and
their right restingin strong works, which have
been called Little Shumla, from their resemblance
to that place, and stretching along the line of road
to Bucharest. Our gabions, fascines, and sand-
bags look like preparations for a siege.
On Friday
last Colonel Gordon returned from
Baltchick. He made a reconnaissance of the Do-
brudscha up to the very banks of the Danube, and
found the whole country desolate—a waste of burnt
villages
and desolated corn-fields. At the other
side of the Danube the Russians were visible in
force. This reconnaissance was effected by twelve
artillerymen, mounted on pack saddles and bag-
gagers. They all returned safe and sound. Had
they been regular cavalry they would not perhaps
have done as well. Lord Cardigan has taken fare-
well of his regiment, the 11th, in very handsome
terms, and takes occasion to refer in a very lauda-
tory manner to the efficiency of the brigade he
commands.
We hear many accounts of outrage inflicted on
the people of the villages by the Turks. They are
puffed up by the pride of victory, and believe they
can now do as they please.
As I passed a café on Saturday I heard the
report of a pistol, and in a moment afterwards
some Turks ran out, bearing a man in the agonies
of death in their arms. He bean shot through
the heart. His murderer, who seemed like a zaptie
or cavass, was dragged off to the Pasha. The latter
will put him in prison, and in some months the fel-
low will be let out, when room is required for
a fresh culprit. The cause of this occurrence I
could not ascertain, and the bystanders seemed
very little disturbed by it. There is small trouble
taken to arrest the course of such crimes, and until
the Turks are disarmed these things must happen.
Where are our British merchants and our Eng-
lish enterprise? We have lately paid 3s. 6cl. a lb. for
ham, 2s. a lb. for bacon, 1/. sterling for a flannel
shirt, poisonous brandy for ss. a bottle ; bad wine
for the same
price ; preserved meats double the
London prices ; a water bottle 10s. ; a white felt
cap, 15s. ; German saddles, 5/. (worth 255.) ; bridles,
2/. (not worth 125.) ; and so on. However, money

is plentiful—neither officers nor men know what
to do with it.

The Brevet has given a great deal of satisfaction,
and has of course caused some grumbling. The
new regulations are not well understood, but so
far es they are they are well spoken of.

Forage for horses is gometimes scarce. Captain
Nolan has returned with 300 splendid Arabians
from the desert. Lieutenant King has also come
in with fine horses from Tunis.