The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-27 00:00:00

ST. PETERSBURG.

A letter from Berlin of the of 22d says :
" Intelligence has been received here of the death
of Baron Rochow, the Prussian minister at the
court of St. Petersburg, which event took place in
the Russian capital on the 20th."
BERLIN, WEDNESDAY.—The Journal de St..Pe-
tersbourg contains a notice by which the Minister
of Finance allows English and French vessels six
weeks from the 19th of April to clear out of Rus-
sian ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff,
and six weeks from the 7th of May to clear out of
Russian ports in the Baltic.
Enemies' property in neutral bottoms will be
regarded as inviolable, and may be imported into
Russia.
The subjects of neutral Powers on board ene-
mies' ships will be unmolested.
A letter from St. Petersburg, of the 15th, says :
—" The government has decided that the prisoners
of war made by the Russians shall be conveyed to
the governments of central Russia. Prisoners, who
are renegades or refugees, are to be treated as pri-
vate soldiers, whatever their rank may have been
in the army of the enemy. Such prisoners as are
subjects of Austria are to be handed over to that
power."
A sharp east wind was blowing on the 13th at
St. Petersburg. The Neva and the waters of Cron-
stadt were still frozen over, and nothing seemed to
intimate that a thaw was near at hand.

*oared. The Fury passed her, and took r survey of
the harbour, at a distance of two and a half miles. Two
brigs of war were under weigh, and the two frigates
stationed at the mouth of the harbour were crossing
gallant and royal yards. The Fury at six a.m. changed
her course, hoisted Austrian colours, and bore down on
the merchant: ships ; and an hour after, having taken
the crew on board, six in number, and made the ship
fast by a hawser, she towed the schooner off at full
speed. The two brigs, followed by two frigates, were
then seen to leave the harbour under ail plain sail, and
a steamer getting up steam. Wind W. by S.—force
five to six—the most favourable that could blow for
them at 7.35.
" It was now clear that the frigates were rapidly near-
ing, the Fury being three miles or more to leeward.
Immediately the fore and aft sails were set, the prize
cut adrift, and the steam brought to its highest pres•
sure, so that she absolutely flew to windwari. Still the
frigates seemed to be gaining ground, and the posi-
tion of the Fury became highly dangerous, as now
two miles were the most that separated the enemies.
Tons of water were started, all except two days' re-
quirements, which was a considerable assistance. At
8.30 one of the frigates dropped, and the two brigs ;
but still the other kept in the wind's eye. At 8'54 the
windward frigate and the Fury came so close as to
be almost in range of the long guns of the latter, when
the word "open fire" was given. Immediately steady
aim was taken, the sternmost gun fired, and down
dropped the shell, ayard distant from her lee bow, which
seemed to many to have struck her.
" She immediately replied by firing two, but the shot
did not reach half- way ; and hoisted the Russian ensign
at her main, which was responded to by reloading with
rapidity, and again firing. The shot still fell a little short,
and more to leeward, and again she fired 4 guns at the
Fury, and another ensign was run up to the fore, for
which she received another shell, but still fell shorter,
as the Fury was rapidly, and at every moment, increas-
ing the distance. Having thus gone to windward of
her, but still out of range of her guns, the idea was en-
tertained of engaging them with long guns, but at this
time the steamer was rapidly advancing, which would
tend to distract attention from them, so that it was con-
sidered more prudent to remain content with taking a
merchant vessel and six of their countrymen prisoners,
from beneath their fortifications, as the distance at that
time was but a mile and a half at most. When the
Fury went alongside the schooner, she hauled down the
Austrian colours, and hoisted the English ensign, which
seemed to startle them a little in harbour—so to judge,
at least, by their rapid movements.
" The rage of the Russians must have been great, as
they seemed sure of catching the Fury ; and the hoisting
of three ensigns was an angry attempt to challenge a
steamer of six guns to engage a frigate of 40, and she
to windward : but they may thank the appearance of
the steamer, or they would not have returned unin-
jured.
" On the 13th, forenoon, two strange steamers were
reported as being seen in the north-east direction, and
the Inflexible was ordered to get up steam ; but they
soon disappeared,"