The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-05 00:00:00

~~_-I~.Z ~- C.

THE TURKISH ARMY OF THE DANUBE.

BUCHAREST, Nov. 24.—Omer Paella has written
a letter to Connt Coronini, stating that in accord-
ance with the instructions of the Turkish Ambas-
sador at Vienna, he would execute all the move-
ments he had in view, as regarded his advanCe
to wards the frontier, and would occupy every posi-
tion that might strike him as advantageous, with-
out paying any attention to, or being in any way
fettered by, the protests or objections of the Aus-
trian general. The language he uses is very strong,
and shows a return of the energy which did so
much good service last spring and summer, and
which ought to have produced greater results
during the autumn. It is probable that an iinmo-
diate advance of the whole army will now take
place, and Omer Paella will probably move down
to Ibraila, or some other town on the frontier, in
order to superintend the movements ; though I :sna
persuade 1, at the same time, that his absence
from Bucharest will at no time during the winter
be of very long duration, as anything like active
operations is iinnossible without greater loss of life
than the Turkish army can afford. Before the set-
ting in of the frost the mud is so deep as to render
the ti!ansport of artillery and baggage.
all but im-
possible, and during the frost the cold is so intense,
that the men suffer greatly under the most favour-
able circunis,auses ; doubly when forced to take
the field and carry on hostilities. Another reason
for believing, in my opinion, that we should have
nothing important during the winter months Is,
that Omer Paella's army is not in sufficient force
to bring about any really useful result. To cross
the Russian frontier, above all iu winter, with
sixty thousand men, which is all ho will have
after leaving garrisons in the towns in his rear
to keep open his communications, would be
simply ridiculous ; and to attempt to traverse
great steppes, covered with snow, would lead
to the final and complete destruction of the Sul-
tan's last army. Had he, however, three months
ago established himself on the Pruth, or thrown a
corps across to entrench itself on the other side,
as at Kalafat, there is little doubt the Russians
would have left at least 100,000 men to observe
him, and Sebastopol would ere this have fallen, and
many a gallant young fellow, who will smile or
weep no more, would have made merry on the oc-
casion. This is now becoming au old story ; a
useless story many may think it, because if told a
hundred times over it could never bring the dead
to life, or repair the consequences of a single
mistake ; but a like case may, and probably will,
arise again in the course of the war, and it is only
by much speaking that men in office can be got to
fix a rule for its decision.
Since I commenced this letter, the Turkish army
has begun its march. Yesterday and to-day several
large bodies of troops have left en route for Foks-
ch any. I do not expect they will reach the frontier
much before a month, as, although we have had no
rain now nearly fora week, the mud is still of great
depth: Here, in the town, one no sooner takes his
feet off the step of his door than he sinks two feet,
and iti many places three, perpendicularly in a
single plunge. Many streets are all but impassable
even for the hackney coaches, in which everybody
is forced to move about, owing to the presence of
huge holes in which horses sink to their bellies, and
the vehicle to the axle-tree. When this is the
state of the affairs in the capital, you may imagine
what it must be on the country-roads. As far as
aetual progress goes it would have been far more
advisable to have waited until the frost had set in,
but the moral effect of the move, be it ever so slow,
will be doubtless very great, and may do much
good. The great subject for regret is the miserable
state of the men's clothing, to which I have already
alluded in my last letter, and which leads me to
fear thailtahe number of the sick will be fearfully
large.

Colonel Symmons has been at Ibralia for some
weeks past, engaged in reconnoitring the various
positions in the neighbourhood, but is expected
back in a few days. I was mistaken in saying that
Bairam Pacha had gone forward. He has been
unexpectedly detained by the illness of a relative,
but the great part of his staff has already started.
A letter appeared in the London Press some time
ago which has been copied into a recent number of
Galignani's Messenger, containing what the former
journal is pleased to entitle " Pleasing Remini-
scences" of the early life of Sir Stephen Lakeman.
The writer relates a most extraordinary tale of his
having had a dream, in which he saw a person
named L.tkernan fall out of a cab in front of his
house, an I break his head, &c., and the fulfilment
of the said dream by the downfal of a certain Lake-
man exactly in the manner represented in the
vision. This was the commencement of the corre-
spondent's acquaintance with Sir Stephen, whom
he afterwards met with in the capacity of contractor
for some public works in the south of France.
After this the biographer goes on to state that his
hero was engaged in business—l forget what par-
ticular branch—at the Cape of Good Hope, and
finally crowned an adventurous career by gaining
60,0001. on the itock Exchange in 1846. lam
enabled to declare in the most positive manner
that every single statement contained in this extra-
ordinary epistle, except those which refer to Sir
Stephen's services in the Kaffir war, is entirely
without foundation. The writer has either dreamed
not only the lamentable accident, but the whole
story from beginning to end, or be has invented it,
or he has mistaken Sir Stephen Lakeman for some
one else. This gentleman never was in business in
any part of the world in his life, and instead of
being an aged stock jobber, as the correspondent of
the Press evidently thinks him, is a young man of
twenty-eight years of age ; a very simple calcula-
tion will show from this that in 1846, the period
of his alleged brilliant speculation in the funds
he was only twenty ; and few persons will deny
that it is not very usual for young gentlemen of
twenty to gain 60,0001. on the Stock Exchange in
England. The whole tale bears evident marks of
having been compiled by the two domestic ani-
mals known as the Cock and the Bull, and is only
entitled to as much notice as is sufficient to contra-
dict it in every particular.

The want of all discipline amongst the Austrians
has, it is to be hoped, reached its height. Every
morning the reports of the police are filled with
outrages committed overnight by the soldiers.
Twenty-four hours never pass without a murder
or murderous assault on some of the inhabitants
or on the Turks. A few- evenings ago three Aus-
trians entered a shop, and deliberately seized upon
a cheese, and were walking off with it. The owner
appealed to two Turkish soldiers who were present
for protection, and by their interference the two
thieves relinquished their prey, went out, returned
in five minutes with some of their comrades armed,
and stabbed the shopkeeper and the two Turks.
Cases of a similar kind occur every day. The night
before last a fearful riot occurred, arising out of a
brutal assault committed by some Austrian sol-
diery upon some of the Wallachian militia, which
led to a general melee, in which the Wallachian
fire brigade—strong, powerful men—at last took
part, disarmed the Austrians, and thrashed them
Paella stated to the Wallachian minister of
soundly.
Omer
the interior, M. Jean Phil ipesco, on Saturday last,
in most
a
most
pinitdeihg,ntahnatttheermwsa,sthaafrtaidmatters had
hireaheh
after nightfall without being accompanied lmepaavneiedsbyohuastfe
a battalion of infantry to protect him against the
insults of the strolling ruffians in the Austrian ser-
vice who infest the streets. Complaints to the
officers are useless. All applications for redress
forwarded to the celebrated General Popovitch
and his subordinates, emanating from French,
English, Nirallachians, or Turks, are systematically
treated with indifference and even contempt. Lest
any of your readers should suppose I exaggerate,
or am wanting in proof, I shall give myself the
trouble during the present week to take a note of
the number of nocturnal outrages, and their atten-
dant circumstances, committed by the soldiers of
his Imperial Majesty, so that you may give the
finishing touch to the picture you must have already
formed in your imagination of the precise nature
of Baron liess's,benediction de la paix. I must add
that during the stay of the Russians here, soldiers
who were guilty of offering any injury or insult ti)
the inhabitants of the town were punished with
frightful severity.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND WOUNDED.—The Lord
Bishop of Glocester and Bristol has just issued the fol-
lowing letter to the archdeacons of his diocese :

" Stapleton, Nov. 21.
" Dear Mr. Archdeacon,—l have been for some time ex-
pecting that a prayer would be published and ordered by
the Queen's authority to be offered up in the churches for
our countrymen engaged in the present awful contest with
a foreign enemy. I still hops that such a special appeal
will be made to God's providence on their behalf.
" But, in the meantime, I would suggest through you to
the clergy of your archdeaconry the propriety of their de-
siring at the usual place in the service the prayers of the
congregation ' for the sick and wounded in our fleets and
armies.' In so doing they will have the sanction and ap-
probation of their bishops.
" Believe me to be, dear Mr. Archdeacon,
" Your faithful brother and servant,
"J. H. GLOCESTER and BRISTOL."

WRECK IN LLANDUWNOi3I7, NORTH WALES.—In the
afternoon of Wednesday last, the 29th inst., a schooner
was observed in great distress in this bay, a high north
wind blowing, and the weather very tempestuous. The
signals of the crew were heard, and a boat was imme-
diately launched near Brynbia, when, after a long strug-
gle with the raging billows, the brave boatmen suc-
ceeded in landing the mariners safe on shore. The
name of the vessel has not yet been ascertained, but
the crew, with the exception of one Welshman, are
English. The greatest kindness and hospitality were
manifested by Lord Leigh to the poor men. The ves-
sel was loaded with coal. It is feared she will be.
come a total wreck.