The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-14 00:00:00

SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL

CONSTANTINOPLE, October 29.—We are now at the
end of the fifth week of the operations against Sebabto-
pol. For 12 days the fire of the Allies against the earth-
works of the enema* has been nearly incessant, and the
weary artilleiymen are sinking with fatigue. They
rest only six or seven hours out of the 24, and though
they do their duty well, there is a limit to human
strength, and, unless the place be taken by a desperate
effort, our fire must in a few days slacken from the
exhaustion of the men, who have had, with such
short numbers, to keep up a storm of shot and
shell against so strong and well-defended a line of
service, arenow reduced to
and it is stated
works. The
men
ne
forß British t i sli
effective infantry
by a gentleman who has just left the Crimea that
our force diminishes at the rate of 6004
50 go into a week. About
30 a day are killed and wounded, an
hospi-
tal, worn out with fatigue or attacked by diarrhoea and
fuepv, e.
arnd,Aifd
wd
et omr,
ahyi s
judge that the n r
n weatherin.Lahsatsrini ogiAit,
ibroken
blew
and rains of autumn areappearances, the winds
setting.
s a strong cold north wind, with
a gale, and to day there i
driving 4110Weri at • It is possible OW there
_. _ Mterta4l4l

may be again a few days of warmth and sunshine occa-
sionally, but it will not do to count upon them. The
summer of St. Martin is over, and in the regular course
of the seasons a long continuance of bad weather is to
be expected. Everything leads to the supposition that
the affair must be finished one way or another before a
fortnight is over. An assault must be tried against the
works of the enemy, and the success of the Alma gives
ground for hope that, though the loss on our part may
be severe, the issue cannot be doubtful.
It is reassuring to know that, whatever may be the
delays caused by the fortress itself, the Allied Armies
are sufficiently secure from all attacks from without.
The army on the Tchernaya cannot exceed 30,000 men,
and is probably far below that number. It is evident
that its commander, said to be Osten-Sacken, is afraid
to engage the Allies, discouraged as the Russians are
by their late defeat, and inferior as they are in force and
position to the British and French armies. It is more
probable that they are held as a reinforcement for the
garrison itself, and that as the Russian soldiers
within the town are mowed down by the shells of
the enemy, their place will be supplied by fresh
troops introduced in the works from the northern
side. The position of the Allies, and the completeness of
their preparations dissipate all fear of a successful attack
from any force which the Czar could send against
them.
The British, French, and Ottoman armies hold the
great square plateau to the south of Sebastopol. Its
edges are strongly fortified with field-works, and the re-
serves of the three armies occupy positions at its angles,
where they can support each other, and quickly repulse
a body much superior to their own. The only place
which can be threatened is the road leading to Balaklava,
and on that the Russians have several times made a de-
monstration. No success, has however, met their efforts,
although in the recent affair our cavalry has experienced
a severe loss.
The men are still in good spirits, and sanguine of suo-
cess. , They care nothing for the Russian force behind
them, which they feel they can at any time defeat and.
scatter. The only regrei, is that the necessities of the
siege prevent an immediate attack, and that, instead of
a hand to hand fight, they are reduced to a scientific
exchange of cannonading. The wounded and sick officers
at Scutari and Pera are all anxious to get back to the
seat of war, so as to be qualified for the medal which will
commemorate the capture of the Russian stronghold.
There are few of them, however, initithatelfieirt state to bear the
fatigues of such a campaign, and
they leave for the C hopepll faces
st
wthheeilir
ardour and courage will be supported by physical strength.
Lieutenant Learmouth, of the 17th Lancers, who went
1 up yesterday, finds himself second in command of the
remnant of his regiment.
The British Embassy is endeavouring to recover
the Russian ladies who were carried off by the Daghis-
tanees in their late foray on the villages north of Teflis.
Letters have been written to Schamyl, and three per-
sons are separately endeavouring to open a communica-
tion with him. It would be a great thing to be assured
of this warrior's existence. He is always named as the
supposed leader of the Lesges and neighbouring tribes
who inhabit the Eastern Caucasus, but that he is still
alive and conducts their movements we have no proof.
Such pieces of intelligence as that " Schamyl has offered
50,000 men to the Porte," " Schamyl has totally defeated
the Russian army in Asia," are favourite efforts of
Perote and Bucharestian invention, but the fact is, that
for some time past we have no certain knowledge of
the celebrated leader. Emir Bey, a man who has done
much in the Western Caucasus, was originally the Naib
or Lieutenant of Schamyl, but no communication has
passed between them for three or four years. The
tribes which be used to influence have of late been very
active against the Russians, and this gives reason to
suppose that he still preserves his vigour and authority;
but he is so little known, and so much that is mythical
has been mixed up with his real actions, that en enter-
prising traveller who could give us some trustworthy in-
formation would be a benefactor not only to the cause
of the Allies but to those who take an interest in a
most singular passage of the world's history.
We cannot but pity the situation of our unhappy
troops to-night. Wind, hail, and rain are beating
against our windows, and if these prevail in the
Crimea, the troops will pass a night worse than that
of the 14th September, when they first set foot
on Russian ground. Sometimes, however, these tempests
are merely local ; the wind comes down the Bosphorus
as through a funnel, and Constantinople is beaten by
storms when the Black Sea is sunny and calm. The
vessels which came in to-day were under reefed topsails,
which seems as if the gale had extended to some distance
from the Cyanean rocks, but whether the weather is the
same 200 miles away we cannot tell. The Turks have
nearly all returned to Stamboul, but those who are left
will remain on the Bosphorus for another month. The
moon which appeared a few nights since is an unlucky one,
and as long as it lasts no true Mussulman, who respects
the heavenly bodies and their influences, will change his
abode. These superstitions are not confined to the
Turks. The Greeks have their unlucky day of the week,
which is Tuesday, and on it they will not do a great
number of things. It is singular how high in the scale
of education these prejudices extend.
OCT. 30.—The Australian has just arrived, bringing
four Russian officers and 13 privates prisoners ; also
eight officers and 193 men of the wounded British
cavalry ; seven men died on board. Unfortunately the
wind is so strong, and the sea runs so high, that they
cannot be lauded. Their wounds are extremely severe.
Nov. 2.—Five such days as those we hare just passed

through are said not to have been known at Con-
stantinople for many years. On the night of the
28th a strop ‘ wind began to blow, and increased
to a tempest within the next 24 hours. It was ac-
companied by torrents of rain and occasional storms
of hail and sleet ; and not only was every
caique driven from the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn,
but the steamers which ply between Constantinople and
the villages were obliged to discontinue their usual
traffic. The narrow channel of the Bosphorus was so
roused by the strength of the gale that the sea has in
many places burst into the houses, the lower rooms of
which have been rendered uninhabitable. Rain has poured
down for five days in one incessant stream ; the roads
have become almost impaseeble, and communication be-
tween the different points of the environs is nearly im-
practicable. The steamer from Marseilles, which should
hare left on the SOth, is still in port, the captain
not having ventured out in face of so terrible a
confusion of the elements. You will, therefore, be
debarred from receiving in due time the re •
ports of the momentous occurrences which have
taken place in the Crimea, and which, with
more or less of practical success have all been honour-
able to the arms of the Allies. The intelligence from
this place is of a lees exciting nature. The sympathy of
the public will be raised for the unhappy wounded who
have come down to Scutari, and have for two days been
kept on board the steamers which conveyed them,
through the impossibility of bringing them on chore.
The accommodation, however, provided for them on
board the Australian has been very good, and they aro
as well as they can be expected to be after the long and
tryingjourney which has succeeded the unhappy combat
in which they were wounded.
Nothing has arrived at the moment I write, but it is
probable that, at the last moment, there will be some
further news from the seat of war. The chief cause of
anxiety is on account of the recent unfavourable weather,
and that which may be now expected during the
whole of the month. Our men are much iworn out ;
they are diminished in number to an extent hardly cre-
dible, and any further hardships may have had an effect
the most deplorable. The last news was dated the 28th.
On the night following the rain set in and has lasted ever
since. The men must have been exposed to the full in-
clemency of the weather. Their camp is on a height,
over which the fierce winds must have swept, perhaps
blowing away their tents, and leaving them without shel-
ter from the pitiless storm. The rain pouring down—
not in a drizzle, like that of an English November, but
in a strolls, steady stream—day and night, must have
saturated their clothing and placed them for days in the
same circumstances as on the first night of their land-
ing. Half the men are constantly on duty ; they are
alarmed by continued "alerts " on their rear, the real
force of the enemy being unknown ; so that at night a
few Cossacks may disturb the rest of a whole division
for hours together.

The suspension of Messrs. Clay and Gillman, a re-
spectable mercantile firm, has been announced to-day.
The liabilities are not supposed to be large.
ARRIVALS OF SPICIE.—The amount of gold brought
from New York yesterday by the Africa is 183,000/.
The Thames, from Brazil, has brought 13,500?.
AMSTERDAM AND ROTTERDAM PRODUCE MARKETS.--
Tho weekly reviews from these markets state that,
although business had diminished, prices continued to
be well supported. In sugar and coffee the operations
had been singularly limited, owing to a cessation of spe.
eulative purchases. The quotations for tea and rice were
maintained, although few transactions had taken place.
Some descriptions of spices obi/Wed a tendency to jar,.
provement.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company have received
orders from the Government to despatch their large
steamers Candia, Ripon, and Nubia, each Ca gable of
public
cictgi,;sirs)
coebOeuutmltaithtepir.italohromory
have mail
made
ethcompannye
Toulon, to carry French reinforcements to the speed t()
passengerEse h of these h
servicees e vessels
between hein
conveying from
Southampton and -Alexandria,
arrangements for the transport of
their withdrawal will necessarily b
convenience to I,2aoploufAbto e attended with in-
Valetta, they trust to
and sending one-half their smaller steamers, and, by dividinge mails by some of
the
maintainfast steamers Vectis and
announcingpPeesgtd:ulwithi regular
t 'ships
all
lithi3e Crimea.a shalllt eree
the passengers
returned to them, thence to Alexandria, b number to Marseilles, and
they are said tohah
communi-
cations with the East until
the ordinary
savbeeesnlo issued to, the passengers, and
arrangements
the case in the best possible
every disposition to meet
e spirit.
CHINA —A. d' .
• ccor ing to the telegraphic accounts from
China yesterday, which reach to the 97th of September,
there had been no further alteration -in the rates of ex-
change, the quotations being still 4s. 9]. to 4s. 10.1. at
Canton, and Gs. to Gs. ld. at Shanghai. The export
of tea to date had been 21,000,000ib., and of silk 6,007
bales. Canton being still threatened, the trade of the
place continued at a stand. Much fighting had recently
taken place, but the result was unknown. No further
supplies of tea had come down, and none seemed to be
expected, although every effort had been made to ob-
tain it, and black mail had been offered at the rate
of 7 dollars per picul. The anarchy in the interior of
the country was said to be increasing. From Foochow
shipments were going forward very slowly, and at
Shanghai there was little business, the market having
been cleared of the small quantity of silk available.
Prices had consequently advanced $2O per picul. The
. supplies Loth of gills and tea At Shanghai Were arriviDg
, ®lowly.