The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-19 00:00:00

34,000, of whom 20,000 were available for
The force at Bakshi-Serai was more

sorties.

than 30,000, who were awaiting reinforcements.
The Allies had 140 battering guns, and 120 field
pieces. Menschikoff had begun to change his

system of transports in this expedition. The disem
barking of the troops in Kalamita Bay without any
loss except that of half a dozen horses, gave al-
ready a proof what the mechanical skill of our days
is able to perform. The landing of the siege train
is another marvellous instance of it. 60 guns of the
heaviest metal, besides mortars of every description,
have been landed within the last few days, and are
proceeding towards the lines. Balaklava is a place
admirably adapted for this undertaking. Protected
from wind and weather by the surrounding heights,
and having deep water quite close to the shore, there
are none of the difficulties to contend with which
are usually to be encountered in such enterprises.
But, as nothing is perfect under the sun, the Bay
of Balaklava has also a disadvantage, and that is
of being rather too narrow, so that there is some
difficulty in towing in the transports, and, besides
this, only a limited number of ships can find room,
the rest must wait outside the entrance until the
others are cleared. This would be a serious matter
were it not for the beautiful weather, for there is
very indifferent anchorage outside, the vessels being
obliged to anchor at 30 to 40 fathoms.
For this reason the French have chosen another
place for landing their siege train, namely : Arrow
Bay, Kanneish Bay, and another close to Cape
Chersonesus. As they are to form, this time, the
left wing, near the sea, they save distance.
This morning, the Simla, Trent, and Jason ar-
rived from Varna at Balaklava, bringing with them
the heavy cavalry, about a thousand horses ; they
were separated from the other transports in a gale
of wind. Two little steamers, the Brenda and
Minna, have been employed during the whole day
in landing the horses. This is no inconsiderable
reinforcement, and it is only to be regretted that
they could not be present in the battle of the Alma.
As the troops are gradually drawing nearer to
Sebastopol, in order not to leave Balaklava ex-
posed, 1,000 marines have been landed from dif-
ferent ships, and pitched their camp on the hills
commanding the bay. They have cut the road on
the east side, and thrown up some earthworks.
The position is easily defended by infantry, and it
shows how little the Russians were aware of the
movement of the allied troops, and the changing
of their front, that they left such an impor-
tant position comparatively unprotected. Be-
sides securing an excellent landing place for
the siege train, the possession of Balaklava makes
the allied troops masters of the ground about
Sebastopol, which slopes down gradually towards
the town.
OCT. 2.—There has been for several days a talk
of a naval division being formed to act on shore,
but, in consequence of the dislike to violent mea-
sures imputed to Admiral Dundas, no one gave
credit to the report. This morning, however, the
Firebrand steamed into Balaklava with 1,000
sailors. They are drafts from the different sailing
vessels, and are put under the orders of Captain
Lush ington of the Albion. They were immediately
disembarked, and began dragging up the guns of
the Diamond, with which they are going to act
during the siege. I never saw men doing hard
work more merrily. It reminded me of school-
boys during play-time. They seemed to be de-
lighted at having escaped the paralysing influence
afloat, which had condemned them hitherto to in-
activity, and appeared elated by the idea that they
would have something to do with the taking of
Sebastopol, an idea which most of the crews of the
sailing-vessels have nearly given up.

An Odessa letter of the sth says that since the
Ist inst. no reinforcements had advanced into the
Crimea from the north ; but Menschikoff awaits
some from Feodosia, and no doubt they have already
arrived from thence ; and up to the 30th no new
offensive movement against the allies had been con-
templated. The news which reaches Odessa from
the seat of war is very scanty, and the dearth of
intelligence is considered by the inhabitants as very
ominous. The proverb is reversed in Russia.
There it is, "No news is bad news." The battle
on the Alma was celebrated at Odessa as a victory,
but very few believed in its reality.
The Frentden Blatt has it from an incontrover-
tible source that, at the councils of war held at
Varna, Admiral Hamelin strenuously supported
the landing of the expedition at Balaklava, and
epposed all other views. Hamelin's plan was
overruled; nevertheless he adhered to it, and de-
manded that it should be recorded in the minutes
as his especial proposition. This journal also learns
that the Czar has appointed Prince Menschikoff
commander-in-chief of the whole of the army of
the south, independently of Prince Paskiewitch ;
which, if correct, is a very important piece of in-
formation, as it enables the operations of the Rus-
sian army in Bessarabia to be carried out with
much more facility and quickness, when unshackled
by the authority of a superior.

THE PRINCIPALITIES.
A correspondent writes from Bucharest on the
7th, that " there is now not a doubt of Omer
Pacha's hostile intentions ;" or rather, that he has
received an order from Constantinople instructing
him in the matter. " The Turks will take the
offensive against Russia, and advance from Galatz
on Bessarabia while another army corps will co-
operate from the Dobrudscha on the Black Sea."
The writer is probably very near the mark in the
latter respect, and takes the general view. Nearly
all the Turks at Bucharest, with the exception of
the few left as a garrison, have passed the Danube
at Giurgevo andßustchuk, in order to advance into
the Dobrudscha from thence. Sixty waggon-loads
of baggage went from Bucharest on the 6th in this
direction, and the wounded Turks are sent to
Rustchuk as they recover.

and not merely the interests of Austria—or of Ger

many alone, demand at the hands of the ruler of
this mighty empire. Francis Joseph I. is deter-
mined to be the Emperor of a European great
Power, and not merely of a purely German Power.
Hence the great difference between the policy of
Prussia and that of Austria. The King of Prussia
is, unhappily, not the man to raise himself to the
level of the enlarged views which give strength, cou-
rage, and confidence to the high resolves of his Im-
perial kinsman of the ancient House of Hapsburg.
Apropos of Prussia—the stock-jobbing story of the
expected mission of the son of the Prince of Prussia
to the Court of Vienna, turns out all "moonshine."

RUSSIA.

The Lloyd has the following significant leader :
" Russia's strength lies in the weakness of Ger-
many ; Germany's weakness, however, lies only in
its organisation. Not only is the people numerous,
rich, strong, and courageous ; it would also wil-
lingly be united, could it but be so. The Prussian
squiredom which bears the Russian colours in pro-
portion to the nation, is as an ant-hill—if one may
make use of so respectable a comparison—to a
mountain. Imagine the German Governments as
united in anti-Russian policy as the people of Ger-
many, and what would be the consequence? Russia
bows to-day that she may not be bowed to-morrow.
She would protect her honour and her national
sensibility in the consciousness of having yielded to
a superior force, so great that the strongest in the
world could submit to it without dishonour. Many
times it appears almost as if ahigher will had ordained
that Russia should not withdraw with a trifling loss
from the Oriental question. If the Prussian policy
some months back had not been friendly to Russia,
Russia would have then cheaply concluded pace.
The friendship of Prussia became Russia's pride,
which is now approaching its fall. The longer
Prussia is in changing its moral,' its puny,
soft, marrowless, strengthless, and petty-State
disapprobation of the policy of Russia, into a can-
non and bayonet disapproval, into one befitting a
great Power, the more will the strength of Russia
be consumed by this forbearance' towards her.
Perhaps unconsciously, unintentionally, but
nevertheless so clearly that the most shortsighted
could read it, the Berlin policy held the device,
Forwards r before the eyes of the St. Petersburg
Cabinet ; and because it ran forwards into a danger
which otherwise it could have avoided, it owes its
' moral' friend no great gratitude. If the Prus-
sian policy now turns round, how very much
deeper is the injury to the policy of Russia than if
it hadbefriended that policy for a shorterltime 1 But
if the Prussian policy should not change, what-then?
Then the great Occidental question takes the pre-
cedence of the great Oriental question. The Ger-
man Confederation then breaks up into a German
chaos, and this laboriously struggles for a new form.
Then Prussia will become Russia's shield, which
cannot but receive the blow directed against the
latter. When the enemy is in the house the house-
door cannot well declare itself neutral. Heaven
forbid that the error should cloud the sense of
German statesmen—that a neutrality be possible
to the solitary one who stands in the midst of a
universal conflict 1 Whoever does not here join a
party will be attacked by it. May it be the pious
wish of every German, and not in vain, that his
fatherland may not turn the strength which should
establish its greatness and future security to lacerate
and rend itself !"