The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-20 00:00:00

Emperor of Russia to excite an insurrection among
the Greek subjects of Turkey is fully confirmed.
Letters received from Servia state that Russian in-
trigue is ext nding itself in an extraordinary de-
gree in that country. It is believed that Austria
cannot look with indifference on those proceedings.
The opinions of the Government of Austria during
the late insurrection in that country were com-
pletely opposed to those of the Emperor Nicholas.
Letters from Malta, of the 15th, state that the
greatest activity reigns in that port. Transports
laden with military stores of all kinds were con-
stantly arriving. Magazines are established to
,ontain stores requisite for an army of 25,000 or
30,000 men. Measures were taken to establish a
vast military hospital.
Letters from Constantinople of the 3d, announce
that the fortifications of the city are progressing.
A supply of tools, &c., was expected from Europe.
The enthusiasm of the people was great. The
greatest activity prevails in the arsenals.

BULGARIA.
•
The following is extracted from a letter from a
special correspondent of the Times, dated " Tur-
tukai, opposite Oltenitza, January 12 :"
I am, now at this celebrated spot, having left
everything quiet at Rustchnk, although I learn
that demonstrations just enough to distract and
confuse the Russians in this quarter have been
made both there and at Silistria. All along my
road I have found that people have nothing but
the most vague ideas of what is passing 30 miles
off. From Matschin and Isaktchi to Widdin the
local despatches go direct to the head-quarters of
Omar Pasha, and if people have not the good for-
tune to be on the very spot at the time of an affair
they first learn its details through the Constanti-
nople journals. I, therefore, in this letter can
offer you nothing in the way of fresh news ; but I
confess to having felt a strong interest in examin-
ing the environs of this place, even in its present
peaceful aspect.
I have seldom seen on my route hither a more
commanding position than that of Turtukai ; while
the opposite part of Wallachia is a dead flat, the
Bulgarian shore rises precipitously to a high ridge,
from which one sees the whole of the field of the
recent fight spread out as on a map. Snoir having
entirely disappeared during the thaw, everything
is green and bright, and although all the regular
troops have been withdrawn, except a battalion of
infantry, the place is full of bustle, from 'the field
works that are going on, and from this being the
head-quarters of the irregular troops under the
command of Giafer Pasha, head of the Moslem
Arnauts, and Ahmed Pasha, who watches the
Danube line from Rustchuk to Silistria. The
town itself, lying on the last steep slopes of the
hill next the Danube, is small, and every house
packed as full as it can hold of troops, mostly Tosk
Cham and Queque Arnauts, in their drab clothes
and kilts of Manchester cotton, which has now
universally superseded the native linen fustanella,
and, as it is rather a cold costume fqr winter
weather, I see a great many with the Russian great-
coats furnished by Oltenitza from the bodies of
poor fellows who will never march across the Pruth
again. lam happy to say that Giafer Pasha keeps
as good order among them as is possible for per-
fect discipline is unattainable with a nation that
has still to serve an apprenticeship to meum and
tuum. A very few years ago Giafer Pasha was,
as the renowned Giafer Deen, one of those of the
old families who rose in revolt against the suppres-
sion of the feudal system ; now he has just been
promoted from Bey to Pasha, for his brave conduct
in holding the island of Mokanna against a far
superior Russian force operating from Giurgevo
after the affair of Oltenitza. It is thus curious to
remark how the Pashalics of Janina and. Egypt,
which in this century have given so much trouble
to the Porte, are now furnishing most valuable and
effective troops, and from being cancers are become
limbs of strength. Giafer Pasha now unites intel-
ligence and bravery with loyalty to the Sultan, and
I anticipate a brilliant career for him.
The town itself is anything but inviting, with six
inches of black liquid mud iu the streets, as if all
the reserve stores of Day and Martin had been
poured out on them. To the east a battery is in
course of construction, which commands the whole
breadth of the Danube, just below the island point
near which the Argish has its confluence with
the main stream ; and on the plateful above
Turtukai is a large redoubt, which secures the
town from a force attacking it either from the east
or west Danubian approach. This battery did
nothing for the Turks on the day of Oltenitza, and
is useful only as an aid to the naturally strong po-
sition/of Turtukai itself. Balls directed from it on
the Russian columns across the river fell short and
struck the Turkish position in the quarantine on
the further Danube shore. Looking across with
the glass, I saw that the quarantine is a complete
ruin, and that the Turkish intrenchments have
been carefully destroyed by the Russians, the want
of a similar precaution by the Turks after the first
siege of Silistria having most materially contri-
buted to the success of the second years' siege.
The Cossacks are visible, cantering on the green-
sward on the other side of the river, but no signs
of war are visible here at present, except on occa-
sional conical ball aimed at the lodgings of Ahmed
Pasha or Giafer Pasha, and the bark of a tree fresh
peeled by one was pointed out to me by the latter.
The Russian force on the other side of the river,
between Giurgevo and Kalarasch, is estimated at
24,000 men, of which 18,000 or 20,000 are in and
around Giurgevo under General Semenoff, and
between 4,000 and 5,000 men under General Aurep
at Kalarasch. Turtukai is therefore well watched,
not only on account of its formidable natural po-
sition, but fromthe circumstance of its being the mid-
dle of the base of the triangle formed by Shumla,
Silistria, and Rustchuk, a considerable force may
be suddenly moved on it, and of this Omer Pasha
took full advantage in order to give elbOw room to
Ismail Pasha at the critical period of the beginning
of the occupation of Kalafat.
From Silistria, January Bth, he writes :—" I
have arrived here through a country which is beau-
tiful in summer, every hill being wooded, but
every valley a marsh after the thaw. The first
aspect of Silistria shows it to be a place of the first
military importance, every embrasure and palli-
sade being fresh, tidy, and fit for work ; while the
heights are covered with forts that sweep every
approach to this place, which is renowned beyond
every other in the annals of Danubian warfare. The
loss of Silistria would, in the event of a serious pro-
secution of the present war, be a great blow to the
Ottoman arms, for it breaks down an angle of the
triangle which it forms with Rustchuk and Shumla.
It places all the Turkish troops in the Dobrudja,
or tongue of laud between Silistria and Salina,
in a very disadvantau6equs position, and in danger
of having their retreat cut off, while at the same
time Silistria becomes a tete de pont for. opera-
tions on Shumla and Varna, which latter im-
portant post is the extreme right wing of the
second line of Turkish defence ; but even with the
rupture of the Danubian chain the heavy work of
the invader has still to come, for on the Balkan line
from Varna to the Servian frontier, the five great
passes near Varna Pranada, Osman Bazar, Ternova,
and Sumugh have been fortified so as to be all but
impassible. Adrianople being as I stated in one of my
letters, placed as it were created on purpose as aeon-
venien t camp of reserve for supporting the whole line
from Varna to the mountainous environs of Sophia.
Silistria is situate on the full breadth of the
Danube, just before it makes a little bend to the
south, and divides so as to form several islands.
It contains above 20,000 inhabitants, the houses
being mostly one storey high, built of wood. The
principal edifice is a large Greek church and con-
vent, begun during the years of theßussian occupa-
tion, Silistria being the chief pledge for the fulfil-
ment of the treaty of Adrianople. The Emperor
Nicholas twice furnished considerable sums for its
construction, but having learned that that his
liberality conduced rather to the fortunes of the
managers than of the church, it remain a new