The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-12 00:00:00

THE BRITISH CAMP, NEAR VARNA.

We extract the following from a letter, dated
"Camp at Aladyn, near Varna, Bulgaria, Monday,
June 26.—0 n Saturday a Tatar with an escort rode past
the camp by the Shamla, road, at full speed for Varna,
and, on arriving there, at once repaired to the quarters
of Marshal St. Arnaud and Lord Raglan, with despatches
from Omer Pacha. The two Commanders-in-Chief held
a conference, at which several of the French and English
generals were present, and on the same evening two
steamers left the port of Varna with despatches, one for
Constantinople, and the other for the Admirals at Baits-
chik. Another messenger passed through the camp the
previous Friday from the Turkish generals, and it was
generally believed that he carried important tidings re-
specting the progress of the siege of Silistria. Of course,
the rumours which flew from camp to camp were
various and contradictory. Some said that Omer
Pasha had sent for assistance in urgent terms, and re-
presented the immediate fall of Liilistria as all but inevita-
ble, unless speedy relief was given by the allied army ;
others that he expressed himself in terms of the highest
confidence with regard to the defence ; and others,
again, that he merely recorded the operations of his
troops, respecting which nothing whatever was known
here. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the noise
of a distant cannonade ha I been heard at intervals by
the officers and men of the outlying pickets from the
direction of Silistria, and hypothesis and conjecture
were busy hatching canards, which flew about the
tents in ever-varying plumage and form. But on Saturday
the great fact was known at Varna, and it soon travelled
out here, that the siege of Silistria was raised, and that
the Russians were in full retreat from the scene of
their discomfiture. Late on Saturday night, or early
on Sunday morning, Lord Burghersh passed the camp
of Aladyn, on his way to the advance post of cavalry
under Lord Cardigan, which had already established its
quarters about five miles beyond Devno (or 16 miles
from this), and was sweeping all the country up to-
' wards Shumla and Silistria. Lord Burghersh is sup-
posed to be the bearer of despatches commanding the
Earl of Cardigan to push on with all possible speed, so
as to reconnoitre the country towards the Danube, and
to ascertain, if possible, the route taken by the Russians.
It would seem that the garrison at Silistria had scarcely
any cavalry, and that the Russians had retired so pre-
cipitately after their last defeat that their route could
not be accurately ascertained. Parties of the sth Dra-
goon Guards, 17th Lancers, and 13th Light Dragoons
were immediately advanced, and are now extending
their files by Yeni Bazaar and to the eastward of the
plains of Shumla towards H.adschi Oghlu. _

" It may readily be believed that this news, which no
one doubts, has made a profound sensation here. The
prominent feeling among the men is one of disa,ppoint-
ment, that they may lose the chance, " after coming so
far, of having one brush with the Russians." Sir D. L.
Evans is said to have addressed his division in order to
soothe their spirits on this point. Beyond this pardon-
able military enthusiasm there is a great desire to
escape from the strenuous inaction of camp life, its
toilsome parades, and the relaxing effects of the
climate. The Generals-in-Chief are in conference
again to-day, but no orders have as yet been issued
to any of the divisions which indicate a move of
any kind. A. large proportion of men-of-war and
transports is still retained, however, in Varna Bay.
"The sickness and diarrhoea in the camp here are
greatly on the decline, but sore lips among men and
officers are common, principally from exposure to the
sun. The Duke's division seem to be growing beards
with impunity. His Royal Highness, who lives out
close to his division under canvas, having abandoned his
quarters in Varna within a few days after he got into
them, has his men's parades And field-days before nine
o'clock. The Brigadiers here prefer the hours between
9 and noon, under the impression that the sun is not so
powerful then, on account 5f the forenoon breezes, as it
is earlier in the morning. We have a thunderstorm
almost every day, and very grateful ft is, for the tem-
perature is always lowered 10 or 12 degrees by the rain
and electrical discharges. The commissariat are doing
their duty manfully. The quality of the meat is really
very good, though the doctors think a pound a-day is
not enough for each man in such a climate, especially
as the meat is rather deficient in gelatine and in nutri-
tious quality.
" Two French soldiers have been shot at Varna for
insubordination. Another is to be shot to-morrow for
stabbing a Voltigeur. He is a Zouave, and in an alter-
cation with his countryman he drew his bayonet and
thrust it through the body of his opponent, at the same
time exclaiming that he desired to be shot, a wish which
a colonel who rode up assured him should be speedily
gratified. We have not been without our share of
offenses. Several men have been flogged for breaking
into the village of Kojuk, close at hand, for theft, and
other crimes against law and order.

" Some Turkish troops marched past yesterday on
their road to Shumla. They had no baggage of any kind.
The flight of the araba-drivers continues. They hate the
service, and will escape from it at any risk. One of the
Bulgarians drew his knife on the soldier who was taking
him off with his cart for the use of the surgeon of
the Rifles last Friday, and, when he was disarmed,
he broke up his cart and burnt it, out of spite and mor-
tification. We have little ‘skrimmages of this kind
every day. A soldier and a Turk the other day had a
dispute near the commissariat stores. The Turk drew
his pistol from his belt, but the soldier rushed in on
him, wrested it from him, and fired it off. The ball
went near Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, who hap-
pened to be riding the bush to visit the camp, and the
soldier was arrested for discharging a weapon so
carelessly.
"No order for marching has arrived from bead-quar-
ters. The Light Division would be sure to move first,
if any movement were to be made. Sutlers are beginning
to appear, and hams at 3s. 6d. a pound, and preserved
meats at large prices are to be had now and then. Bad
brandy is 3s. 6d. a bottle. The first supplies came up
to day.

THE BLACK SEA FLEET.
Tho following is an extract from a private letter
received from an officer in one of the ships in the
Black Sea, dated Baljik, June 29 :
"I hear that the combined fleet—French, Turkish,
and our own—goes to sea in a few days, for the blockade
of Sebastopol. Now that the troops have landed at
Varna, our ships there will rejoin the admiral. The
Bellerophon has been there all the time. She has pre-
eminently kept up the good name of the service by her
hospitality to our gallant red-coated brethren. Her

captain, Lord George Paulet, is never more happy than
when presiding at a capital dinner, with the accompani-
ment of his splendid band. The Firebrand and Vesu-
vius have been doing something in a small way up the
coast, at the north of the Sulina mouth of the Danube
—burning military stations and dispersing their little gar-
isons, cutting down telegraph posts, and so on. The Sans-
pareil returned from the Circassian coast a few days ago,
leaving the Firebrand and Sampson there, at Soukoum
or Redout or Kale. These are to be relieved soon, it
is said, by the Sidon and Inflexible. I dare say you
have heard that the Sanspareil arrived at Redout Kale
just in the nick of time. The Russians, who had been
dislodged by Sir Edmund Lyons' squadron, were just
returning in force, and would have made small bones of
the Turkish garrison, when she hove in sight. The
Muscovites thought better of it, exercised their discre-
tion, and retired. Now, I believe, both places are
capable of defence, guns being mounted again in the
former, and the fort of the latter having been insulated
and otherwise strengthened. The Banshee brought up'
word yesterday that Lord Raglan had returned from a
visit to the banks of the Danube, and that he confirmed
the report of the Russian retreat. It is said that Lord
Cardigan with some light cavalry has been pushed on in
the direction of Kustendje. If he has fallen in with any
of the Cossacks said to have been seen by the Inflexible
on her way down from the Sulina mouth some days ag,,,
that roving rabble will have had cause to rue the meet-
ing. how beautifully the Greeks have been checkmated
—or rather, I should say, how Master Nicholas has been
brought sharp up in Greece by the combined occupation
of the Piraeus When the Inflexible was there two or
three months ago, recruiting (volunteering) was going
on openly for the affair i❑ Epirus, within three minutes'
walk of King Otho's abode."

REPLY OF ADMIRAL HAMELIN TO THE
RUSSIAN VERSION.
BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA.
Admiral Hamelin, commanding the French fleet
in the Black Sea, has addressed to his government
a second report on the results of the bombardment
of Odessa. His statement appears to have Leen
evoked by the mendacious reports on the event
which have been published under official authority
at St. Petersburg. The Admiral writes :
" VILLE DE PARIS, June 29, 1854.—Monsieur le
Ministre.—When I had the honour of reporting to you
the losses which the Russian Government must have
sustained through the bombardment of the imperial port
at Odessa by the steamers of the combined squadron, I
was only able to mention such as were visible from the
decks of our vessels. Your excellency will readily un-
derstand the difficulty of appreciating exactly whether
from the ships engaged, or from vessels witnessing the
action, the destruction caused by our projectiles in the
midst of the enemy's ranks, or in the arsenal itself.
" We plainly saw and heard a powder magazine blow
up ; saw the ships on fire in the midst of this arsenal ;
saw the burning barracks and magazine successively fall
in, and the guns and carriages lying about dismounted
on the molehead. For three consecutive nights the
flames did not cease. These general results were all
that we were then able to ascertain.
" This is no longer the case ; and thanks to informa-
tion proceeding from a person worthy of belief,.who was
at Odessa during the attack, and who remained there
afterwards, I am able to give your excellency the details
as requested in the despatch of May 24. The following
then is the damage sustained at the imperial fort of
Odessa, in consequence of the attack of Api il 22.
" Among the ten pieces of ordnance that defended,
some the entrance, others the head of the mole, these
last were completely dismantled ; this was the work
which our steamers had particularly in view, and the
accomplishment of which permitted them to approach
the imperial port, in order to destroy the Russian ma-
gazines and vessels.
"The powder magazine, erected for supplying the
mole battery, blew up ; the explosion killed or wounded
nearly all the troops that manned this battery. The
Government magazine, that contained all the stores re-
quired by the steam-packets of the State in the Black
Sea, was entirely consumed. A barrack built for the
Cossacks, shared the same fate, entailing the destruction
of a great many horsemen and horses : it was the same
with a. large store-house of corn, straw, and hay.
"The mole itself, struck by a great number of balls,
was seriousiy damaged. In short, the field battery of
four guns, which had ventured to cope with the guns of
our frigates, was almost entirely destroyed, with men
and horses.
"The imperial port contained 53 sailing vessels, three
steamers, and five dredging machines. Of the three
steamers, one, the Dneister, an iron boat of 40-horse
power, the property of the Government, having received
several balls in its hull and keel, filled in five minutes
and went down. They endeavoured in vain to raise it
again. Another iron steamer, the Luba, sank after re-
ceiving 16 shots ; is tliongbt impossible to make her
float again. A third steamer, of 90-horse power, the
Claudia, went down also, but it seems she has been
since raised.
" Of the five floating dredging machines, the newest
was entirely destroyed ; it sank the first day, and there
is no chance of its being made seaworthy ; the. four
others experienced more or less injury.
" Of the 53 sailing vessels in the port of Odessa, one,
Nicholas 1., of about 600 tons, was destroyed by fire :
• two brigs were entirely burned, as also a collier full of
Newcastle coals, and bound for Ismail. The i est of
these vessels, which were Russian coasters of different
sizes, were more or less damaged by the balls, the greater
part foundered.
"As for the enemy's loss in men, in order to esti-
' mate it it was requisite to have recourse to private
sources, the Russian government having abstained from
publishing the numbers officially. It results from this
information that the number of killed and wounded was
not less than 200.
"Your excellency did not stand in need of these details
to be convinced beforehand that the documents contained
in my previous reports were rather below than above the
truth. Perhaps the same cannot be said respecting those
of the enemy's general, especially in what concerns the
crippling of I don't know how many of our steam fri-
gates at the close of this engagement. Your excellency
is aware that not one of our steam frigates or steam cor-
vettes, receiving as they did not a single shot in their
machinery or boilers, was prevented from following the
squadrons ; and, strange to say, not one of our men
was killed or wounded by the projectiles of the enemy,
whilst ours was making havoc in his ranks, his flotilla,
and his arsenal.
" As for the confusion prevailingin the arsenal at the
beginning of the action, I have been again assured of
its having been the case ; this explains why, as I al-
ready have had the honour of writing to your excellency,
the authorities of Odessa fought without a flag ; and yet
the Russian colours were hoisted often-enough on the
custom-house and the quarantine buildings.—l am, &c.,
" Vice-Admiral Commander-in-Chief of the
"Black Sea Squadron,
HAMELIN."
THE CREW OF THE TIGER.
An officer serving with the Black Sea fleet writes
to his friends :
" BALJICK, June 18.—The First Lieutenant of the
Tiger has been summoned to St. Petersburg. Her crew
has been divided into two or three portions, one of
which is, I hear, immediately to proceed inland to at-
tend some Russian college. They are enjoying them-
selves exceedingly, though prisoners. They are allowed
seats at the opera, and carriages to go about in."

ST. PETERSBURG.

We read in a letter from Hamburg of the Bth :

"The Russian Government has recently adopted a
new measure, showing how anxious it is to avail itself of
every military resource which it can dispose of. There
exist in Russia, and particularly at St. Petersburg and
Moscow, several military schools, where a great number
of pupils receive an excellent education in everything
relating to their intended profession. In the end, after
severe examinations, they are granted commissions in
the army. At present, in consequence of the continual
augmentation of new battalions, all the pupils have
been withdrawn by the Emperor from the schools, and
placed as officers in the battalion of the guard
and line. In the last list of decorations granted
by the Emperor of Russia, the names of several
Austrian officers are to be seen. Information has
been received that the merchant-vessels which have en-
tered the White Sea to take on board cargoes of corn
have not been molested by the English cruisers. They
have even received from the English-commander autho-
risation to return without hindrance to the neutral ports
for which their cargoes are destined."
A letter from Berlin of the Bth, in the Cologne
Gazette, says:—" Count Koenigsmark, commander
of the fortress of Rheinsberg, is to be charged with
a mission for St. Petersburg. He is to present a
letter of felicitation from the King on the occasion
of the anniversary of the Empress's birthday."
The National Gazette of Berlin has the follow-
ing from Warsaw, dated the 4th :—The reserve
battalions of the 3d division have left for Lublin :
there are now not more than 20,000 men here.
The authorities of the governments of Radom i nd
Kalisch have received orders to put the roads in a
state to bear artillery. The troops are in general
proceeding towards Podolia and Ybraez. The
officers have been ordered to wear cloaks like those
of the common soldiers, in order not to be so much
exposed to the aim of the enemy. The Czar him-
self wears one of these cloaks.

The Russian journals publish a report of Prince
Menschikoff, Governor of Sebastopol, giving an
account of the affair of the 15th June: The Prince
admits that the two steamers Gromonassetz and
Vladimir had suffered from the fire of the enemy,
and had had 20 officers and as many non-commis-
sioned officers wounded, and several killed. Ho
then adds in a triumphant manner that the enemy
fled, and that the victorious Russian flotilla re-
entered Sebastopol. Those journals are completely
silent respecting the siege of Silistria, but they an-
nounce with emphasis that, on the 3d instant., the
Emperor caused a Te Drum to be sung in the
Church of the Winter Palace, on the occasion of
the glorious victory gained by General Andronikoff
in Asia.

RUSSIA AND THE GERMAN POWERS.

According to Jetters from Berlin, of the Bth, the
Comte deXoenigsmark was to set out on the even-
ing of that day fur St. Petersburg.
Colonel Manteuffel, it was said, was to leave
Berlin on this day for London, on a mission, of
which the object is to conciliate the opposition that
has shown itself to a renewal of negotiations. It
is added that the Czar, if a renewal should be

agreed to, would even abandon the lice of the
Sereth, and withdraw the Russian troop 3 into his
o ivn territory.
It is stated from Hermanstadt, under the date
of the Ist, that in the two previous days great in-
terruption had taken place in the transport of mer-
chandise between Moldavia and Transylvania.
The Post Ampt Gazette of Frankfort, under date
of Vienna, 7th, says—" Various reports are in cir-
culation as to the contents of the autograph letter
from the Emperor of Russia, -delivered to the Em-
peror of Austria by Prince Gortschakoff, and as to
the mission of the latter. I can announce to you,
in the most positive manner, that at St. Peters-
burg the Austrian summons relative to the eva-
cuation of Moldavia has not been taken into con-
sideration on the conditions proposed by Austria.
It is positively stated that Prince Gortschakoff is
authorised to make entirely new propositions to
the Austrian Cabinet, but it is not thought that
they are of a nature to lead to diplomatic negotia-
tions, our Government being firmly decided on
maintaining the summons in every respect."