The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-13 00:00:00

CONSTANTINOPLE._

A telegrap)iic despatch of the 27th January, from
Constantinople, says :
" In the letter addressed by the Admirals to the
Commandant of the port of Sebastopol a term of
15 days was fixed for Russian vessels of war to re-
turn to their harbours in the Black Sea.
" A corps of engineers is employed in marking
out a camp at Bouyouk-Tchekmeelesche, near the
Sea of Marmora, for 40,000 men. This place is
six miles from Constantinople.
"We learn that Knrschid Pasha (General Guyon)
has resumed the offensive against the Russians in
Asia, with 30,000 foot, 5,000 horse, and 140 4uns."
The following is from Constantinople, dated
Jan. 26 :

" Yesterday afternoon the Fury returned &out

her mission to Sebastopol. On arriving in the
vicinity of the great Russian stronghold she found
the entrance to the harbour frozen up, and was
consequently obliged to retreat without having
delivered the despatches of which she was the
bearer.

" The combined British and French squadrons
have been at anchor at Beycos and Buyukdere since
their return from the Black Sea. They evidently
prefer the Bosphorus to the Euxine.
" It is thought that the fleets will ere long return
to the Black Sea. As yet, however, no prepara-
tions are being made for their immediate departure.
Several of the ships had been damaged during the
late excursion, and are under repair. No accident
of a serious nature has, however, taken place.
" To-day General Baraguay d'Hilliers, the am-
bassador of France, left on an excursion to Kara-
Bournou, accompanied by a numerous suite of
French officers, who are attached to the embassy.
His Highness ehemet Ali Pacha, Grand Seraskier
(Minister of War, and brother-in -law of the Sultan),
and Tewfik Pacha, his aide-de-camp and principal
staff-officer, accompany the French ambassador.
They will be absent three days. The object of
this excursion is with reason considered to be for

the purpose of fixing upon a suitable spot for the
encampment of a French army, in the event of the
daily increasing complications of a war with Russia
demanding the presence of either a solely French,
or an Anglo-French, military force at Constantnople. The French general will return on Sun-
day, as he has issued invitations for an entertain-
ment on a large scale for the Monday following.
" There have been false alarms about the state
of Omer Pacha's health, and the Sultan and Grand
Vizier immediately sent their physicians to attend
upon the Ottoman general. A gentleman who has
just arrived from Schumla, and saw Omer Pacha
himself, tells me that he is in perfect health,
though he had been suffering of late from a slight
indisposition. This has .no doubt been the cause
of the alarming and erroneous report; Three or
four doctors belonging to the army of Roumelia
have been turned out of the Turkish service on
suspicion of being Russian spies.
" Awongst the extraordinary events occurring in
these wonderful times, may be mentioned the arri-
val at Constantinople of a youth of from fourteen
to sixteen years of age, accompanied by several
hundred warriors. This youth, who is a native
of a remote cc untry in the interior of Asia Minor,
is the offspring of a woman fifty years of age, and
on that account his mother looked upon him
as destined for great things—a feeling which seems
to have been shared by 'her. neighbours and all
the province. The child was:taken to the Mosque.
On his right arm an Arabic verse has been in-
scribed, signifying " Thou Wilt die a martyr
whilst on the left the happy prophecy, " Thou wilt
be a great man," is carved' in Eastern charac-
ters. This youth was from his birth destined for
a military career, and generally regarded with
feelings of respectful veneration by his fellow-
countrymen. He has now grasped a standard,
and, surrounded by his friends and fol-
lowers, is hurrying to the war. His youthful
appearance, while riding through the streets of
Stamboul at the head of his followers, had given
rise to the report that a heroine a la Joanpa d' Arc
had started up for the cause of the Crescent. A
warrior woman has, however, appeared in Anato-
lia, surnamed Karak gas (or the Black Girl), and
she is the leader of some thousand horsemen."

The same writer on Jan. 30 says :—" The day
before yesterday General Baraguay d'Hilliera re-
turned from his excursion to Buyuk Tchekmedie
and Kara Bournou. This little expedition is with
reason considered to be connected with the trans-

port of French troops to Turkey ; and the object
of the French General's visit was undoubtedly
to have a look at the country, in case of their
arrival. Persons are notwanting who talk of attack-
ing the Crimea and Bessarabia with an Anglo-
French force, with other rather out of the way
places. General Baraguay d'Hilliers has visited
the country from thirty to forty miles to the east
of Constantinople, near the ruins of the celebrated
wall of Athanasius. It is now thougl.t that a
French force will be placed from sixteen to eigh-
teen miles distant to the east of the capital, behind
the formidable natural position which is there, and
which was well known and appreciated by the
ancients, in order to be enabled to arrest the pro-
gress of a Russian army which should be advancing
victoriously on the capital, after having forced the
Balkans. This position has been considered im-
pregnable by all who have visited it.
" A general attack upon the line of the Danube
may be expected to be made by the Russians in
the spring. If the British and French Governments
purpose sending troops, they had better be quick,
if indeed yet in time. A European force side by
side with Omer Paella's army would render futile
every attempt of the Russians to force the passage
of the Balkans.

" As regards the combined squadrons, they are
still at anchor in the Bosphorus. It has, however,
been resolved to send a division of steam-frigates
to cruise in the Black Sea. The day before yes-
terday two French and two British steamers pro-
ceeded there, and on their return they will be re-
lieved by others. The Turkish Admiralty is get-
ting ready a great deal of ammunition, stores, &c.,
and a considerable number of troops are being
embarked. They are all to be transported to`the
army in Asia, and will be conveyed by British and
French steamers.
"TheVauban arrived here from Toulon on Thurs-
day to join the French fleet. She brought a con-
siderable number of extra sailors for the other
ships of the squadron. The last despatches re-
ceived here by the representatives of Great Britain
and France have been of a very determined char-
acter.

" General Klapka has been named General of
Division in the Ottoman army. He leaves for
Batoum to-morrow, from whence he will proceed
directly to Kars, Bayazid, &c., to inspect and re-
organise the army of Anatolia. On the 17th of
this month the Russians attacked the Turks at
Sistowa. They were repulsed with a loss of 200.
"The last accounts from the Danube are not of
great importance. At Kalafat the Turks were
daily expeeing an attack. Small encounters con-
tinued to take place at different points along the
line.

" The Banshee has just come in with despatches
for the British ambassador."

THE DANUBE.

The following is dated Bucharest, Feb. 1
"The Russians have now 65,000 before Nalafat.
Before the arrival of General Schilders, Prince
Gortschakoff had resolved on removing his head-
quarters to Slatina, but the General had persuaded
the Prince to change his plan, and had handed him
an order from the Emperor to use every effort to
drive the Turks out of Lesser Wallachia without
further loss of time.

" Both sides were anxiously expecting and pre-
paring for a decisive attack."

Advices from Bucharest, of the oth instant, an-
nounce that 800 Turks, with eight gun-boats and
four sailing-craft, crossed the Danube from Rut-
schuk to Giurgevo early on the morning of the
sth. They landed near the quarantine building,
and arranged themselves in line of battle. They
were received by two battalions of Russians with a
murderous fire, which lasted for three hours. The
Russians suffered severely. The Turks finally re-
turned to Rutschuk.

Advices from Odessa state that 30,000 Russians
are en route from Moscow to Bessarabia.

A. privat • letter from Bucharest of ;11e 29th ult.
states that Russian troops are marching in great
numbers towards Little Wallachia. The inhabi-
tants of the district of Ildoto alone had been com-
pelled to supply 600 waggons for the transport of
stores. The Russians appear to attach extreme
importance to the operations which are being pre-
pared. General Gortschakoff, while speaking to a
person attached to the Austrian Embassy, who had
remarked that Ismail Pasha was strongly intrenched
at Kalafat, and that he had the advantage of posi-
tion, replied, " We have received the most impera-
tive orders to drive the Turks out of Kalafat. I
know that it must cost me anumber of men, but I will
succeed at any price." It is a difficult undertaking,"
replied the other, "for, although you wish to capture
Kalafat at any price,
the Turks will preserve it at any
price." These facts, of which the authenticity is
guaranteed, prove the desperate character of the
struggle. Although General Gortschakoff is deter-
mined to sacrifice any number of men to attain his
object, he will have more difficulties to contend
with than he anticipates. A Turkish captain of in-
fantry had arrived at Bucharest captured by some
Cossacks, who threw a rope with a noose round
him. After having used every effort to induce
him to give information respecting the position of
the Turkish army by bribes and threats, which he
resisted with unshaken fidelity, the Russian com-
mander ordered him to be chained and cast into a
dungeon.
The Patrie reports, that in the district of Mohe-
denz, in Wallachia, the peasants have risen against
the compulsory service, which was imposed on
them, their wives, their daughters, and even
their young children by the Russian officers,
in conformity with the recent edict in the