The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-17 00:00:00

THE CRIMEA.

SEBASTOPOL NOT MINED.
A Constantinople letter of the sth says :--44 We
leann to-day from the Crimea that the French are
making great prrgress, having mounted 64 guns.
It 15 also said that they have pained the 1145514 u

position ; but this is not to be believed, for the
earth is extremely shallow, and there is scarcely
enough for common siege operations. Sebastopol is
planted on a rock, which defies the efforts of engi-
neers to pierce it. If there be any truth in the
assertion that milling has taken place, the operation
must have been only partial. The agreeable tidings
are somewhat damped by the news that sickness is
increasing, and that the troops suffer dreadfully
from the cold and frosty nights.

The Journal du Loiret publishes a letter from
an officer of the 27th regiment of the line, in
which i 3 the following passage :
" Foreseeing the day when we shall have destroyed
their outer batteries, the Russians are constructing them
in the streets, and even in the houses. - They are
furious. The siege goes on well. Our parallels hem in
the place at 300 metres distance ; the men.in the French
and Russian batteries can hear each other talking. Our
riflemen do wonders ; but the Russians display a savage
energy, Without caring for the devastation of their town,
which is complete."

FRANCE.

(FRO3I OUR OWN CORREiPONDENT.)
PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING.

The following telegraphic despatch, which differs
from that I forwarded you yesterday, has been re-
ceived here :—" The Sinai brings letters from
Sebastopol to the evening of the 3d.
_ _ _

These letters state that 8,000 French and Eng-
lish troops, and 1,600 seamen from the fleets, are
to make the assault on the place about the Bth.
Several fresh fires had been seen in Sebastopol,
particularly at a large provision warehouse.
On the 28th ult. the English, with their Lan-
caster guns, sunk two Russian frigates, and
damaged several other vessels.

The Twelve Apostles line•of-battle ship was set
fire to.

General Kiriakoff is said to have been killed by
a shell.

The vessels having on board the brigade of Gene-
ral Mayran, bound to the Crimea, were met on the
6th in the sea of Marmora.

The Zouaves have arrived from Algiers, and
1,000 riflemen have also been landed at Balaklava.

On the 11th 2,000 English, with horses and am-
munition, arrived at Malta.

Considerable reinforcements have left, or are
about to leave, the French ports for the East.
According to the lowest calculation, they amount
to 25,000 men.
300 Turks sent to Batoum have been landed in
the Crimea.

The Suffren had arrived at Constantinople ; she
is, with other vessels, returning to France.
Lord Palmerston has arrived here.
The Emperor and Empress went, a few days
ago, to the Palace at Fontainebleau, and visited
in detail all the works which are being executed
there. Their Majesties were accompanied by his
Excellency M. A. Fould.

We read in the Constitutionnel :—" Troops are
in march on all points to reinforce our army in the
East. The sth battery of the Ist Regiment of ar-
tillery left Vincennes the day before yesterday for
Marseilles, by the Lyons Railway. A detachment
of the 6th battalion of foot chasseure, which arrived
in Paris on the same day from Strasburg, imme-
diately left for the same destination. By order of
the Minister of War, the depots of the different
corps forming part of the army of the East, are to
have all their disposable men ready to leave imme-
diately to join their respective regiments."
The Constitutionnel says
" M. Guibert, the ship-builder at Nantes, has, like M.
Normand, of Havre, received proposals for the construc-
tion of gun-boats and floating batteries. It is known that
similar boats are buildingatthe works of Creuzot. Persons
who have had an opportunity of seeing these boats build-
ing at Crenzot, say that it is difficult to form an idea
of the resisting force which is given to them. They
are provided with a steam screw. They will draw
very little water, and will only have the height abso-
lutely necessary for placing their guns. They will be
painted of a colour so closely resembling that of the sea
that they will be scarcely distinguishable ; and, as they
will probably be provided with apparatus to consume
their own smoke, they will not be discovered from that
of their engines. Nothing has been neglected for the
comfort of the men who compose their crews."
The Constitutzonnel must be in error in stating
that there are gun-boats so advanced at Creuzot, on
the principle of those ordered from M. Normand
and M. Guibert, that a full 4nd accurate idea
can be formed of that principle. The plan of the
20 gun-beats which have been recently ordered by
the French Government, and which is that of a
young engineer at Toulon, was adopted by the
Minister of Marine only a month ago ; consequently
the gun-boats at Crenzot cannot be the same. The
20 gun-boats recently ordered are each to be 130
French feet in length, and 24 feet in breadth, with
la steam-engine of 120-horse power.