The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

THE ,ROYAL VICTORIA.

We respectfully submit to the Admiralty the pro-
priety of laying down another splendid steamer in
h( ,nour of her Most Gracious Majesty, on the slip of
0 Le Royal Albert, of similar or larger dimensions.
" Victoria," now building at Pembroke, is
'I :holly unworthy of the " Sovereign of the Seas,"
b eing small, crimped, cabined, and confined in her decks,
al id altogether inferior to the two-decker St. Jean D'Acre.
S Lie has very little room " a'tween decks," and is by no
m ea us calculated to maintain our character for three-
deck, irs of the first-class. She is, besides, but a sailing
vessel • _

Let us have a noble screw three-decker that shall
prove i suitable Royal match for the f‘ Royal Albert !"

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE WAR.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM ADMIRAL
DUNDAS.
RUSSIAN PRISONERS GIVEN UP.

The Journal of St. Petersbourg, in its number of
April 22 (May 4), republishes from the Ryalide
Russe, two fresh reports from General Osten-Sacken
respecting the affair of Odessa. These reports do
not communicate anything new ; but General
Osten-Sacken adds that Vice-Admiral Dundas had
sent him, by means of an Austrian merchant-ves-
sel then in the roadstead, 49 men (prisoners), in-
cluding the captains and the crews, belonging to
the Russian merchant service, together with a
letter, which we here re-produce
"On board her Britannic Majesty's Ship the
Britannia, off Odessa, April 12 (24), 1854.
" Vice-Admiral Dundas has the honour to announce
to his Excellency Baron Osten-Sacken, Aide-de-Camp
General of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias,
that as the-allied squadrons do not desire to keep any
longer than was indispensable the small number of Rus-
sian merchant seamen (49 in all) whom they had taken
prisoners, he has placed them on board of an Austrian
vessel, in order that they may be landed at Odessa.

"J. W. DIINDAS."

THE BALTIC.

- -
STOCKHOLM, May O.—Accounts from Finland to
the 3d of May confirm the statement relative to
large defensive preparations there. General Junker
has been appointed commandant of the fortress of
Wiborg, and General Drake commandant of the
artillery. Four new companies of reserve of the
rowing flotilla have been enrolled ; head-quarters
at Rothensaln, where there are magazines and
barracks for 14,000 men. Expect important news
from Admiral Napier in a few days. Cronstadt
reported " not impregnable."
COPENHAGEN, May 12.—At 2 p.m. to-day five
steam frigates anchored at Elfsnabben. At 4 p.m.
the whole fleet sailed excepting two vessels, a man-
of-war and a corvette.

STETTIN, Thursday.—Sir C. Napier's fleet, after
going towards Sando, off Gothlai,d, was proceeding
towards the Gulf of Finland. Ten French ships
had come up. The weather was fine. Russian
vessels had been moving in the gulf. The Nor-
wegian navy was in Swedish waters. The Swedish
Court was thought to be leaning to the Western
Powers. Frequent meetings of the Council of
State had taken place.
It is stated that the Russian ships just "showed
their noses" out of Revel, but learning that Sir
Charles Napier was not far off they at once slunk
back again, under cover of the batteries.
We subjoin additional letters from the fleet. It
will be seen that they are of the latest date. Rear-
Admiral Plumridge has shifted his flag from the
Leopard, 18, paddle frigate, to the St. Jean d'Acre,
101, screw.

" ELFSNABBEN, MAY 2.—The fleet here consists of :
Duke of Wellington, 131, screw, flag-ship of the Com-
mander-in-Chief, Captain Gordon ; St. Jean d'Acre, 101,
screw, Capt. Hon. H. Keppel, flag of Rear-Admiral
Plumridge ; Neptune, 120, Captain Hutton, flag of Rear-
Admiral Corry ; Princess Royal, 91, screw, Captain
Lord C. Paget ; James Watt, 91, screw, Captain G.
Elliott ; Blenheim, 60, screw, Captain Hon. F. Pelham ;
Edinburgh, 60, screw, Captain Hewlett, flag of Rear
Admiral Chads, C.B. ; Hogue, 60, screw, Captain Ram-
say ; Caesar, 90, screw, Capt. Robb ; Cressy, 80, screw,
Capt. Warren ; Boscawen, 70, Capt. Glanville; Monarch,
84, Capt. Erskine ; Royal George, 121, screw, Captain
Codrington ; Austerlitz, 100, screw (French), arrived
yesterday ; Dragon, 6, paddle, Captain Wilcox ; Gor-
gon, 6, paddle, Capt. Cuming ; Basilisk, 6, Commander
Hon. F. Egerton ; Lightning, 4, paddle, Captain B.
J. Sulivan ; Vulture, 6, paddle, Captain Glasse ; Valor-
ous, 16, paddle, Captain Buckle ; Leopard, 18, Captain
Giffard, coaling; Odin, I know not where, but she left
on Sunday ; Euryalus, 51, screw, Capt. Ramsay, in the
Slack-bit, cruising ; Desperate, 8, screw, Capt. D'Eyn-
court, off Dago ; Dauntless, 24, screw, Captain Ryder,
and Arrogant,, 47, screw, Captain Yelverton, Hango
Head ; therm. 28 deg. ; ice still firmly to the shore.
Report is that paddle-wheel steamers go with Admiral
Pluinridge to attack 18 gun-boats at Aland. We have
not had letters for one month. Magicienne, 16, paddle,
Captain Fisher, is gone to see if there are any at Copen-
hagen. The mouth of the Gulf of Finland is quite open,
and so is Hango. Poor Foote, we are very sorry for
him."

"FLEET AT ANCHOR NEAR STOCKHOLM, May 5.
Hitherto there has been no news worth imparting of any
interest, or opportunities have not offered at the moment
of transmitting it. Of the present and prospective poli-
tical position of affairs we know nothing. On the water
nothing has been done as yet ; the ice, and unusual
severity of the weather, added to the difficulties of a
very dangerous navigation, have thrown the greatest
obstacles in the way of any combined naval movements.
The time for action is not far distant. Sir Charles has
determined, without loss of time, on an attack upon a
grand scale ; the place selected is of course not made
known. The ice is breaking in the Gulfs of Bothnia and
Finland. The large island of Aland, commanding the
entrance of the Gulf of. Bothnia, will, I think, be the
first attempt, then Port Baltic and Revel—he fears the
fortress of Sweaborg is too formidable for Helsingfors to
be attacked on that side alone. We were joined yester-
day by the Prince Regent, Cumberland, and the schooner
yacht Esmeralda, from England. The Austerlitz, screw-
liner, is the only French ship with the fleet, no others
are reported as having entered the Baltic. Neptune and
Csar have cases of smallpox on board. The Admiral,
on receiving the melancholy intelligence of the death of
poor Captain Foote, of the Conflict, who has been
drowned with four of his boat's crew off Memel, on the
coast of Courlaud, has given Captain Cuming his
vacancy."

" COPENHAGEN, May G.—Under the title, "Truth
and Fiction, Pen and Ink Sketches from the Coast
Islands," a social novel has just appeared in Sweden,
which has made quite a sensation, and may produce the
best fruits. It is a vigorous and well-written attack on
the present Swedish prohibitive Customs laws. It ad-
vocates free-trade in all its extent, and shows what
terrible crimes and demoralisation result from the
smuggling system now directly encouraged by the
State. Many of the scenes and characters are
charmingly described. The Swedish schooner Ac-
tiva is to be provisioned for a three months' cruise.
The English fleet at Elsfnabben has obtained a
large mass of refreshments, and 200 oxen, from Stock-
holm, besides a number of pilots and other assistants,
some of them Finlanders. The Bulldog has arrived at
Vinga, and the Alban has left that roadstead. A bat-
talion of Prince Barclay de Tolly's carabineer regiment
has entered Helsingfors, and been welcomed with re-
freshments by the citizens. There is to be an exercise
camp for all Gothland on the plain near Visby. The
whole island is in the utmost activity, especially at
Fareysund, and English money is plentiful—a real
godsend for the poor islanders. The English officers and
crews have gained universal goodwill by their
urbanity and manliness. The Magicienne has left
Farey, with four prizes for England—the Dido, Ida,
Patrioten, and Victor. A number of frigates and cor-
vettes, some of them from Sir C. Napier's fleet at
Elfsnabben, come and go for coals, of which there is a
large depot at Farey. The French man-of-war Auster-
litz has joined the fleet at Elfsnabben. The well-known
Frederika Bremer has written a warm appeal to the
Swedish Parliament in favour of the Jews, who are now
subject in Sweden to ten thousand injuries. In Den-
mark (exclusive of the duchies, where our present Cabi-
net has refused them justice), and in Norway they are
entirely free. A number of ballads (stall-songs, fly-
sheets) have lately appeared in Sweden, and are sold in
immense numbers. They treat of the present warlike
state of affairs, and breathe the utmost hatred against
Russia. This is of more consequence, as the principal
secular reading of the lower classes, in the Swedish pro-
vinces, consists of this stall literature, which includes
many magnificant ballads from the middle ages."

THE GREEK INSURRECTION.
SALONICA, April 28.—A Turkish frigate brought
yesterday two battalions of regular troops (1,600
men), under the orders of a colonel, sent from
Constantinople against the insurgents. These
troops will join 2,U00 irregular soldiers, of whom
200 have already left under Bey Ahmet Aga.
It is generally thought that they are sufficiently
strong to defeat the insurgents, who have already
arrived at Ormilia, fifteen hours' distant from
this town ; at any rate they are amply sufficient
to protect Salonica. The sudden arrival of this
force, in a much briefer space of time than is
generally the case here, has had a very good effect.
The letters received this day from Volo do not
mention any engagements as having taken place in
Thessaly. Fresh regular troops had arrived there
from Constantinople, amongst whom are 500 ca-
valry. A Turkish flotilla was in the port of Volo.
On the admiral hearing of the landing of the rebels
at Seika, he immediately left for that place.
Letters from Janina state that the insurrection
in Epirus may be considered at an end.
The Austrian corvette Carolina is expected here
to-day. She left Volo yesterday, towed by the
Austrian Lloyd's steamer. The wind being, how-
ever, very contrary, she left her to herself.

THE WAR IN THE DOBRUDSCHA. '

SCHITMLA, April 22.—The state of suspense we
have been in for some weeks as to the advance
of the Russians on Schumla is gradually subsiding.
The inhabitants no longer imagine that every
rider who is seen hurrying along the plain is a
messenger announcing the approach of the grand
army of the Russians. If time is a valuable
element in conducting commerce, and in agricul-
tural affairs, it is much more so in war. Had
the Russians intended to attack Schumla, we
think it stands to reason that we would have
heard the sound of their artillery before now.
Omer Pacha thinks that he has sufficient in-
formation for concluding that their plan is to
stand on the defensive, and that if there is to be
any more fighting upon a great scale, we must
move against them, and not expect them to move
against us. Those, however, who profess to be
acquainted with the superstitious feeling:; and
habits of the Russians, will not allow themselves
to think, until the Easter of the Greek Church be

passed, that the Russians will be so slack in their
ambitious military designs. The Russian soldiers
have always considered that a most lucky day, and
reserved many of their great enteprises for
it. In 1831 they expected, by a grand attack,
to seal the fate of Warsaw and Poland. They
failed ; hut ,still an ignorant people are not easily
disabused of their prejudices. Very likely they
may do something on the Danube, but we think
that they are too tardy in their preparations for
making this place the scene of any great exploit.
There has been an affair at Kalafat and another at
Silistria some days ago, but from the conflicting
accounts, the only certain thing we could gather
has been that there was very little blood shed in
either. The departures at Omer Paella's may de-
serve a little notice. His brother has left with one
of his sons, who is a major in the army, for
Paris. Another son is a lieutenant-colonel. Both
these young men, we believe, have renounced the
Christian faith, but their father is still true to his
religion. His brother is not attached to the Ottoman
army, nor does he live in Turkey. His native
country and home are in Croatia. The French
General Bosquet has also taken his leave. This
officer has been for twenty years in Algeria. If
the opinion of a man who gained his rank, not in
the circles that assemble at the Tuileries, but in
the fierce contests with the native tribes of that
trying country for a soldier, and whose style of
speaking has been formed not in the fashionable
salons of Paris, but in the camp and field, is of
value—then we have reason to congratulate our-
selves upon having him at the head of this great
army now assembled here. " Omer Paella and
I," said the General, putting his two hands
together, "are alike there, we are both united
in our opinions. I entirely approve of his plan
of resisting the enemy. I see," continued the
General, " that he has a natural genius for war.
It is there," said he, striking his forehead, "It is
there." That Omer Pacha has hitherto played his
cards well cannot be doubted ; but a great deal
has yet to be done, and the future will better decide
his generalship than the past.
SCHUNILA, April 24.—The Greek Easter has
passed away, and the Russians have not made a
move of any kind against Schumla. The im-
provement and extension of the works still go
on, the many roads leading into the town
through the narrow passes in the heights ren-
dering a great variety of defences necessary. The
semicircle of heights or hills above the town pre-
sent a very gay appearance, being everywhere
almost dotted•with white tents, which tend to take
off the otherwise tame character of the sky line.
At least 20,000 soldiers live there night and day.
Their situation must have been, until now, more
romantic than pleasant, for during my short stay
here we have had many nights of such piercing
cold that even in the houses, with fires and great
coats, we could hardly make ourselves comfortable.
We have heard no murmurs from the Turkish
soldiery. Had English troops been sent to occupy
such quarters, in all probability a mutiny would
have been the consequence. At Chobham the
complaints among the men were very general, but
their privations were nothing in comparison of
those that have been undergone by Omer Pacha's
troops on the heights of Schumla. I have no hesi-
tation in pronouncing the Turkish soldiery here to
be models of submission and patience.