The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-01 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS FOR ACTION.

We extract the following from a Constantinople
letter of May 20th :—" A council of war is now
sitting at Varna, to consider the most effective
mode of carrying out the operations of the present
campaign. The numerous persons who, with pro-
bably more zeal than judgment, are always, in
critical emergencies, anxious " to be stirring,"
found on these consultations sanguine hopes of
immediate and decisive action, whilst men more
experienced and sagacious content themselves
with the belief that the movements of the allied
force will be as prompt and rapid as a prudent and
comprehensive regard for circumstances will j ustify.
Lord De Ros has returned from Varna with a very
encouraging account of the " ways and means" there
available for the accommodation of troops. His lord-
ship reports a capital site for encampment, the
convenient vicinity of large quantities of horned
cattle—a much-to-be-desiderated addition to the
present military bill of fare, in which beef figures
as an item not more substantial than a nominis
umbra. Another pleasant chapter in his lordship's
budget of intelligence is, that provisions are com-
paratively cheap at Varna. This latter fact, how-
ever, it is well to recollect, represents the state of
the case before the influx of our beef-eating com-
patriots, and may be considerably modified when
demand begins to act upon supply. It is supposed
that Lord Raglan's departure for Varna (which
took place the day before yesterday) was hastened
by the communication made to him by Lord de
Ros. He is expected to be here again by to• morrow
or the day after ; and as he will, without doubt,
make himself definitely and perfectly acquainted
with every necessary particular respecting the eli-
gibility of Varna as a point for the concentration
of a considerable force, there is quite an effusion
of impatient anxiety for his return. In military
circles confidence is expressed that should his
conclusions respecting Varna coincide with those
of Lord de Ros, an order will issue for the almost
immediate embarkation of two divisions, the first
of which will be the light division, under Sir
George Brown, to be followed by the first division,
under the Duke of Cambridge, and the second divi-
sion, under Sir De Lacy Evans. The divisions
just named were personally inspected by Lord
Raglan a little before he left. It is indeed said
that the Guards have had significant hints, from a
quarter "not likely to be misinformed," that nine
or ten days at the very farthest will be the utmost
limit of their stay here. The Highland brigade is
not yet completed ; the 42d and 79th have to arrive,
and it is possible (though not finally arranged) that
these regiments will make no delay here, but pro-
ceed on to Varna. After the inspection which took
place on the 15th ult., Lord Raglan had a long
consultation with the chiefs of divisions respecting
the articles which should be carried by the troops
when on active service and in the field. Small
parties of men passed in marching order before
the generals, some with different portions of
their kit, and others with its ponderous whole, in
order to give a practical illustration of what might
be carried consistently with safety and conveni-
ence. The items now proposed are as under :

WEIGHT OF KIT.

lb. oz.
One pair of trousers 1 11/
One shirt
One smock shirt
One pair of socks 0 41
One pair of boots 2 10
Leather for soleing boots 0 7
One towel 0 4

One cleansing brush 0 1
One shaving brush
One knife
One razor

One settling book 0 1i
One forage cap 0 10

Total kit
To which must be added, to obtain the weight
carried by the men—

Blanket
Knapsack
Havresack

lb. oz.
. 4 0
.5 0
1 0

Accoutrements
Arms

.. 6 0
_l2 0

Ammunition (60 rounds) 5 0

33 0
Add weight of kit 9 2i

Total weight carried 42 2t
Even this, it will be admitted, is a somewhat for-
midable dead weight to be borne by meu going
into the field under a burning sun. Lord Raglan,
I am persuaded, is disposed to listen to every prac-
ticable suggestion for lessening the men's fatigue.
Apropos of the articles to be carried into the
field,' it behoves me to remark, in reference to the
most important of them, that very great anxiety is
manifested by officers and men for the issue of the
new rifles, which, it had been hoped, would before
Low have been in the hands of the troops. If, as
was supposed, they are to be furnished to the whole
army, it is most desirable that no unnecessary de-
lay should take place. I have had on several occa-
sions to perform the agreeable duty of alluding to
the general good conduct of the troops since they
left home, and of which the few instances of irre-
gularity at Gallipoli were only partial interruptions.
Au exception (which significantly proves the rule)
has just taken place. A few days ago there was a
court-martial—(the only one in the British force
since its arrival at Scutari)—on a man of the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers. Gross acts of insubordination
and violence were proved against the prisoner,
who, on being arrested for disobedience to
orders, struck the serjeant charged with that duty,
and hurled his firelock at him. He was sentenced
to 50 lashes, and imprisonment, with hard labour,
for two years. Lord Raglan confirmed the finding
and sentence, which latter would have been far
more severe under the regime of yore, and would
necessarily be so now, if the army were actually
before the enemy. Amongst recent arrangements,
Assistant-Commissary-General G. W. Smith will,
under an order from the Treasury, be Acting-
Commissary-General ; and Assistant-Commissary-
General Edwardes is to take charge of the first
division. Captain Fitzmaurice, of the Royal Ar-
tillery, is ordered to join the force at Scutari, and
be attached to the second division. All officers
who have had leave of absence are ordered to re-
join by to-morrow night. The officers of the seve-
ral regiments are going through a course of useful
practical instruction in the art of loading their
own baggage-horses in the most expeditious manner
—hard work, no doubt, to many of them ; but it
is pleasant to witness the manful and cheerful
spiritin which they are applying themselves "to get
used to it." The 17th Lancers (whose arrival was
noticed in my letter of this morning) lost one
horse on the passage. There is a rumour from
Gallipoli that the Bth Hussars have lost no less
than 28 horses. This would be a painful and serious
affair."

RUSSIAN VERACITY.
We read in the Patric :—" The following detail
relative to the affair of the Tiger shows to what
an extent the Russian Generals will carry their
system of lying and deception. The officers and
crew of the frigate landed in their own boats after
having burnt their flag. The Russians never
boarded the vessel, and consequently could not
gain possession of the English flag. The Russian
General sent as a trophy to Marshal Paskiewitch
the flag
of an English merchant vessel, which had
been detained in the port before the bombardment,
and which he repiesented. as being that of the
English frigate the Tiger."