The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

A telegraphic communication from Dantzic,
dated yesterday, states that no steamer had arrived
from the Baltic fleet up to that date, and that two
weeks' despatches and one mail were waiting there
for conveyance to the fleet.

COPMTHAGEN, May 22.—The two rival steam-
packet companies, formed in Christiania and
Christiansand, have now happily taken steps for a
union, and will immediately commence operations.
They will begin with a boat that will run between
these towns and Hamburg, and will proceed to
purchase another for the route to England. As the
English have now established a post from the fleet
to Dautzic, and thence by telegraph to Hamburg,
intelligence from the East or the Baltic 'will reach
England much quicker by this line than from Stock-
holm. As the French fleet is now lying at Bellevue,
near Kiel, some suppose that the old plan will be
adopted for the Anglo-French squadrons meeting
in that harbour. Others, apparently with more
justice, assert that this would only lose time,
and that the French fleet (15 sail) will make
the best of its way to Sir Charles Napier. The
agitation increases daily. The half-official press
openly insults Denmark and the Danes, and
insolently counsels the Government to put an end
to the Constitution at once. This goes on without
let or hindrance. The Government prosecutor is
silent; whilst prosecutions shower down upon the
national press for the most innocent expressions,
and the courts take care to pronounce them guilty
in every case. At this moment the question which
is uppermost is the celebration of the fifth year of
the Constitution, which will take place on a
large scale on the sth of June. We shall see
whether the Cabinet will dare to prohibit this cele-
bration. If they do, the revolution may be con-
sidered as begun. In the duchies the Danish na-
tionality is more oppressed than ever, and the most
shameful infractions are made of the rights of the
Danish population. Prussia and Schleswig-Hol-
stein are triumphant.
COPENHAGEN, May 23.—One of the merchants
of the good town of Ystadt has publicly announced
that he will present a gift of 1,000 rix-dollars banco
to the poor the moment the news arrives of any
considerable defeat of the Russians in Europe or
in Asia. The Swedish post-boat, from Grisslehamn
to Aland, was stopped on the 14th by English
rowing-boats, but immediately dismissed. The
Finnish post-boat was not so lucky. It was seized
and retained. So far from the universal re-
ports of the attack on Boniarsund. and Gustafs-
yarn being confirmed, there is reason to suppose
that Sir Charles has not yet struck a blow of
any kind. The cannonading heard in Gothland
would appear to have been great-gun exercise.
On the night between the 16th and 17th, the
French liner, Duperre, 84, anchored at Frederik-
shaven (as I have already informed you). It has
a crew of 500 seamen and 400 land troops. On the
17th a number of the officers landed, accompanied
by the chaplain. There were no pilots, every man
being already engaged. It length, after much
difficulty, the captain succeeded in procuring the
mate of the Valdemar, and put to sea at seven
in the evening.. The Norwegians here celebrated I
the azniyeroary of their Constitution 911 the 17th, I

but the police prohibited their procession. There

1110129:

is quite a, panic her(
Test the force of circuinstauces should end Anger
the Danish neutrality. They know that Russia
cannot hurt them directly, but they fear her
indirect vengeance through Prussia. In the last
war,, they say, England could not or would not
help us, in spite of the plainest and strongest
treaties ; and should we join the Western Powers,
we shall have 100,000 Prussians, • perhaps with a
corps of Austrians, ravaging Jutland duwn to the
Eider, and occupying Holstein. The Ministerial
party take the same view, and . hold this threat
in. terrorem. over the heads of the national
party. It is not so easy to answer these men,
for the policy of England towards this country
has hitherto been one monstrous perfidy, one in-
explicable mystery. However, the result is par-
ticulary unfortunate, fur it paralyses the efforts
of those who are friendly to the Western Powers.
Rumours of all kinds cross and recross each other.
One of the latest is, that a courier has brought to
Copenhagen the demand for the abrogation of the
neutrality, and that he is now on his way to Stock-
holm with the same message. The strong westerly
winds now blowing are not favourable for the
final coup d'eta. t intended by the Ministry. Even
the introductory proclamation annihilating the
liberty of the press—a document long since ready
—has not yet appeared. But the people are not
idle—the agitation is immense.

THE ISLAND OF GOTHLAND.
We make the following extracts from a letter
dated Farosund, Island of Gothland, May 18
" Leaving Stockholm on Saturday last, at noon, on
board the Motala steamer, I arrived in Wisby, the chief
town of thisisland, the next morning about six. Amongst
the passengers were ten Swedish officers, who have been
sent to exercise the national bevaring of Gothland. That
militia, which replaced the ordinary conscription, and
which has its own special corps of officers, is composed
of all persons, from 15 to 50 years of age, capable of
bearing arms. The bevaring is never taken out of the
island, and it generally musters about 9,000. There is
no cavalry, but a small corps of artillery, with twenty
cannons. Another of our passengers was Mr. Waern,
the Chairman of the Koping and Wener Lake Railway
Company, one chiefly composed of English share-
holders. The line will be completed in the course of
1856. Meantime a telegraphic communication will be
established between Stockholm and Gothenburgh, to be
ready towards the end of August next. The telegraph
between Grisselhamn, a small town in the Guif of
Bothnia and the Swedish capital, was opened a few days
ago. Our pilot told us that he and his brother pilots at
Landsort had gained more money by the visit of the
English fleet to Eifsnabben Bay than during the pro-
ceeding 12 months—their annual average earnings being
about twenty pounds each.

" Wisby, the capital of this island—for the little village
of Farosund is in Gothland, and not, as the name
would seem to imply, in the opposite and adjacent
island of Faro—may be called a town of ruins--of
ruined churches, ramparts, turrei;s, and castellated forts,
one of the last kind being the residence, in olden
times, of a celebrated rover, who delighted in calling
himself " God's friend and all the world's foe."
In the 12th, 13th, and the first half of the 14th
century Wisby was an important and prosperous com-
mercial port ; in fact one of the most important in North
Europe. It was destroyed in 1361 by the Danes, who
had been called to the aid of the Swedish monarch,
Alagiins Ericson, in his violent attempt to levy taxes-on
the wealthy burghers, and who remained masters 'of the
island until 1645, when it was restored to Sweden. The
present number of inhabitants in Wishy is about 5,000.
In the beginning of the 14th century, it was 12,000, ex-
clusive even of tile working men in the suburbs. Of late
there are some signs of improvement; a new harbour
has been constructed, excellent educational establish-
ments have been opened, and there appears to be again
a tendency to commercial speculation. The inhabitants
of that town, and, indeed, of the whole island, are very
friendly in their manners, and to a considerable extent
in their habits.

" One of my first inquiries on landing at Wisby was re-
t4pecting the way to get to this village, about 3G English
miles distant, and I was informed that the only con-
veyances were the open carts used by the farmers, a
number of whom on the road are obliged by law to pro-
vide travellers with horses.

. - ----
" Starting at noon, I passed through the little villages
of Shentsu, IVlyrvalde, A.ngelbos, and Koparfve, at each
of which there was a relais of horses, and arrived, about
half-past nine o'clOck at Farosund. The country on the
way is barren and rocky, the only trees being spruce
firs, with patches here and there of rye and buckwheat,
and with not a few swamps on each side. The skjutshall,
or post stations, are farmers' houses, not at all remark-
able for comfort or neatness, although the owners are
on the whole well to do in the world. Bread and cheese
and corn brandy are the only provisions for travellers,
except at Angelbos, where ham and eggs make their ap-
pearance for favoured visitors. At each station is an
old corporal or sergeant, who takes down the name and
quality of the person demanding post-horses. In each
of the fanners' houses were bibles and numerous prayer.
books, which appeared to have been well thumbed, and
it may be presumed well read. The fair sex in these
parts are coy and shy on first acquaintance, and such
characteristics are, of course, so many virtues.
"On ascending the road near Farosund, one gets all
at once a view of the fine harbour, and of Faro (sheep
isle). That harbour, which until late was very little
known, is well sheltered, and has plenty of water for
large vessels. The two entrances of 'the harbour are
sa that it is somewhat difficult to make them in
bad weather, and the northern channel is not so free a
passage as set down in our English charts. In fact, one
of the colliers sent from England to the British fleet "got
ashore there some days ago, and was only released yes-
terday from her perilous position, a lighter having been
sent out to remove a part of the cargo. The captain
had been warned against the coming in by that channel,
and advised to go round Far Island, in order to enter
by the other one, but he ref xreil to his charts, and
finding, as it says, that, 'it was all right,' he disregarded
tue coun el, and was soon stranded.

" On my arrival in Farosund I found there H.M. steam
corvettes Porcupine, 4 guns, Captain Jack Mon, and Dra-
gon, 6 guns, Captain Wilcox. The latter had not been
in more than an hour or two, and had returned from
Copenhagen, to which it had conveyed de-ipatches. The
next morning it left Farosund for the fleet. It had
not encountered any portion of the French squadron.
" Yesterday (Wednesday) the Basilisk, 6 guns, Capt.
the Hon. F. Egerton, reached Farosund, to take in coals
and provisions. It brought the intelligence that the
greater portion of the fleet was still off Sand Island
(Sando), to the north of Faro.

" The recent reports in Stockholm to the effect that
the Bomursund and Hango forts, in the Aland Isles,
had been bombarded, turn out to be unfounded. They
may, however, be only premature, for those places
have been visited by some of our frigates. Hango
would make an excellent depot for coals, and, being
on a small island, could be easily defended by a couple
of war steamers. The Tyne, 'store ship, is expected
every day at the fleet ; and so soon as a portion of
the French squadron arrives, a grand blow will no
doubt be struck in the direction of Revel or Sweaborg.
Meantime several vessels are cruising in the Gulf of
Bothnia and near the mouth of the Gulf of Finland. It
is known that a considerable number of gun-boats are
being constructed in the Finnish ports, and perhaps
some of our small craft may run in and cut them out.
"There is not a little uneasiness in the fleet regarding
the comparative paucity of surgeons. Should any acci-
dent happen during action to any of the medical men,
the consequences to the crews of their respective vessels
would probably be very serious. I believe one of the
objections, on the part of surgeons, against entering the
navy, is that they are not always provided with berths,
and that: whilst acting as assistant-surgeons, they have
to mess with the midshipmen."