The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-10 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the Society of
Painters in Water Colours with a visit yesterday morning, at
their gallery, in Pall-mall East. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness were accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the Princess Alice, and
vwceiree
,and attended
Captainby
the Hon.
theHon.Cai•ol
Dudleyin
de R
Caroline Cavendish,
os. Colonel Bou -
i
de
aHbisyßhoiysaelqHuiegrhryneisna
wPariinticneg. Albert rode on horseback, atten-
GaTrdheenPs
Princesses Helena and Louisa visited the Zoological
The Duke and Duchess of Nemours visited the Queen yes-
terday.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
honoured the Royal Italian Opera with their presence last
evening. The Royal suite consisted of the Viscountess
Jocelyn, the lion. Caroline Cavendish, the Hon. Flora Mac-
donald, Lord Rivers, Colonel Bouverie, and Captain the Hon.
Dudley do Res.
The Viscountess Jocelyn has succeeded the Countess of
Gbarlemont as the lady in waiting to the Queen. Lord Rivers
and Sir Frederic Stovin have relieved Lord Do Tabley and
Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood as the lord and
groom in waiting.
The Duke and. Duchess de Nemours visited her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Kent yesterday, at her residence, Clarence
house, St. James's.
A deputation consisting of Mr. Milner Gibson,
sto M.P. for
Manchester, Mr. 11. Gore Langton, M.P. for Bril, r,
Charles Forster, M.P, for Walsall, Mr. Cheetnam, M.P. for
South Lancashire, Mr. Ilinclley, M.P for Ashton, Mr. Had-
field, M.P. for Sheffield,; Messrs. J. Daly, H. Turly, 3. An-
derson, and J. Haltou (Manchester), Messrs. Robert Bards-
ley, 3. mallinson, and J. T. Kerrisou (Ashton-under-Lyne and
neighbourhood), Messrs. J. Marshall and J. Hyde (Staley-
bridge), Mr. G. Candelct (Hyde), Messrs. H. Thompson, T.
Briggs, W. Jenkins, and J. Huddart (Liverpool), Mr. W. P.
Roberts (Stockport), Messrs. Hawksworth and Stafford (Shef-
field), Mr. Ball (on behalf of the National Independent Order
of Odd. Fellows), and Mr. E. Brooke (secretary to the Con-
ference of Delegates), had. an interview with Viscount Pal-
merston yesterday at the Home-office.
Colonel Kemeys Tynte, M.P., had an interview with Vis-
count Palmerston yesterday.
Despatches were received at the Colonial-office yesterday
from the goveraol6 of the Cape of Good Hope, the Mauritius,
•

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE WAR.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA.

The following is from the special correspondent
of the Times

"BRITISH FLEET, OFF ODESSA, APRIL 25.

" The English official declaration of war reached
the fleet then anchored at Baltshik Bay, near
Varna, on the 9thof April, upon which the steamer
Furious was sent to Odessa to bring away the
English Consul. With a flag of truce flying at her
masthead she hove to, and sentin a boat, also carry-
ing a flag of truce, to demand the Consul. There was
some delay in returning an answer, and the Lieu-
tenant in command of the boat thought it right to re-
turn to the Furious, upon which the Russians opened
a fire upon the boat and in the direction of the
steamer. Six or seven shots were fired, but for-
tunately without effect. On the 17th (the French
official declaration of war having arrived, without
which Admiral Hamelin was naturally unwilling
to proceed to extremities,) both fleets sailed for
Odessa, before which 'place they anchored on the
afternoon of the 20th. Au explanation was de-
manded of General Osten-Sacken, the Military
Governor here, as to his reasons for outraging -a flag
of truce, always held sacred by all nations pretend-
ing to civilisation. This demand was also sent in
under a flag of truce, but the boat when backed by
the fleets, was not molested. The General returned
an unsatisfactory and untrue answer, declaring
that he did not fire upon the boat, but upon
the Furious, which, not heeding customary signals,
was steaming up the Bay for the purpose of examin-
ing it, whereas she was motionless. Upon this the
admirals sent in a demand for the delivery of all
the shipping in the port, and, in the event of no
answer arriving before sunset on the 21st, declared
that they would punish this outrage on the law of
nations. On the morning of the 22d the steamers of
the combined fleets attacked the Imperial Mole at
Odessa, and during the day completely destroyed it
and most of the (Russian) shipping within it. Here
it is necessary to endeavour to give the reader some
idea of Odessa.- It has often been compared in gene-
ral aspect to Brighton, but the line of cliffs on
which the town stands has a slight curve inwards,
forming a shallow bay, with a radius of some
three miles. These cliffs face the north-east,
and towards the north they sink into low sandy
mounds and flat endless steppes. Stretching out
from below them, at the lower or south-easterly
end of the town, runs a long fortified mole, at
the end of which was a lighthouse. This is called
the quarantine mole, and shelters a great crowd
of ships of all nations. Their crews are never
permitted to go into the town, but are
_strictly
imprisoned within a small walled-in and
strictly-guarded quarantine district at the foot of
the cliffs, even if they should happen tobe detained
there for six months at a time. Under pretence of
preserving themselves from disease the Russians
have made the quarantine a hateful political
tyranny. At the time of our visit this mer-
cantile prison of all nations was very crowded,
and on the morning of the 22d each vessel
had her colours at her mast-head, as if appeal-
ing for succour, and protesting against cannon
balls intended for the Russians. The attacking
force had orders to give this mole as wide a berth
as possible, in order to be out of reach of its fire and
so to avoid the necessity of returning the fire and
injuring any of the neutrals within. The following
was the attacking force :—(French), Mogador,
Vauban, Descartes, Caton ; (English), Sampson,
Terrible, Tiger, Retribution, Furious, and a de-
tachment of rocket boats under Commander
Dixon. The Sanspareil and 'Highflyer acted as
reserve. The force proceeded to another simi-

lar mole at the northern extremity of the cliffs,
called the Imperial Mole, enclosing a mass of
Russian ships of all sorts, and some large stores
or barracks. Both moles had a formidable array of
embrasures, and there was a battery between them
at the foot of the cliffs, but, as far as we could learn,
they were badly off for guns. We counted over 70
embrasures. The steamers had orders to go as far
as possible in-shore, so as to rake and destroy the
Imperial Mole and shipping, but to avoid firing
upon any part of the town or upon the shipping
in the Quarantine Mole. About 20 minutes to
7 they began, the Sampson leading in most gal-
lantly. From the large ships, about 3-1- miles off,
it was a most curious sight. When within about
2,000 yards each steamer delivered the fire of her
enormous guns, then wheeled round in a circle of
about half a mile in diameter, each taking up the
fire in succession. Thus they kept wheeling and
twisting about like so many waltzer; without ever
touching or getting into scrapes. The guns in the
mole answered steadily, and in the course of
an hour the Vauban came towards the fleets
on fire from red-hot shot, and riddled in several

places. Happily the fire was got under, and
she returned to her post. For a long time the
terrific fire from the steamers did not silence
the mole. At length it became slow, though
regular, answering about once every two mi-
nutes, And towards 1 o'clock a shed at the back
of the tongue battery caught fire, and in a few
minutes the whole of that part blew up. The
steamers continued plying the ships with shot and
shell, and they were sinking, and on fire through-
out the mole, when suddenly from behind some
sheds on the low sandy shore near them • a bat-
tery of six horse artillery guns opened out upon
the rocket boats, which were at the moment within
musket shot. Happily nobody was hurt, though a
perfect shower of balls fell around them, knocking
the oars about and plowing up the water all
around them. Upon this the rocket boats and
steamers opened upon them, and soon sent them
scampering. A few minutes after the sheds behind
which they sheltered themselves burst out into a
furious fire. The steamerskept up their fire till about
five o'clock. In the early part of the day, while
they were so engaged, her Majesty's steam frigate
Arethusa was ordered to attack the southern
side of the Quarantine Mole battery as a diver-
sion, for its guns had frequently been very trouble-
some. Nothing could be prettier than the way
in which she stood in, hove to, and delivered her
fire, filled, tacked, and again delivered her broad-
side. Shortly after the breeze fresh end and she deli-
berately reefed her topsails, though under fire, and
was then recalled by the Admiral. During the fire
several English merchantmen slipped outofthe Qua-
rantine Mole and escaped. The poor fellows are very
thankful to have escaped. Altogether the punishment
was severe but, appropriate. Russian property was
destroyed and much of it must have belonged to Go-
vernment. The town and neutral ships were spared,
though completely in our power, and it cannot be
contended that a place with so many batteries on
the sea-board was defenceless. Some of the steam-
ers are a little damaged, but nothing of any conse-
quence. But one Englishman was killed, and eight
or nine wounded, none of them severely. No
officer has been laid up.
" It is delightful to observe what a good feeling
there is in the fleet, and what complete cordiality
exists between the two nations. Notwithstanding
all the sneers of Pera politicians and ignorant
writers, the Admirals have acted in so prudent and
wise a manner, that their respective Governments
seem to place full confidence in them, and their
conduct so far has completely checkmated Nicholas,
who undoubtedly hoped that winter weather or
mutual jealousy would, by weakening them, render
them less formidable."