The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-30 00:00:00

THE MENSCHIKOFF DESPATCH.

The Pays makes the following remarks on the
progress of affairs in the Crimea, and on the recent
despatch transmitted to his Government by Prince
Menschikoff

" It is again from St. Petersburg and Princo Men-
echikoff that the most recent intelligence comes from
the Crimea. It comes down to the night of the 20th,
and states that at that period the allies had not as
yet obtained any decisive advantages ; the Prince had
received a part of his reinforcements, and was ex-
pecting the rest. The only fact admitting of no dis-
pute in what this dispatch announces, is that up to
the night of Oct. 20 Sebastopol still held out. But
that news will not astonish any one, as no one could
have supposed that one of the strongest places in the
world could be taken in three days. It is known that
the advanced works must be destroyed, the heights on
the south be seized on, and a breach made in the place
itself, before an assault can be given. These different
operations, carried on under the fire of several hundreds
of cannon, could not be carried into effect all of a sudden,
and, if the definitive result is certain, the straggle ought
to be in proportion to the obstacles. We cannot, be-
sides, form at present more than very vague conjectures
with respect to this matter. The report of the allied ge-
nerals will alone tell ns what immense difficulties they
have had to encounter. It must be borne in mind that
Russia has employed 40,000 men during a year in raising
the fortifications which we are now attacking. Numerous
ravines, almost perpendicular, separate the exterior

redoubts which protect the wall round the place. The •
ground is undermined in several places, and infinite pre-
cautions are necessary to avoid dreadful catastrophes.
Each step in advance must be purchased by prodigies
of precision and heroism, and we shall not be able to
comprehend all the grandeur of the enterprise which is
going on until the details of each day's proceedings are
known to us. The glory of the army has only increased
in men's imaginations since the numerous recitals of its
operations have brought to light all its episodes. Prince
Menschikoff speaks of reinforcements received and ex-
pected. What is their amount ? Do they come from
Perekop or Anapa Have they arrived under the walls
of Sebastopol, or do they simply hold the country ? We
find nowhere a reply to these questions, as nothing
whatever is positively known of what is passing in the
Crimea. The news from the coast even is exceedingly
doubtful. The German journals announced that Eupa-
toria, was retaken by the Russians, whilst the Constan-
tinople journals declare that statement to be inexact,
and one of the thousand rumours which the Greeks of
the country think fit to propagate. In reality, whether
Eupatoria is occupied or not, is of very little import.
Al the period of the landing that place was of use, but
since the battle of the Alma its utility has completely
disappeared. The fate of the Crimea depends altogether
on Sebastopol, and it would not be astonishing that
Eupatoria had been ♦oluntarily evacuated by the 500
men who held it, to be retaken again at a later period,
without striking a blow, on the appearance of a vic-
torious army."

We read in the Patrie :—" It is positively stated
that Admiral Bruat, having renewed the attempt
to establish a marine battery on the ground of
which he had taken a plan at the time he made his
late reconnaissance in Quarantine Bay, Sebastopol,
has attained that important rosult. , A work
mounted with Paixhan guns, landed from the
French vessels, plays with advantage on the Quar-
antine battery."