The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-11 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN ANkiWER.

- Intelligence from Vienna to the morning of yes-
terday, the 10th inst., says the statement of Prince
Gortschakoff (the Minister) having left Vienna for
St. Petersburg is not confirmed.
It was believed in Vienna that the principal
forces of the Emperor of -Russia are-being concen-
ttated against -Austria, and that they amount to
300,000 men, but this must be a vast exaggeration.
The Cologne Gazette states that doubts having •
arisen as to the interpretation to be. put upon the
answer of the Emperor of Russia; negotiations aro
about to be opened on the subject between the
Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin, and that Colonel
Manteuffel will be sent from Berlin to Vienna to
assist in them. The chief object 'of these negotia-
tions; however,saccording to the Cologne Gazette, is
to come to an understanding as to the convention
of the 14th inst. between Austria and the Porte,
for although it is denied that the Prussian cabinet
has made any formal protest against the Occupa-
tion of the Principalities of the Danube by Austrian
troops, it appears, that Prussia does not regard the
convention with Turkey as a necessary consequence
of the Austro-Prussian convention of 20th April.
The Zloyd of Vienna states' that the Emperor
has published an ordonnance, declaring that, in
consequence of -the- assembling of an army on the
south-eastern frontier of the empire of Gallicia, the
districts hitherto occupied by the 3d and 4th
armies are to be partly evacuated, and such troops
as remain there are to be concentrated for the pur-
pose of being afterwards directed elsewhere. The
officer in command of the troop's in Hungary is to
take the title of commander of the reserve of the
3d army ; the general-in-chief in Gallicia, that of
commander of the reserve• of the 4th army ; the
general-in-chief in Moravia and. Silesia, that of
commander of the reserve of the' 2d corps of infan-
try ; and the officer in command in Transylvania,
the title of commander of the troops of the reserve
of the 12th corps of infantry.
Letters from Berlin, of the 7th, say that the de-
tails given by the Nouvelle Gazette de Prusse were
furnished to that journal by the Russian Ambas-
sador, and that, on the question of the acceptanCe
of the protectorate of the Christian subjects of
the Sultan, the answer added—" Without preju-
dice to 'the privileges appertaining to the Greek
Christians ;" an expression which maintains the
position originally taken up' by the Czar. It is
also stated that Colonel Manteuffel was about to
be despatched to Vienna with a Prussian note to
the Austrian Cabinet, endeavouring to obtain -a
postponement of the entrance into . Wallachia.
Som.° importance is attached to this measure, in
the, belief that the Czar will make further conces-
sions if negotiations should be resumed. The new
Russian loan had been offered at a fall of two per
cent. It now bears no premium. Accounts of the
Bth from Vienna assert that the intelligence of the
entry of the Austrians' into Wallachia is prema-
ture. Prince Francis Joseph Dietrichstein,-Ptivy
Councillor to the Emperor, had just died.

SORTIE BEFORE SEBASTOPOL—FRENCH
OFFICIAL DESPATCH.
Vice-Admiral Hamelin, commanding the French
fleet in the Black Sea, has addressed a report, dated
Baltchick, June 23, to the Minister of Marine,
giving an account of the various operations of the
squadron. To this report is appended that of Com-
mander Darricau, commanding the Descartes, from
which we give the following extracts :
" Admiral,—ln conformity with your instructions, I
quitted the squadron on the 10th inst., in company with.
the English frigates, Furious and Teirible. I placed
myself under the command of Captain Loring of the
Furious. •
" W.e arrived' in sight of 'Sebastopol on Sunday the
'llth, about 5 p.m. We stood into the entrance of the
bay, quite near enough to see well. All appeared there
to be in the same state as when we had previously re-
connoitred. We counted. 18 large-sized vessels, twelve
of which 'were ships of the line? and four frigates, two
steam
.frigates, besides a number of masts belonging to
vessels of smaller dimensions. We imagined that three
steamers we did not see were out,- -perhaps off- the coast
of Nocolaef ; in consequence we made the Gulf of Pere-
cop, north of Cape Tarkau, our cruising ground.
" Everywhere we carefully examined the coast. I
satisfied myself that it was Vigilantly guarded. Through-
out its whole extent a line Of-coastguard, with a chain of
signals, was established. As soon as we appeared two
Cossacks started on horsebackfa frill gallop in the two
directions away from the' coast. .
" We were expected, and the Russians have, I think,
even wished to lay a -snare for us, which we avoided.
Three liners, were hugging the shore a short way off,
beating up to the north. Six steamers, two of them
frigates, had stationed themselves a little to the west in
the quarantine bay, without showing any smoke. Their
object was to let us approac..h, and then try to close us in,_
so as to catch us between the frigates and the liners.
"We were coming from tile north, the liners were
oloSe in shore to the right of Sebastopol, the frigates were
in the bays situate between the pout and Cape Cherson.
"At first we steered south against a vessel signalled
by the watch, when we perceived the six steamers and
the three liners in the positions close to the land that I
have indicated above.
" Our course )hen became more oblique ; we hauled
upon the wind (changeable from S.S.E. to S.E.) so as
to render the presence of the liners unfavourable: the
Russian steamers had already allowed us to cross their
parallel, when they bore down upon us. We formed a
front line, the Descartes being in the middle. The Rus-
sians imitated this manoeuvre, and steered towards us in
the same order, the cape being to the south-east and a
quarter south.
- " At, tea minutes past twelve a frigate, recognised as
the Vladimir, fired a cannon shot at a great distance off,
we answered it, by hoisting our colours. The fire was
not continued, the distance being too great. 'We stopped
and slackened our speed ; it was
,only when the balls
could reach us in full force that wo opened our fire. It
was half-past one. We tacked about, bearing down on
the Russians, who immediately retreated: We gave
chase, with full Steam on, firing our chase-guns in the
direction of Sebastopol. We did not giye up the chase
till half-past three.
" It was with a feeling of good fortune, and I will say
almost of pride, that we saw, in presence- of this squad-
ron of line-of-battle ships, the flags of six steamers dis-
appear behind the ramparts of the harbour fortifications.
"The Russians had intended boarding us, for their
decks' were covered with soldiers.
" From Friday the 16th to Monday the 19th, we kept
under light steam pressure to the south of Bolaklova.
During thisrinterval we saw only ono Sardinian three-
master bound for the sea of Azof.
" On Monday early we were off Cape Cherson • the
weather was misty and wet ; the reconnaissance, there-
fore, we wanted to make was not possible on thaeday. In
the clear, we saw several sails in the horizon, but could
not make out their number; In the afternoon the weather
cleared up, and we saw four vessels luffing at the mouth
of the harbour. We immediately bore down on this
division, which was composed of two frigates and two
liners, one of the latter a three decker ; but although we
approached within a range and a half of their guns in
order to offer them battle, they did not accept the chal-
lenge, and the "steamers remained at anchor behind the
line of broadsides at the bottom of the Sebastopol roads.
We were ncai enough to judgd that the number of vessels
then in the harbour was the same as at our first visit..
"On leaving Sebastopol we passed the mouths of the
Danube and by Kustendje."
Vice-Adniiral Hamelin resumes his preceding
report in the following terms :
"Your EXcellency will see our three cruising frigates
could not induce three Russian frigates and three steam-
corvettes to ineasure their force with them beyond the
protection of the liners of their squadrons."

4

ST. PETERSBURG.
A letter from St. Petersburg of the Ist states
that the cholera there bad increased considerably
in intensity. On the 28th, there were 405 cases.
The Cologne Gazette has the following from
Vienna, dated the 6th :—" Prince Glortschakoff,
'who has arrived here with the answer of the Em-
peror of Russia, performed the journey in four
days and a half. Re left the Emperor at Peterhoff
at the moment when the Anglo-French fleet made
its appearance off Cronstadt. An immense crowd
of persons had come from St. Petersburg to Peter-
hoff to see the Anglo-French fleet, which was
about six wersts from Cronstadt. Prince Gorts-
chakoff accompanied the Emperor to a point from
which it could be seen distinctly. The prince, on
taking his leave of the Emperor, expressed his re-
gret at having to quit him at so critical a moment.
The Emperor replied, with a smile, God be with
you, prince, the danger is not yet imminent.' At
Drunn, the prince met the Austrian General Count
Schlick, to whom he said, among .etiver things,
that Austria would be satisfied with the reply of
the Emperor of Russia."

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