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

THE RUSSIAN ANSWER.

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-
trated 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 are
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 ixrbhem. The chief object of these negotia-
tions, however, according 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 ocmpa-
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 Lloyd of Vienna states that the Emperor
has published an ordonnanee, 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 troops 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.
Some 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 nee 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, Privy
Councillor to the Emper9r, 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 t'ae
squadron. To this report is appended that of Cc au-
mander Darricau, commanding the Descartes, fi:ora
which we give the following extracts : , •
" Admiral,—ln conformity with your instructions,
quitted the squadron on the 10th inst., in company with
the English frigates, Furious and Terrible. I plan ,d
my§elf under the cornmand of Captain Loring, of tl to
Furious.

"We arrived in sight of Sebastopol on Sunday Liu)
11th, about 5 p.m. We stood into the en trance of the
bay, quite near enough to see well. All appeared tlaa,te
to be in the same state as when we had previously :re-
connoitred. We counted 18 large-sized vessels, two re
of which were ships of the line, and four frigates, ti No
steam frigates, besides a number of masts belonging to
vessels of smaller dimensions. We imagined that thr 00
steamers we did not see were out, perhaps off the cos .st
of Nocolaof ; in consequence we made the Gulf of Pe) le-
cop, north of Cape Tarkau, our cruising ground.
" Everywhere we carefully examined the coast. X
satisfied myself that it was vigilantly guarded. Throuj ;13-
out its whole extent a line of coastguard, with a chain of
signals, was established. As soon as we appeared t rO
Cossacks started on horseback at full gallop in the t t ro
directions away from the coast.

"We were expected, and the Russians have, I this lc,
even wished to lay a snare for us, which we avoide. i.
Three liners were hogging the shore a short way o ffs
beating up to the north. Six steamers, two of th eDI
frigates, had stationed themselves a little to the west in
the quarantine bay, without showing any smoke. 11 ,(
object was to let us approach, and then try to close us i Pt
so as to catch us between the frigates and the liners.
"We were coming from the north, the liners wi
close in shore to the right of Sebastopol, the frigates w' ,re
in the bays situate between the poi t and Cape Chersos 1.
"At first we steered south against a vessel signall ed
by the watch, when we perceived the six steamers ai
the three liners in the positions close to the land that
have indicated above.
" Our course then became more oblique ; we haul/ ►d
upon the wind (changeable from S.S.E. to S.E.) sc as
to render the presence of the liners unfavourable 7:
Russian steamers bad already allowed us to cross s.l eir
parallel, when they bore down upon us. We formes l's
front line, the Descartes being in the middle. The JS us'
sians imitated this manoeuvre, and steered towards us in
the came older, the cape being to the southeast and i a
quarter south.
"At ten minutes past twelve a frigate, recognised as
the Vladimir, fired a cannon shot at a great distance (
we answered it by hoisting our colours. The fire is 'as
not continued, the distance bei:.g too great. We stopp ed
and slackened our speed ; it was only when the bs lls
could reach us in full force that we open ed our fire. It
was half-past one. We tacked about, beaiing down on
the Russians, who immediately retreated. We ga ye
chase, with full steam on, firing our chase-guns in tl ie
direction of Sebastopol. We did not- give up the dhai ;a
till half-past three.

"It Was with a feeling of good fortune, and I will sa Y
almost of pride, that we saw, in presence of this aqua( 1-
ron of line-of-battle ships, the flags of six steamers dii
appear behind the ramparts of the harbour fortificatiom 1.
" The Russians had intended boarding us, for thei r
decks were covered with soldiers.

" From Friday the 16th to Monday the 19tb, we kep 't
under light steam pressure to the south of Bolaklova •
During this interval 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, t here -
fore, we wanted to make was not possible on that day. 1.3
the clear, we saw several sails in the horizon, but cool t
not make out their number. In the afternoon the weathes'
cleared up, and we saw four vessels luffing at the mouth,
of the harbour. We immediately bore down on thist
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 offei 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 near enough to judge that the number of vessela
then in the harbour was the same as at our first visit.

"On leaving Sebastopol we passed the mouths of that
Danube and by Kustendje."
Vice-Admiral 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 steran•
corvettes to measure their force with them beycl.iid the
protection of the liners of their squadrons."