The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-21 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

" SCHUMLA, June 4.—The defence 'of Silistria, con-
tinues most successfully. The defenders are covering
themselves with honour and glory. The attack of the
29th of May was most formidable. 30,000 men, divided
into three bodies of 10,000 each, advanced successively
on the forts of Jellani and Arab•Tabia, at one o'clock in
the morning of the 29th. This attack was very near
proving successful, and the Russians had already pene-
trated into one of the forts by the aid of scaling ladders.'
The Turks, however, had in the meantime received
reinforcements, and they beat off the Russians, 150
of them being killed within the precincts of the fort.
" On the 31st, at break of day, a fresh attack which
the Russians made on the same forts was
.again re-
pulsed with the same good success. The Russians then
hoisted a flag of truce, demanding permission to remove
their dead. Country people were sent for this purpose
to the vicinity of the forts, and they say that the number
of dead exceeded 2,000. The Turks lost, in the attacks
of the 29th and 31st, 188 men, between killed and
wounded.

"A letter from Mr. Grack, the Prussian officer who
is in Silistria, announces the death of Mussa Pacha, the
governor of Silistria, which occurred on the 2d of June,
at five o'clock (Turkish time). He was wounded by a
piece of grenade shell, which entered his left side, and
he died twelve minutes afterwards. This is a great loss
for everybody. Mehemed Pacha, Vizier, and Hussein
Pacha, replace him. The latter was wounded at the
battle of Oltenitza.

" On the evening the 2d of June the Russians exploded
a mine beneath one of the batteries of the Arab-Tabia
forts. The Turks, had however, discovered what they
were about, and had taken their measures accordingly.
The mine was badly primed, and instead of causing harm
to the defenders, it reacted, and killed 300 or 400 Rus-
sians, forming part of one of the attacking column which
were in readiness to give the assault by the breach
which it was expected would be made by the springing
of the mine. The Turks then made a sortie, and lost
eight men. The Russians have been most unfortunate
in these attacks. According to Mr, Grack, 2,000 Rus-
sian dead bodies were taken from the ground surround-
ing the forts, and on the whole their, loss is estimated
at 5,000 killed and wounded. Captains Nasmyth and
Butler are still in Silistria, and render great service ;
they have much distinguished themselves."

ANOTHER AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM
SPOKEN OF.

A Cabinet Council was held at Vienna on Mon-
day, under the Emperor as president. It was re-
solved, that if an evasive answer came from Russia
an ultimatum, to be accepted or rejected in eight
days, should be sent. •

RECEPTION OF THE AUSTRIAN SUM-
MONS AT ST. PETERSBURG.
According to a communication from Berlin the
Austrian summons that Russia should evacuate the
Principalities has created the utmost irritation at
St. Petersburg. The answer was under dis-
cussion.

VIENNA., Monday, June 19.—N0 reply has been
received from St. Petersburg to the Austrian sum-
mons. A simultaneous answer is expected to the
Austro-Prussian note. Yesterday the Austrian
Cabinet despatched an answer to the Bamberg pro-
positions, simply renewing the invitation to join
the treaty of the 30th April. In case of refusal,
it is intimated that Austria and Prussia will follow
their own course independently.

MOVEMENTS OF THE RUSSIAN TROOPS
ON THE AUSTRIAN FRONTIER.

1 The Post Gazette of Frankfort has the following
from the frontiers of Gallic's, under date the 10th
" The military demonstrations of Russian troops
on the ' frontiers of the east and the north-east of
the empire become more and more significant. All
the railway carriages of the line from Warsaw to
Maczki have been retained by the Government for
the conveyance of troops, and the functionaries of
Granica have received orders to put an end to all
communicationswith the inhabitants of the Austrian
territory. The movements of troops on the fron-
tiers of the Bukowine are very active. Russian
soldiers are stationed along the Seretts. They have
already patrols on the Austrian frontier. On the
25th May an officer of the Russian staff, accom-
panied by several superior officers, placed himself
on some heights to reconnoitre the district of the
Seretts. Already have the Cossacks occupied se-
veral places on the frontiers ; and it is rumoured that from 100,000 to 150,000 men from the pro-
vinces of Volhynia and Podolia are to be armed
with scythes."

CONSTANTINOPLE.
CONSTANTINOPLE, JUNE B.—The short spring
has quickly been succeeded by strong heat ; and
a fierce eastern sun; with a warm south wind, has
ushered in the summer at Constantinople. All
the inhabitants of Constantinople and Pera are
seeking the cool breezes of the Bosphorus. Pa-
ellas and Armenians, the embassies, and sll
the Europeans who can move; are hastening to
their country residences. This is the Ramazan,
the holy feast of the Mussulman ; neither meat,

TWO BOATS WITH FORTY MEN SUNK BY
THE RUSSIANS.
COPENHAGEN, June 20.—Private letters assert
that two boats, containing an officer and forty wen'
have been sunk by the Russians at Gamla Carliby
in West Finland. Its bombardment was conse-
quently expected. One thousand Russians and one •
hundred Cossacks defend it.
The loss at Brahestad is calculated at one mil"
lion, and at Uleaborg at three millions silver row
bles.

BARD SOUND, June 14.—The captains and other
commanding officers of the various ships have re-
cently received instructions that vessels bound L
neutral ports, being freighted with coal, are not to
be deemed having on board articles contraband of
war, if it can be proved that their cargoes are solely
for the purposes of commerce. In the event, how-
ever, of the cargoes being intended for warlike put.
poses, they will not be allowed to go to their destine"
tions. The.captains commanders, and other coin"
manding officers of die various ships in the fleet, on
_
falling in with, and boarding any vessel OM'
freighted and bound to any of the enemy's PoTrts,
are to use their discretion in such cases. If that
should be of opinion, after due consideration, the
the cargo of coal is to be applied solely to manu-
facture or commerce, such vessel is to be allowed
to proceed ex her voyage. On the other band,
the coal be intended for the use of the enemy
steamers of war, such vessel is to be taken posses'
sion of and sent to England for adjudication:
These instructions have reference principally to
neutral and British vessels bound to the enenii"
ports not blockaded ; but Russian vessels, hove'
ever laden, will be captured, under all circunr
stances, until protected by an order in Council•
Should a British or neutral vessel endeavour to
break, or have actually broken, during the same
voyage, an effective blockade, of which she bad
received previous notice, such vessel, no matter
what may be her cargo, will be seized. Neutral
vessels which have sailed from neutral ports
previously to the declaration of war are to be
apprised that their proceeding on their voyage 1"...
Russian ports with articles contraband of WI"
will not be permitted., Neutral vessels, after de- '
parting from the ports whence they may have
shipped goods of a contraband nature prior to the
declaration of war, and subsequently touching dui'
ing their voyage at ports at which the declaration
of war may have been promulgated before the,
proceeded on their voyage, as also Russian vessels
that may have taken on board cargoes in neutral
ports, are not to be allowed the indulgence above
specified.
The Consul-General of France at Leghorn has
communicated some peculiar circumstances that
have occurred. Several Russian vessels of a large
size have arrived at Leghorn with cargoes of grain;
made application to, and received permission from,
the Government of the Grand Duke to prosecute
their voyage under the Tuscan flag, and with the
solitary condition of their appointing to the com-
mand of the vessels Tuscans as captains, an sP" •
pointment very often of a nominal character. Se"
veral of such vessels have proceeded under the
Tuscan flag to various ports in Europe—one t
ally freighted with a cargo of marble for hi actu-
ally Im-
perial Majesty the Emperor of All the Russian,
sailed from Leghorn under such conditions for St-
Petersburg, and has succeeded in getting into one
of the neutral ports in the Baltic.
Other Russian vessels not only endeavour, but
often are successful in the object of procuring, by
purchase, from persons holding them, patents for
the Jerusalem flag. A short time since one of the
captains of these vessels had the effrontery to go
to the office of the Consul-General at Leghorn with
the view of procuring papers of clearance. Being
refused, ho subsequently applied to the Sardinian
authorities at Genoa, and from them was granted
the necessary papers to enable him to prosecute his
voyage. The Greek merchant captains, in order
to conceal their nationality, strive to carry into
effect a similar subterfuge, but are seldom success-
ful. Not long since, between 20 and 30 vessels,
of large tonnage, were at anchor near the Mole of
Leghorn, the owners of which determined on lay-
ing them up, but the crews thereof, with the view
of procuring employment at Piedmont, have gone
thither.
The ships in company with the Commander-ill-
Chief got up steam on the morning of the 9th, and
having weighed anchor, proceeded out of Bars,
Sound in line of battle, and subsequently formed
order of sailing in two columns. The Builds'',
Captain W. H. Hall, employed for some time past
as a cruiser in the Great and Little Belts, rejoined
at noon. In the evening, the ships, accompanied
by Colonel Caulfield, in his yacht, the Myrtle, -
came to an anchor in the Gulf of Finland, in about
mid-Aannel, and opposite to Revel.
On the 10th the Driver and Lightning steamers
returned from the Gulf of Bothnia, having made
a minute inspection of the fortifications of Bomar-
sund, the principal of the Aland Isles. The Gorgon,
Commander Cracroft, arrived on the 11th, with
despatches from the British Minister at Stockholm,
and the Resistance, froth England, with stores and
provisions. The squadron, of 12 sail-of-the-line,
under the orders of Rear-Admiral Corry, appeared
in the offing about mid-day, and proceeded to Ban'
Sound (the Belleisle hospital ship, in charge of the
Caesar, 90, Captain Robb, preceding them), where
they anchored for the purpose of completing pro-
visions and stores from the Resistance.
About half-past five o'clock on the 12th we got
under weigh and steamed on towards the " Gibral-
tar of the North" in two lines—one consisting lof
Hogue, St. Jean d'Acre, and Austerlitz, led by the
Duke of Wellington • the other consisting of
Cressy, Princess Royal, and Blenheim, led by
Edinburgh, the Bulldog, Driver, and Esmeralda
in company, The Imperieuse, Arrogant, and Basi-
lisk joined us, when we brought up about eight
miles from Sweaborg, although it did not appear
more than half that distance. The Dragon, Dri-
ver, and Basilisk, were now sent on to survey the
waters close in by the fortress. They went within
800 yards of the shore, in a position where evi-
dently there were no guns to bear upon them,
otherwise the ships must have been fired upon.
The troops swarmed in great numbers along the
shore, looking magnificent in their polished cuirasses
and glittering helmets. The steamers did not fire,
unprovoked they could not have done bO. The
water has been found quite deep.
The view of Sweaborg and Helsingfors from the
ships was most picturesque. The day was sunny
and warm, and not a ripple disturbed the tran-
quillity of the water. Helsingfors stood before us
resplendent from the whiteness of its palaces in the
noonday glare. Its principal cathedral, surmounted
by a graceful and lofty dome decorated with purple,
and crowned by a golden globe, sparkled and
flickered with a lustrous and tremulous light. Its
classical colonnade stood out in bold relief, while
its minaret-looking angular towers reflected bright
flashes from their small gilded points.
A three-decker is moored head and stern right
across the harbour's mouth; a long narrow rocky
island, with an irregular spire, forming a natural
sea wall, rims along the eastern side of the harbour,
over which the tall masts of the ships of the line
are showing. To the westward the land is appa-
rently more broken and irregular, and seems to be
occupied by some of the forts in the sea front. The
town seems to be of vast extent.
Private letters from Copenhagen state that