The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA..

A letter from the coast of Abasia, of the 10th June,
gives some details relative to the situation of affairs in
that part of Asia, The number of the tribes taking part
with Schamyl was increasing every day, and that leader is
said to be now able to dispose of 80,000 men, ready to
act against the Russians on different points at the same
time. He had received the two first transmissions of
arms sent him, and had, on entering on campaign, i,sued
proclamations which had produced an immense effect in
the mountain. Several Mingrelian tribes, who had
been previously opposed to Schatnyl, had recently placed
themselves under his orders, through hatred to the Rus-
sians, whom they looked on as their bitterest enemies.

It is now asayse a letter of
ctthe boans
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Copenhagen,
that
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Jdeunly
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King Oscar is said to have refused to a,banden his neu-
trality,
or to send an army into Finland. For the pre-
sent he will take no step adverse to his old friend and
master, the Czar. How he will stand with his own people,
is a thing for himself to settle. The mysterious Danish ar-
maments now begin to excite a certain anxiety. German
recruits continue to pour into Copenhagen ; cannon and
war materials are distributed ; the garrison of " Tre-
Cronor" batteries is largely increased ; naval arrange-
ments continue ; a fleet will be formed for exercise ; and,
in fact, a strange warlike activity prevails. The allies
may take Cronstadt," a certain Minister is said to have
uttered, " but I defy them to touch Tre Cronor"—a
foolish bravado, probably never spoken ; but charac-
teristic of the man and the moment. Besides a great

many other points, one question continually recurs
—Who is to pay all this ? Who is to discharge the
enormous costs of the cavalry regiment illegally raised,
and the millions required for the new fortifications,
and the immense sums daily squandered in military
demonstrations against England and France, or else
against the man in the moon ? The different
Danish ships of war are now returning, or
have returned, so that in a few days the expected
expedition will come off under the command of
Admiral Mourier. In the month of June 2,130 ships
passed the Sound. During the first six months of this
year, over 7,500 vessels passed, to 6,615 last year, mak-
ing a surplus of 900 ships. This is to be explained by
the warlike movements here, and the immense number
of transports employed.
The Finnish papers are full of details respecting the
losses suffered by private individuals on the western
coast. They calculate the number of English killed and
taken prisoners at Gamla Carleby at 100 to 150.
A military manceuvre has taken place at Brevik, not far
from Stockholm, at which the Swedish Court attended.
It consisted in a disembarkation and the gradual retreat
of the enemy. About 4,000 men were engaged. Most
of the diplomatic corps were present—our charge, Mr.
Grey, among them, and the Russian Major-General
Bodisco.

An ingenious Swedish mechanician, Mr. P. Lager-
gren, has invented a new power-engine intended to
supersede steam. The moving force is the pressure of
the atmosphere, which acts on a vacuum in a copper
reservoir connected with two cylinders provided with
pistons, as in a common steam-engine. The vacuum
in the reservoir is produced by the admission of a
certain quantity of alcohol and of atmospheric air,
each time the machine makes a stroke. Explosive
air is hereby produced, is fired at each turn, and in-
stantly burns away ; one of the pistons being at the
same time
pounds
nperhe.s s ure
This ism obtainedmachine
ei
s
and its fuel (alcohol) takes little space.
l be superior to or cheaper than steam is
Whether
equalg
hh et t h t
andeo r 1
i simple,s
t
a question others must decide. It is at all events very
interesting, as are all the other inventions of the same
gentleman, who has a natural genius for mechanical con-
trivances.

The distinguished, talented, and universally respected
Danish member of Parliament, Hother Rage, has just
published No. 2 of his " Political Leaves," in which he
calmly discusses the neutral question, shows that it
ought to be decided before the moment of sheer neces-
sity arrives, and eloquently points out the duty of Den-
mark to join the Western Powers. His opinions are
those of the national party in Denmark.