The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-14 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION.
A letter from Copenhagen, dated yesterday, says
it is reported that some English vessels, off Brah-
stab, in Finland, demanded the gunboats building
there. They were refused the entrance into the
harbour.

They took or destroyed the gun-boats and a large
number of merchant ships, and fired the wharf.
Ten thousand barrels of tar, and property worth
300,000 silver roubles, were destroyed.
COPENHAGEN, June 9.—Great complaints are
made here of the unjust and unaccountable capture
of the Danish schooner Franciska, Captain Michel-
sen, which was last month seized and carried into
Farey Sound. This ship took in a cargo of wine
and salt in Spain, and was bound to Riga, or to
Memel, if this harbour was blockaded. The bill
of lading was to order, but the goods probably be-
longed to a Hamburg house. On reaching Copen-
hagen, the captain, ou May 13, repaired to the com-
mander of an English armed vessel, then lying in
the roads, and asked whether Riga was blockaded.
"No," was the answer, the commander bidding the
inquirer obtain furtherinformation from the English
cruisers he would meet. On arriving at Lyserort,
at the entrance to Riga Bay, between the mainland
and Osel, but at a great distance (thirty Danish
miles) from the blockaded harbour, the Franciska
saw an English cruiser lying at anchor. She im-
mediately approached of her own accord, backed
her sails, and received a boat from the cruiser to
demand her papers. She was ordered to keep near
the Queen's ship ; but in the evening a prize crew,
consisting of a midshidman and three men, were
sent on board, three of her own crew were taken
on board the cruiser, and she was declared a fair
prize. If this statement is correct, the English
commander has been guilty of an act of glaring
wrong. The Franciska must immediately be given
up to her owners, and full satisfaction be made
for all losses sustained. Mistakes may be made,
but no illegality must be committed or persevered
in. The whole case must be honestly inquired
into, and full justice done.

THE FLEET BEFORE HELSINGFORS.
The following are extracts from a letter written
by an officer of high rank in the Baltic fleet, dated
from Barosund, some twenty miles from Helsing-
tors, June 6
" The shot that the different forts have fired at our
ships weigh upwards of 261bs equalling our 24-
pounders. They look ridiculously small to our enor-
mous shot, and I fancy that wounds or damage done by
them would be by the splinters they cause. One shot
pessed through a crowd of 20 men, and did not hurt one
till it struck a gun-carriage, and made splinters, which
killed one man, and knocked another over. The wounds
wade by the Minid rifle ball are very severe.
" Those who do not get under fire are very impatient,
but it seems very doubtful if we shall have any general
arqion here. The Iwperieuse looks in every night to
Helsmgfors, and reports the state of the ships in the
harbour in the morning. A story is current, that, under
a fi ig of truce, a challenge will be sent in, giving them
the advantage of a ship or two, and allowing them to
et Ile their own numbers if they accept. They are con-
foundedly good gunners ; so perhaps you may hear of
the results of the challenge in a naval tournament.
"Tile idea of attacking the batteries of ETelsingfors,
Cronstadt, or Revel, appears to be quite banished.
The war will wherefore be a strict blockade. I can't see
any finish to it."

OPERATIONS ON THE CIRCASSIAN COAST.
; The Monitetcr publishes the following despatch
from Vice-Admiral Hamelin, the Commander-in-
; Chief of the French fleet in the Black Sea :
, " Baltchick, Ville de Paris, May 25.
" Monsieur le Miaistre,—ln my preceding letters I
had the honour to inform your Excellency that reports
were current that the Russians had continued the evacul-
tion of their forts and establishments in Circassia and
' Georgia, even those of Soukoum-Kale and Redout-
Kale, which are, however, the victualling ports of their
army in Asia, and so precious to the latter. These re-
ports have been officially confirmed by the arrival of the
French frigate Mogador, forming part of the Anglo-
French squadron sent by Admiral Dundas and my-
self to the coast of Circassia. By a report received
from the Commander of the Charlemagne, I can in•
form your Excellency that Anapa and Sujack Bay
are the only points retained by the Russians; the gar-
risons of these places had even been increased, and pre-
sent an effective force of 20,000 men. This concentra•
tion of forces, not far from Kertch Straits, indicates
that the enemy wishes to defend the approaches of the
Taman peninsula which command those straits. Re-
dont Kale was not yet completely evacuated when the
Anglo-French naval division appeared on the coast ;
but a demonstration by our vessels, and a battalion of
Turkish troops provided by Selina Pacha, sufficed to
procure us possession of the place, which was occupied
by the battalion which now forms its garrison.
"However satisfactory were these actual results, Ad-
miral Dundas and myself were informed that there was
not a moment to be lost to send a reinforcement of
Turkish troops and steamers to take possession of Sou-
koum, wherei the Circassians and Georgians were begin-
ning to dispute for the rule, and themselves called for
the
assistance ofTurkish troops to take possession of localities
where the Ottoman flag already flies. Yesterday we
held a conference on this subject with Vice-Admiral
Ahmed-Pacha, and it was resolved that, considering the
urgency of the case, the steam-ship Le Sans Pareil and
two Turkish steamers should start at once to convey
troops, arms, and ammunition to Soukoum-Kale —in a
word, all that Ahmed-Pacha himself might judge it suit-
able to send there.

"Y our Excellency will therefore see that matters
have taken a favourable turn on the Georgian and Circas-
sian coasts, where the Ottoman flag will not fail to float
everywhere where it floated before.
" Bardan has been selected as the point where we
shah enter into regular communication with Scharny
and his delegates.—l am, &c.,
(Signed)

" lIAMELIN."

THE PRUSSIAN LOAN.

A letter from Berliu, in the Borsenhalle of Ham-
burg, says :—" The mobilisation of the army is
resolved on. But only a part of it will be placed
on a war footing. The loan of 30,000,000 thalers
is about to be issued. The bill respecting it has
received the sanction of the King on the proposition-
of the Minister of War."