The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-28 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

COMMAGEN, April 26.—The Tribune has just
brought in two Russian prizes.
The fleet is off Gostergam, in Gothland.
A letter from Stockholm, 19th, says :—Yesterday
the Prince Royal and Prince Augustus returned
from inspecting the fortifications of the fortress of
Wanholm. The blockade of the Russian ports by
Admiral Napier has been officially notified to our
Government."

COPENIIA.GIVI, April 22.—Abo roads, and its
river, the Aura, are now open. A vast number of
new Russian orders and decorations are again be-
ing distributed in Finland. This weapon is not so
ineffective as some might conceive ; and it is used
unsparingly, both in Russia and its provinces,
and in all the surrounding countries. In Denmark
there are a number of people who are thus deco-
rated, and they have nearly all become Russianisers.
The roads of Hangey and Utey are free from ice,
and several Finnish vessels have sailed in. Many
others are beating up to Finnish harbours. One
or two are frozen in the coast of Lifland. Troops
continue to arrive in Gotland frcm the Swedish
main. The English fleet has now passed Gotland,
sailing to the nort-east. Another illegality has
been committed by the Swedish authorities.
On the 9th two paddle-wheel steamers put into
the outer harbour of Slite, which is open,
by the law of nations, to all ships, and
which is distinctly recognised as fully accessible,
by the treaty of neutrality, for the purpose of
procuring fresh water. They were, however, in-
stantly warned off by the master-pilot. This
officer (Major Stevenij) declare 3 that he acted in
accordance with the oral and written orders given
him by his chiefs. One of these vessels—the
Hecla—afterwards got water at Sandon, and then
made her way to Ljugarn. This strange proceed-
ing has excited great sensation, and the local
English vice-consul has lodged a protest. Five
English colliers have reached Fahrosund with
coals for the fleet, and this place will be a
Gotland depot for that purpose. A large number
of English ships have passed north of Stockholm.
To judge by the movements of the English ships,
some of the prizes must by this time have reached
you. One of them—the Libertas, Captain H. R- as,
of Jacobstad, in Finland—has slipped through our
fingers capitally. The crew, which was left on
board, made the English sailors by whom they
were guarded quite drunk, hoisted sail, and got
away to Ystad, on the opposite Swedish coast.
This is only one of the many instances given by
our naval population of the alarming extent of this
beastly vice. If not checked, it will lead to worse
consequences than the loss of a fine merchant ves-
sel. We now seldom see any English armed ships,
and the French have not come this way. There
has been a report that a French fleet of thirty sai]
has been seen near Gotland, but this must be pre-
mature. Allow me to contradict the assertion of
some papers, that the present Cabinet continues
because the King could find no successors. A new
Ministry was ready, and has been so for many
we ,ks.

There is a long article in the Debats on the force
of Russia in the Baltic, and particularly on the
question as to whether Cronstadt is or is not im-
pregnable. The details, however, can only be in-
teresting to military men. Our contemporary
draws a terrible picture of the force of Cronstadt,
and appears to think that no attack upon it can
succeed without the aid of a land force ; and even
then almost insurmountable difficulties are talked
of. In concluding its article, the Debats says :
" The taking of Croustadt, if Cronstadt be not im-
pregnable, would inflict a blow on the Russi•tu
Empire more terrible than the loss of ten provinces,
since it would thereby lose its navy. St. Peters-
burg would soon find itself besieged at the entrance
of the Neva, and bombarded by a flotilla which
would be supported by the fleet in possession of
Cronstadt. This danger is not, perhaps, imagi-
nary. It is for this reason that the Ruesian Go-
vernment has collected together round that poi t
the most formidable means of defence. Peter the
Great, in founding his capital, also founded Cron-
stadt, in which his genius must be admired, for it
must be seen that without Cronstadt, Petersburg
the Superb, with its eight feet of water, would only
be a small coasting port, that might be blockaded
and bombarded by gun-boats."