The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

English.—Britannia, Queen, Bellerophon, Rod-
ney, Albion, Vengeance, London, Agamemnon
(screw), Sanspareil (screw) ; Terrible, Retribution,
Furious, Tiger, Firebrand—steamers.
Turks.—Taif, Feizi Babri, Medjidie, Chaaki
Chadi, Muhbiri Suru—steamers. These convey
ten thousand troops and warlike stores under cover
of our ships.

French.—Ville de Paris, Friedland, Jena, Ju-
piter, Jemappes, Henri IV., Charlemagne (screw) ;
Gomer, Mogador, Sane, Magellan, Descartes—
steamers.

A Tartar arrived at Constantinople on the night
of the Ist with intelligence of a well-contested and
sanguinary action at Kalafat. The date and de-
tails of the event were not known. It was, how-
ever, reported that on the side of the Russians the
casualties amounted to five or six thousand men.
The Turks also had suffered severely—some two
or three thousand killed ; but they had not lost one
inch of ground, and bravely maintained their po-
sition on the left bank against five desperate attacks.
Omer Pacha, with strong reinforcements, was also,
according to these accounts, about to proceed in
person to the scene of action.

There was a report that the Sultan had pardoned
the Softas.

The delay which took place in the departure of
the fleets caused the Greeks of Constantinople to
spread the rumour that it was occasioned by a pro-
test of Austria and Prussia against the entrance ;
but it appears that the representatives of those
powers had simply demanded explanations from
England and France as to their ulterior intentions.
The Polish and Hungarian refugees, who had been
waiting for months at Constantinople to be em-
ployed, had at last been taken into service and they
were sent off to the army of Asia in the Turkish
vessels which sailed on the 2d. Three of their
chiefs had been created pachas, and nominated
generals of brigade. General Klapka had de-
clined to go to Asia, saying that he preferred serv-
ing in Europe. On the occasion of New-Year's-Day,
General B. d'Hilliers received the French residents.
In a short speech which lie addressed to them, he
stated several times that France, even in the deci-
sive act which was about to be accomplished, had
peace only in view, as it was indispensable to the
development of manufactures and the prosperity of
commerce ; that peace was the wish of the Govern-
ment of the Emperor Napoleon ; and that conse-
quently all its efforts were directed to that:object,
and that it did not yet despair of being able to at-
tain it. M. de Bruck addressed the Austrian re-
sidents in a less re-assuring spirit; and Lord Strat-
ford de Redcliffe did not hold any reception. It
hid been ascertained that the bad organisation of
the army in Asia was the cause of 'the recent de-
feats. The army was in such a state that it could
not make any serious resistance on the Turkish fron-
tier, or to prevent the Russians from going to Erze-
r•um as in 1829. It was said that the irregular troops
had disappeared, and that Abdi Pacha was in custody
on the charge of treason. It was rumoured that
Batoum had been attacked and taken by the Rus-
sians, but this was inexact. The Minister of
Police, Haireddin Pacha, had been nominated in-
spector of the armies of Anatolia, with orders to
make an investigation into the ' charges brought
against Abdi Pacha, ex-general-in-chief of the army
of Kars. Perfect order and a confident assurance
of the success of the Turkish cause prevailed at
Constantinople ; also that it was firmly believed
that the allies of Turkey, though slow to move,
would frankly fulfil all the obligations imposed on
them.

The Press of Vienna says :—" The Ambassador
of France has presented to the Sultan, at a private
audience, an autograph letter from the Emperor
of the French, expressing his deep regret at the
affair of Sinope, and renewing his promise to main-
tain the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. The
Emperor expresses at the same time a hope that
the Czar, now perceiving the reality of the affiance
between England and France, will give proof of
greater moderation."
A Cossack force is being organised by Sadik
Paella (Tchaikofski), and it is really edifying, and
a sign of the times, to see Christians and Moslems
fighting under a common standard for freedom.
The banner of these troops is half red with a cres-
cent, and half white with a red cross.
To the above account is appended the following
paragraph :—" We hear that Lord Palmerston has
resigned, and it is hoped by all that he will return
soon to power as Premier or Foreign Secretary.
This would be, in my opinion, the real settlement
of the Eastern question, the true solution of the
problem. The Turks will do his bidding ; and the
Czar also, although for quite another and most
potent reason."
Private letters of the 11th state that it was then
known at Vienna that the Porte had accepted the
propositions of the Conference, that the fleets had
been ordered to enter the Black Sea, and that M.
Drouyn de L' Huys had addressed a circular despatch
to the representatives of France in foreign coun-
tries, which was published in the Moniteur of the
6th inst. The representatives at Vienna of the