The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

SERVIA.

The Press of Vienna, under date of Belgrade,
18th, says—" It is not generally believed that the
Paella of Belgrade demanded from Prince Alexan-
der that he should send away his nephew, but I can
assure you that such is the fact. A rencontre has
just taken place on the Servo-Bulgarian frontier
between the Servians and the Turks. A detachment
of 500 bashi-bazouks having separated themselves
from the main body of the Turks, entered on the
Servian territory, on the side of Gourgoussowacz.
The armed peasants attacked and drove them away
after a very sanguinary struggle, in which many
were killed on both sides. This event has produced
a bad effect among the Servian population, and it
is feared that they will exercise reprisals on the
Turkish territory.'

but the police prohibited their procession. There
is quite a panic here among a very large class,
lest the force of circumstances should endmiger
the Danish neutrality. They know that Russia
cannot hurt them directly, but they fear her
indirect vengeance through Prussia. In the last
war, they say, England could not or would not
help us, in spite of the plainest and strongest
treaties ; and should we join the Western Powers,
we shall have 100,000 Prussians, perhaps with a
corps of Austrians, ravaging Jutland down to the
Eider, and occupying Holstein. The Ministerial
party take the same view, and hold this threat
an terrorem over the heads of the national
party. It is not so easy to answer these men,
for the policy of England towards this country
has hitherto been one monstrous perfidy, one in-
explicable mystery. However, the result is par-
ticulary unfortunate, for it paralyses the efforts
of those who are friendly to the Western Powers.
Rumours of all kinds cross and recross each other.
One of the latest is, that a courier has brought to
Copenhagen the demand for the abrogation of the
neutrality, and that he is now on his way to Stock-
holm with the same message. The strong westerly
winds now blowing are not favourable for the
final corp d'etat intended by the Ministry. Even
the introductory proclamation annihilating the
liberty of the press—a document long since ready
—has not yet appeared. But the people are not
idle—the agitation is immense.

THE ISLAND OF GOTHLAND.
We make the following extracts from a letter
dated Farosund, Island of Gothlaud, May 18 :
" Leaving Stockholm on Saturday last, at noon, on
board the Motala steamer, I arrived in Wisby, the chief
town of this island, the next morning about six. Amongst
the passengers were ten Swedish officers, who have been
sent to exercise the national bevaring of Gothland. That
militia, which replaced the ordinary conscription, and
which has its own special corps of officers, is composed
of all persons, from 15 to 50 years of age, capable of
bearing arms. The bevaring is never taken out of the
island, and it generally musters about 9,000. There is
no cavalry, but a small corps of artillery, with twenty
cannons. Another of our passengers was Mr. Waern,
the Chairman of the Koping and Wener Lake Railway
Company, one chiefly composed of English share-
holders. The line will be completed in the course of
1856. Meantime a telegraphic communication will be
established between Stockholm and Gothenburgh, to be
ready towards the end of August next. The telegraph
between Grisselhamn, a small town in the Gulf of
Bothnia and the Swedish capital, was opened a few days
ago. Our pilot told us that he and his brother pilots at
Landsort had gained more money by the visit of the
English fleet to Eifsnabben Bay than during the pre-
oeeding 12 months—their annual average earnings being
about twenty pounds each.
Wisby, the capital of this island—for the little village
of Farosund is in Gothland,• and not, as the name
would seem to imply, in the opposite and adjacent
island of Faro—may be called a town of ruins--of
ruined churches, ramparts, turrets, and castellated forts,
one of the last kind being the residence, in olden
times, of a celebrated rover, who delighted in calling
himself " God's friend and all the world's foe."
In the 12th, 13th, and the first half of the 14th
century Wisby was an important and prosperous cons-
inercial port ; in fact one of the most important in North
Europe. It was destroyed in 1361 by the Danes, who
had been called to the aid of the Swedish monarch,
Magnus Ericson, in his violent attempt to levy taxes on
the wealthy burghers, and who remained masters of the
island until 1645, when it was restored to Sweden. The
present number of inhabitants rn Wisby is about 5,000.
In the beginning of the 14th century, it, was 12,000, ex-
clusive even of toe working men in the suburbs. Of late
there are some signs of improvement ; a new harbour
has been constructed, excellent educational establish-
ments have been opened, and there appears to be again
a tendency to commercial speculation. The inhabitants
of that town, and, indeed, of the whole island, are very
friendly in their manners, and to a considerable extent
in their habits.
" One of my first inquiries on landing at Wisby was re-
specting the way to get to this village, about 36 English
miles distant, and I was informed that the only con-
veyances were the open carts used by the farmers, a
number of whom on the road are obliged by law to pro-
vide travellers with horses.
" Starting at noon, I passed through the little villages
of Shentsu, Myrvalde, Angelbos, and Koparfve, at each
of which there was a relais of horses, and arrived, about
half-past nine o'clock at Farosund. The country on the
way is barren and rocky, the only trees being spruce
firs, with patches here and there of rye and buckwheat,
and with not a few swamps on each side. The skjutsltall,
or post stations, are farmers' houses, not at all remark-
' able for comfort or neatness, although the owners are
on the whole well to do in the world. Bread and cheese
and corn brandy are the only provisions for travellers,
except at Angelbos, where hate and eggs make their ap-
pearance for favoured visitors. At each station is an
old corporal or sergeant, who takes down the name and
quality of the person demanding post-horses. In each
of the farmers' houses were bibles and numerous prayer-
books, which appeared to have been well thumbed, and
it may be presumed well read. Time fair sex in these
parts are coy and shy on first acquaintance, and such
characteristics are, of course, so many virtues.
"On ascending the road near Farosund, one gets all
at once a view of the fine harbour, and of Faro (sheep
isle). That harbour, which until late was very little
known, is well sheltered, and has plenty of water for
large vessels. The two entrances of the harbour' are
small, so that it is somewhat difficult to make them in
bad weather, and the northern channel is not so free a
passage as set down in our English charts. In fact, one
of the colliers sent from Eng,aud to the British fl !et got
ashore there some days and was only released yes-
terday from her perilous position, a lighter having been
sent out to remove a part of the cargo. The captain
had been warded against the coining in by that channel,
and advised to go round Far Island, in order to enter
ay the other one, but he relaTed to his charts, and
finding, as it says, that, 'it was all right,' he disregarded
toe coun-el, and was soon stranded.
" On my arrival in Farosund I found there H.M. steam
corvettes Porcupine, 4 guns, Captain Jackson, and Dra-
gon, 6 guns, Captain Wilcox. The latter had not been
in more than an hour or two, and had returned from
Copenhagen, to which it had conveyed despatches. The
next morning it left Farosund for the fleet. It had
not encountered any portion of the French squadron.
" Yesterday (Wednesday) the Basilisk, 6 guns, Capt.
the Hon. F. Egerton, reached Farosund, to take in coals
and provisions. It brought the intelligence that the
greater portion of the fleet was still off Sand Island
(Sando), to the north of Faro.
"The recent reports in Stockholm to the effect that
the Bomursund and Hango forts, in the Aland Isles,
had been bombarded, turn out to be unfounded. They
may, however, be only premature, for those places
have been visited by some of our frigates. 'largo
would make an excellent depot for coals, and, being
on a small island, could be easily defended by a couple
of war steamers. The Tyne, store-ship, is expected
every day at the fleet ; and so soon as a portion of
the French squadron arrives, a grand blow will no
doubt be struck in the direction of Revel or Sweaborg.
Nfeantime several vessels are cruising in the Gulf of
Bothnia and near the mouth of the Gulf of Finland. It