The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-02 00:00:00

all necessary mat Mel and provisions. It will be difficult
to induce an English Ministry to sanction such an ex-
pe%se, although a saving in the end, prt:cularly as the
transport of the remainder of the army here must
proceed at the same time. Still, with the fleets, and
the French and Turkish transports, we may yet hope
that a whole year will not be wasted. The auxiliary
armies have surely not come here merely to prevent
Russia advancing further. A little money, and 20 engineer
officers, would have enabled the Turks to do that alone.
We are altogether not strong enough to drive the Rus-
sians back by an attack on their strong front. It is,
therefore, not unreasonable to expect that an attack
will be made either on the Crimea, or some part of
the Russian coast more easily approached than the im-
mediate neighbourhood of the Danube. The troops are
in excellent health. As an example of what may be
done, I may mention that the day before yesterday,
before noon, 5,000 French troops landed at Gallipoli at
the ordinary landing-place. In landing in the Crimea,
troops would not be so particular about wetting their
feet, and, unless the naval authorities were interfered
with, the boats of the entire fleets might assist. Aber-
crombie landed 10,000 troops in the face of an enemy.

HEAD-QUARTERS OF OMER PASHA AT
SHUML..k.
SIRTMLA, April 4.:--Nothing of importance has
taken place here. Troops are still arriving ; this
morning two battalions marched in, and . one en-
camped upon the eastern heights. Large fatigue
parties are daily employed in throwing up field-
works, and 6,000 of the inhabitants are pressed to
assist them,—we should hardly call it pressed, for
the inhabitants set about the work with a will,
never grumbling. Outer Pasha is in himself Com-
mander-in-Chief, Adjutant and Quartermaster-
General, Engineer-in-Chief, and Commissary-
General. Ho leaves his quarters daily at 10 a.m.,
inspects the different works in progress, and
marks out in a rough yet practical manner what
new works are to be thrown up, and what addi-
tions should be made ; mentions the number of
men to be employed, and when the work is to be
completed. He generally goes round the heights
in the forenoon, returns to his dinner between one
and two o'clock, and then visits the works on the
plain, returns home about five p.m., when he
receives all who wish to see him, then writes
his despatches. He is quite ignorant as to what
are to be the movements of the Anglo-French
army, but is in great hopes soon to be joined by
at all events a large portion of them. You are,
of course, aware that the Russians have been quite
successful in everything they have attempted in the
Dobrudscha. They have crossed the Danube in
four different places. There have been several
severe affairs, in all of which the Turks have been
defeated, with the loss of some heavy guns that
were in position. Some Turkish officers behaved
badly, particularly a colonel, who was the first to
show his men the way to the rear. Omer Paella
has orders from Stamboul to drive the Russians
across the Dobrudscha. He could just as easily
drive them out of the Principalities without the
assistance of either the English or French armies.
There are 50,000 Russian troops at this moment in
the Dobrudscha, and the Turkish inhabitants are
leaving that part of the country as fast as they can,
and are going to the south of the Balkan Range.
The Bashi-Bazouks are scouring the country in all
directions, and are under no control. They are
the greatest ruffians on the face of the earth, pil-
laging in all directions, murdering, and fearfully
sing the men and women they come across • in
one village they killed 26 men, women, and Chil-
dren. Omer Pasha does not know what to do with
the villains; he has not the power of life and death,
and he has not hit upon a plan of getting rid of
them, and I regret to say 700 more of the same de-
scription are en route to join the army here.
APRIL 9.—lt is not thought the works in Shumla
could resist a determined attack of first-rate troops
48 hours, with the force that Omer Pasha has at
his command ; but, fortunately, the Russians have
proved that they are by no means equal to the other
great Power in their attacks upon fortified places.
I think, therefore, Omer Pasha will be able to hold
his ground here now ; as the enemy have allowed
the golden moment to pass, and have enabled him
to concentrate his army, instead of pushing on the
moment they had crossed the Danube, as they
should have done. At that time the Pasha had
not more than 12,000 men here, now he has 60
battalions, 7 regiments of cavalry, two parks of
artillery, and is as well prepared as his means will
admit of. But the works are far too extensive, and
you may, perhaps, be astonished to hear that the
position is a faulty one ; this is evident to all mili-
tary men, and also that the defences are not of the
description which they should have been. Just now
Shumla would require an army of 100,000 men to
defend it. Shumla is in a gorge, with hills of 600
or 700 feet high on either side. The hills must
be defended by works, for they command the
town ; yet they are too far apart to assist each
other, and the distance round the town from
the eastern points of the two hills is very consid-
erable. But Omer Pasha is making, indeed
has made, the best of a weak position. He has
been working day and night for the past three
weeks, and every thing may now be said to be ready
for the enemy, with the exception of three redoubts
that are to be erected, as it were in reserve, on the
town side of the works that defend the road lead-
ing from Pravaoii. Rather an odd circumstance
took place in his tent to-day, previous to our seeing
a squadron of Cossacks go through a few move-
ments--viz., 10 English officers taking coffee in a
Cossack tent (Zadick Pasha's), on the plain of
Shumla. The officers were General Cannon, Col.
Balfour Ogilvy, Col. Hiude, Captain Simmonds,
Royal Engineers, Captain Nolan, Major Evelyn,
Lieut. Nasmyth, Bombay Engineers, Capt. Butler,
Ceylon Rides, Mr. Crow, and Captain Grainger,
the first time I am sure so many Englishmen ever
met in Shumla.
APRIL 10.—Mustapha Pasha, with the remnant
of his division, consisting of 43 guns, two of which
are pieces de position, 6 battalions of infantry,
and a small body of cavalry, marched in here on
the Bth inst., from the different posts in the
Dobrudscha, now occupied by Russian troops. In
the action of the 23d of March the Turks suf-
ffered most severely at Chatal Bournon, a place
about 5 hours' journey north-west of Tultscha,
and at Porbasni, near Matsclnn. At the former
place, which was held most gallantly from daylight
till dark, they lost 500 men, killed, wounded, and
taken prisoners, besides 6 guns taken by the enemy.
One of Omer Pasha's aides-de-camp arrived yes-
terday from Rustchuk, and up to the day he left
(the 7th) the Russians had made no demonstration
in that direction. At Rustchuk, Kalafat, and the
other stations on the Danube, there is a great
dearth of medical officers, whose services are unfor-
tunately greatly wanted at present, and from ac-
counts latly received from Widdin the treatment
of the sick seems to be very bad. We hear sad ac-
counts of the atrocities committed by the Bashi-
tazouks on their march frem. Matsehin, Tultscha,
(tic., several of whom have been brought in here
as prisoners, and Omer Pasha intends making a
frightful example of them. One party of them
happened to be billeted for a night on a man who
showed them every hospitality, in return for which
they committed various outrages on his property
and family ; and, to add insult to injury, they
asked their host how much he was prepared to
give them for the remnants of the breakfast he
had prepared for the ruffians.
APRIL 11.—Matters are going on here much as
usual. The Bashi-Bazouks are at their old trade
of rapine and murder. Almost all the cavalry are
out after them, and when taken they will be sent
away as prisoners. The best thing Omer Pasha
could do with the rascals would be to take their
horses from them, and ship them from Varna to
Asia. Their horses, wretched as they are, would
be of great use as baggage horses to the armies. I
regret to say there is every probability of the Bid-
garians rising should the Russians advance. Omer
Pasha has information relative to the rising, which
is giving him considerable uneasiness. You per-
haps have not heard that Mustapha Pasha, who
commanded in the Dobrudscha, was the first to
show his back to the enemy. He thought only of
his own safety, nothing for that of his troops ; his
Conduct is a common topic of conversation. His
men, however, behaved well. Omer Pasha men-
tioned last night that one battalion and a half of
Turks defended themselves for nearly 24 hours
against 15 battalions of Russians, assisted by gun-
boats, and then made good their retreat. Two
Russian spies have lately been taken—one inside
the camp, the other a few miles to the eastward.
Omer Pasha examined the former in a manner that
would have done credit to any gentleman of the
long robe. The examination lasted an hour.
APRIL 16.—Beyond a report of the arrival of a !
part of the English troops at Varna, there is little '
intelligence to communicate regarding the move-
ments of the belligerent armies. The Russians still
retain their former position in the Dobrudscha, with
outposts of Cossacks, pushed on a very considerable
distance in advance of their main body, whilst
the Turks continue to concentrate in Shumla, and
have gathered fresh confidence from the dilatory
tactics of the enemy. A great portion of the troops
here, as well as the inhabitants, are constantly em-
ployed on the fortifications and batteries, carrying
out the requisite improvements and additions sug-
gested by the foreign engineer officers. Along the
heights above the town, a breastwork
field-pieces for musketry, with a few en barbette,
has lately been thrown up, and the dense brush-
wood in front, which, were it allowed to remain,
would afford excellent cover for the enemy's rifle-
men and light troops, is in the course of being ra-
pidly cleared away. From the loose and friable
nature of the soil, the works seem to stand 1 need
of constant repair merely from the effects of the
Weather,
and are, with the exception of some of the
; *to outside the enceinte which are riyetted
he, 3

with stone, retained by revetments of wattles and
gabions. On the 15th Omar Pasha put his forces
into divisions, appointing general officers to each.
He has 40,000 reg u 1 ars and 15,000 irregulars, includ-
ing Redifs. This force is formed into six divisions
—two for the plain, three for the heights, and one
as a reserve in the town. The two Mushirs, Ismael
Pasha and Hassam Pasha, command the first two
divisions ; Mustapha Pasha the reserve. The three
divisions on the hills are also allotted to separate
commanders. It was expected that there would be
some field days immediately, and the English were
anxious to see the manner in which the Turkish
soldier would manoeuvre. On the 12th a ceremony
of some interest took place. The firman was read
conferring the dignity of Mushir upon Ismael
Pasha. All the officers in Shumla were assembled,
but their personal appearance did not favourably
impress their European critics. Ismael Pasha is
sail to be a man of undoubted bravery, but no
general ; the commandant of the artillery is also a
good, officer, but the chief reliance must be upon
the foreigners who have taken service in the army.
Omar Pasha gives himself credit for the move-
ment just competed, by which he has successfully
concentrated his troops at Shumla. He is deter-
mined to remain in position there and await the
Russian attack. He has every reason to believe that
the Russians expected an offensive movement on
Ins part in the Dobrudscha. Had he advanced in
that direction, the enemy might have thrown 60,000
men over the Danube at Rustchuk, Shumla might
have fallen, and the whole country passed into
possession of the Russians. As it is, no forward
movement has been lately made by the. enemy.
and there have even been reports that some of
their battalions have recrossed the river. The
army of Bulgaria consists of 140,000 men, regulars
and irregulars. Of the former there are 95,000
men, including the garrison of Sophia. At Widdin
and Kalafat tliere are 20,000 ; at Varna, 8,500 ;
at Rustchuk, 7,000 ; at Silistria, 71,000. At
Shumla there are now 55,000 men, and 320 guns, of
which 138 are for field purposes. The number of
guns in position are said to be insufficient, but as
the arsenal at Constantinople is turning out 20 per
week, this want may be soon remedied. The re-
mainder of the troops are in garrison at Sophia,
Turtukai, and in the passes of the Balkan.
The British contingent now begins to make a re-
spectable show. At Gallipoli there are a battalion
of Rifles, two companies of Sappers, the 44th,
20th, 93d, 14th, and 23th Regiments. At Scutari
are the 53d and 41st who arrived in the Himalaya ;
the 49th, 77th, 47th, and the 88th, which last ar-
rived yesterday in the Niagara. Our men are on
excellent terms with the Turks, who, notwithstand-
ing the reputation for honesty which they have
somehow obtained in the west, cheat them to no
slight extent. I heard of one Irishman who pur-
chased four dip candles, for which he tendered a
sovereign, and received change to the value of eight-
pence. The barracks are Spacious and tolerably
clean. There is plenty to eat, of excellent quality,
and if the men keep clear of rani they will do very
we:

THE WAR IN ASIA.
The last number of the Caucasus contains a long
proclamation from Prince Woronzoff, Lieutenant
of the Emperor, and Commander-in-Chief of all the
troops in the Caucasus, to the inhabitants of the
Trans-Caucasian provinces. It is in four languages
—Russian, Armenian, Georgian, and Tartar, and