The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-15 00:00:00

RECONNOITRE OF SEBASTOPOL.

The following hai been received from Malta :
The combined Anglo-French fleet, which left
Baltchik on the morning the 21st of July to recon-
noitre Sebastopol, experienced on the 22d a heavy
breeze from the northward. On the evening of
the 26th the Terrible, Fury, and Cacique parted
company, pushing on a-head, having on board
Brigadier-General, Sir George Brown, General
Canrobert, and several English and French offi-
cers ; and by the morning of the 27th these vessels,
particularly the Fury, were so close into the Rus-
sian batteries that these. sent a shot right through
her at the water line . a second not so well
directed, merely splashed a little spray over her ;
and a third passed through her main riggincr,
shot was also sent through the rigging of the
Terrible. The steamers and ships of the line in
harbour showed signs of giving chase, but when
they saw by what an overwhelming force the
steamers were followed, they very prudently
gave up the idea. The 27th was a beautiful day,
and-the ships took advantage of it to go nearer than
they had ever done before. From the observations
then and there taken, it appears pretty clear that
an army might be landed either at Cape LoulcQul,

Which is fifteen miles to the northward of Sebasto-
pol, or at the Katscha, river, which- is not more
than six miles therefrom. At each of these points
there is a break in the red perpendicular cliff which
forms the coast line, and is about sixty feet high.
The land immediately inside of this is flat, and
almost unbroken, from Cape Loukoul, where its
breadth may be about seven miles, down to the
northern shore of the harbour, where it is not more
than four miles. About midway between the two
there is the little winding valley made by the Kat-
scha, river, and towards the harbour there are trees
scattered here and there. On this flat ground the
army would get plenty of water from the Katscha,
and their advance could be materially assisted by
thesteamers, which could go to within a quarter of
a mile of the shore, and might keep up a terrific
fire on anything on the plain within the range of
their guns. The country inland beyond this
plain does not rise very steeply until near the
harbour, but there seem to be other more ele-
vated plateaux. The fort on the northern shore
of the port, about a mile frOm the entrance, is
the only difficulty for the troops ; for that once
carried, the artillery would destroy the ships and
town of the southern shore without difficulty.
This important fortrep seems regularly built, has
guns mounted, and a ditch surrounding it. The
forts at the entrance to the harbour are most for-
midable. • The land near Cape Kherson is so low,
and the ground between it and the town, inside
the bays, so easy for troops to march over, that the
Russians have seen the necessity of placing no less
than four encampments there to prevent an attack
in that quarter. The number of troops under
canvas must be full 25,000, and is in fact the only
body of troops visible.

The fortifications of the town appear unimpor-
tant ; there is a wall running round it which is
loopholed, but has no ditch, and it seems to have
only one round battery on it. There is a good part
of the hill en which the town stands unoccupied ;
and if this were gained, the arsenal, forts, ships of
war, &c., below, would be easily destroyed. The
combined fleets returned to Baltchik on the 30th of
July, and were still there on the Ist of August.
Three shins of the line remain off Sebastopol, in
hopes of enticing the enemy out.
The public anxiety has been relieved in as far as
regards the rumoured capture of the Sampson. It
would seem that, though now safe, she has been in
a very critical situation—on shore for no less than
sixteen hours, on a rock at about a quarter of a
mil' from the land, between Anapa and Soujak.
Fortunately the Vauban was iu company, and
rendered her every possible assistance. It is not
supposed that she has suffered much injury, but
she has been sent to Constantinople to be examined
and have some defects in her engines made good.
The Furious and some other steamers are on the
look-out for the Russian steamer of war, supposed
to be the Vladimir, which recently ran into Koslov,
took the coals out of two Turkish vessels, to which
she afterwards set fire, and then towed out a third,
to which she set fire at sea.

The Agamemnon had left Baltchik for Constan-
tinople to bring up a number of gunboats and
flat-bottomed boats, to be used in the lauding of
troops and cavalry horses, which leads to a belief
that the long talked of expedition is near at hand.
The combined fleets are free from cholera, save a
French troop steamer, whose crew is living on shore
at Baltchik under tents, doing well, but there are
many cases among the troops at Varna. Colonel
the Hon. L. Maule, assistant adjutant-general,
was among those suffering seriously therefrom.
The master of the Britannia has been appointed
acting-master of the fleet by Admiral Dundas, and
Mr. Hockley to be acting master.