The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-30 00:00:00

COSS.

THE CRIMEA.

GENERAL CANROBERT'S DESPATCH.
The following is the despatch of General Canro-
bert, dated before Sebastopol, 13th :

"M. le Ministre,—l have already informed you by
my telegraphic, despatch of this day we opened the
trenches in the night of the 9th. We had reason to ex-
pect that this work, the preparation of which could not
be entirely concealed from the enemy, would be warmly
disputed; such was not the case. Fa►oured by a very vio-
lent gale of wind from the N. E., the opening of the
trenches was made on the first night to the extent of 1000
metres, without our workmeu being at all disturbed. We
besides contented ourselves to uniting to this work the ex-
tended parallel to our right, which is hereafter to connect
our works to those of the English army. We concentrate
all our efforts on' the construction of a large bastioned
front, which is to serve as a support to our left, and where,
in order to profit by the marked advantages of the posi-
tion, we have placed 56 pieces of cannon, divided into
five batteries. During the whole of the 10th and the
following night, the fire of the enemy vas ♦ery sharp.
At first it was badly directed, but afterwards became
more precise, but our workmen were already covered,
and our couirriunications were not in direct sight of
the fortress. The works went on during the 11th and
12th, without any incident worth rnentioning. Our
losses were only thirty men killed and wounded.
Two weak sorties were attempted by the garrison
without any well-determined object, but they were re-
pulsed. The works of sapping as well as the construction
of the batteries frequently met with serious difficulties
from the nature of the ground, which on many points is
very rocky. I, nevertheless, hope that by the 15th our
batteries will be mounted, and then we shall be able to
open our fire imenedia.tely after. The navy have mate-
rially contributed to their armament with its heavy
guns, which Lord Raglan and myself thought it advis-
able to oppose to those which the enemy had all round
the fortress. Last evening another battery of 10 guns
was commenced under the direction of the officers of the
engineers, behind the Quarantine Port, and very near
the shore. Although these guns will fire at a long
range, I hope that they will usefully play on the bat-
teries which the enemy have in front of the Quarantine.
Prince bfe■achikoff with his army remains in complete
inaction. He is awaiting reinforcements."

THE MENSCHIKOFF DESPATCH.
The Pays makes the following remarks on the
progress of affairs in the Crimea, and on the recent
despatch transmitted to his Government by Prince
Menschikoff

" It is again from St. Petersburg and Prince Men-
schikoff that the most recent intelligence comes from
the Crimea. It comes down to the night of the 20th,
and states that at that period the allies had not as
yet obtained any decisive advantages ; the Prince had
received a part of his reinforcements, and was ex-
pecting the rest. The only fact admitting of no dis-
pute in what this dispatch announces, is that up to
the night of Oct. 20 Sebastopol still held out. But
that news will not astonish any one, as no one could
have supposed that one of the strongest places in the
world could be taken in three days. It is known that
the advanced works must be destroyed, the heights on
the south be seized on, and a breach made in the place
itself, before an assault can be given. These different
operations, carried on under the tire of several hundreds
of cannon, could not be carried into effect all of a sudden,
and, if the definitive result is certain, the straggle ought
to be in proportion to the obstacles. We cannot, be-
sides, form at present more than very vague conjectures
with respect to this matter. The report of the allied ge-
nerals will alone tell us what immense difficulties they
have had to encounter. It must be borne in mind that
Russia has employed 40,000 men during a year in raising
the fortifications which we are now attacking. Numerous.
ravines, almost perpendicular, separate the exterm

redoubts, which protect the wall round the place. The
around is undermined in several places, and infinite pre-
cautions are necessary to avoid dreadful catastrophes.
Each step in advance must be purciaased by prodigies
of precision and heroism, and we shall not be able to
comprehend all the grandeur of the enterprise which is
going on until the details of each day's proceedings are
known to us. The glory of the army has only increased
in men's imaginations since the numerous recitals of its
operations have brought to light all its episodes. Prince
Menschikoff speaks of reinforcements received and ex-
pected. What is their amount ? Do they come from
Perekop or Anapa! Have they arrived under the walls
of Sebastopol, or do they simply hold the country ? We
find nowhere a reply to these questions, as nothing
whatever is positively known of what is passing in the
Crimea. The news from the coast even is exceedingly
doubtful. The German journals announced that Enpa-
toria was retaken by the Russians, whilst the Constan-
tinople journals declare that statement to be inexact,
and one of the thousand rumours which the Greeks of
the country think fit to propagate. In reality, whether
Eupatoria is occupied or not, is of very little import.
At the period of the landing that place was of use, but
since the battle of the Alma its utility has completely
disappeared. The fate of the Crimea depends altogether
on Sebastopol, and it would not be astonishing that
Eupatoria had been voluntarily evacuated by the 500
men who held it, to be retaken again at a later period,
without striking a blow, on the appearance of a vic-
torious army."

We read in the Patrie :—"lt is positively stated
that Admiral Bruat, having renewed the attempt
to establish a marine battery on the ground of
which he had taken a plan at the time he made his
late reconnaissance in Quarantine Bay, Sebastopol,
has attained that important result. A work
mounted with Paixhan guns, lauded from the
French vessels, plays with advantage on the Quar-
antine battery."

TURKEY.
It is stated in a letter from Constantinople of
the 15th that the Sublime Forte has instituted a
council to control the employment of the loan.
This council consists of Rachid Bey, director of
the Bureau of Expenses of the Ministry of Finances,
President ; Cabouli Effendi and Mehemet Bey ;
M. David Glavany, a Frenchman, and Mr. Rsve-
laky, an Englishman. The Minister of Finances
was opposed to the formation of the council, but
the Grand Vizir and the other ministers insisted
on it.

THE WAR ON THE DANUBE.

GALATZ, Oct. 15.—Since the sth instant the
Russian force, has increased near Tultsha, and a
portion of it has crossed the Danube on the right
hank on Babadagh. The Turks near Matshin have
crossed the river in considerable force, and entered
the Dobrudscha. They say that all the Russians
mean, by this passage of the Danube, is to force
the Turks by this manoeuvre of theirs to leave the
Pruth and the Lower Danube. Omer Paella is re-
doubling his efforts to take away from the Rus-
sians ►►ll desire of advancing further into the
Turkish territory, for the Russian troops are by no
means so numerous as they would fain make others
believe. Should they,however, persist in advanc-
ing, the line between Shumla and Varna rises
again into strategical importance, where the
Turkish general must have already assembled large
forces. The Russian reinforcements no longer go
direct from the north to the southern coast, but to
the Danube. On the 10th there arrived at Bender,
from Kishenew, two battalions of rifles, half a
brigade of mounted grenadiers, and two companies
of pioneers. The Austrians are still our garrison
here. The rumour goes that they are, however,
to be relieved by a Turkish garrison.

The Lloyd of Vienna contains a letter from
Schumla of the 15th, which says :
An order arrived here yesterday from Omer Pacha to
have all the troops in the environs concentrated at
Schumla, which seems to intimate that the Turkish
general is on the point of commencing his expedition.
The greatest part of the troops from this place are to
proceed to Varna. Two regiments of militia and three
squadrons of cavalry of the army, placed immediately
under the command of Orner Pacha, arrived here yes-
terday; they will make a stay of a week here, and are
afterwards to proceed to Varna. Two Russian agents
have been just arrested at Basardjiek and taken to Con-
stantinople. They pretend to be commercial travellers
for a house at Salonica. Papers were found on them
showing that they had relations with all the principal
towns of the Turkish empire.