The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-19 00:00:00

DUTCH MAIL.

THE HAGUE.—Au°. 12.—0 n the 7th of this month
a great misfortune befel the commune of Noordlaren.
About four o'clock on the afternoon the lightning struck
the house of the farm, Willen Assies, one of the largest
farm houses there, so that in a moment the whole build-
ing was in flames. The barn being full of hay and
corn, it was impossible to save them. The inhabitants
of Noordlaren were obliged to confine their exertions to
endeavour to save the neighb airing houses, but they
could not prevent the flames from setting fire to the
opposite house, likewise one of the largest farm-houses
in the place ; and as the stock of hay and corn was
very lane the whole was totally destroyed. It was with
great difficult)', and with the assistance of the inhabitants
of the environs that the flames were hindered from spread-
ing still further. On the same day, at the same hour,
a similar disaster took place in the village of Zandt. A
violent thunder-storm burst over the fortress of Koe-
vorden, where the lightning struck a chimney, and the
electric fluid passing through the roof, entered a cham-
ber were three lads were at work, who were completely
stunned, but not hurt, and passed through an open win •
dow. Several labourers at work in the fields, in different
parts of our province, have suddenly fallen down dead,
in consequence of the intense heat that we have lately
had. _ _

VENLOO, AUG. 11.—The accounts of the disease in
the potatoes in our environs are different. It seems,
however, to be of little importance.
THE HAUGE, AUG. 13.—His Excellency Prince Ester•
hazy, formerly Austrian Ambassador in London, and
suite, coming from Konigsworth, has arrived here.
AMSTERDAM, AUG. 14.—We learn from Hanover that
Prince Albert, son of Prince Albert of Prussia, arrived
there on the 10th, on a visit to the King, intending to
go, on the next day, to Wangoroog. Prince Albert of
Prussia arrived on the 11th, at Hanover, and prcceedcd
next day to the Hague.
We learn from Bremen that the Dutch war-steamer, the
Cyclop, arrived on the 9th, at Bremen, having to take
on board a lady of distinction, who was expected there,
and bring her to Holland.

THE CAUCASUS.
(EXTRACT FROM A PRIVATE LETTER.)
'rums, JUNE 20.—You have doubtless been informed
by the official statement of the General-in• Chief of the
incursion made into Kabardah by Schamyl in the be-
ginning of this month ; but that brief and miserable
document can only have given you a very incorrect idea
of that equally important and unexpected event.
I wish I had sufficient talent to depict the inex-
_

pre)sible confusion, the incredible fright, which the
sudden news of the apparition of the famous prophet of
the Tschetscnenses, at the head of an army of more than
20.000 mountaineers, produced, not only on all the line
between Grosnaia and Jekaderinodar, but even amongst
the inhabitants of our quiet capital. The fright was so
great that the enemy was believed to be already at the
gates of our city. The unfortunate inhabitants of the
ICubardah had much more reason to be frightened than

we, who are separated from the spot on which the war
has broken out by the great Alpine range of the Cau-
casus, and protected by good fortifications and a suffi
cient garri.on. Those who suffered the most from this

:ast sudden impetuous attack made by the mountaineers
are the unfortunate Cossacks, of the line lately settled on
the banks of the Sundja and the Teack, and who were

too widely spread over the country to be enabled to offer
a combined or much resistance. Here are, in a few

words, some positive thtails imparted to me by a person
well informed, who has just returned from Wladikawkas.
Towards the end of April Schamyl was on the banks
of thi, Argun, at the head of a small army, almost ex-
clusively formed by Tschetschenses (amounting to
nearly 5,000 men), about 60 versts south of Grosnaia.
At the same time he sent emissaries into Daghestan and
Lesgistan to call the tribes to arms, and to promise them
in his name the spoil of the whole country belonging to
the Kabardians, who had submitted to Russia. This
time Schamyl's promises and proclamations met with
greater success than they had ever done before. A
number of persons hastened to join him from every di-
rection. His small army was rapidly increased by the
Lesgians, the Acoares, the Tojusches, the Gumbites,
and other tribes from the mountains which surround the

province called Great Tschetschina, followed the ex
ample of the Tschetschenses, and brought to the service
of their famous chief the strength of their arms, their
courage, and their love of pillage and of booty.
General Freytag, commander of the fortress of Gros-
naia, had been informed by his spies of a considerable
movement in the interior of the forests of Tschetschina,
and of Schamyl's intention to invade Kabardah. But
the Russian General being aboastomed to hear the same
news constantly repeated, and to see the threats of the
enemy followed by no hostile attempts against Kabardah,
considered those of Schamyl as idle words, and did not
pay much attention to the meeting of large forces in
Tschetschina, thinking that their leader intended to em-
ploy them in the defence of his residence, Widin, against
which General Freytag was preparing an expedition.
But Schamyl, who had heard that the Russians were
marching all their forces towards the East, for the two
expeditions which were to take place in summer against
Tschetschina and Daghestan, immediately determined
to proceed westward with the whole of his forces. It is
probable that the difficulty of procuring provisions for
the immense number of partizans whom the manly lan-
guage of his proclamation had induced to join his stan-
dard, obliged him to adopt that sudden resolution, the
boldness of which can only be appreciated by those ac-
quainted with the nature of the seat of war, and the
strong position occupied by the Russian army on the
right wing of the line of operation. Schamyl crossed
the Sunja between Wladi, Kaukas, and Nasran. All the
st,nitzas (villages) built by the Cossacks during the last
three years along the right bank of that river were sur-
prised, plundered, and committed to the flames. Most
of the men escaped (thanks to the swiftness of their
horses), but the vve.m, n, old men, and children, were
made prisoners, and, shortly afterwards, the greatest
number were put to death by an order of Schardyl, whose
march was impeded by so large a cgrivoy of prisoners.
The success of his enterprise, it is true, depended on the
rapidity of his movements, for the alarm had been spread
along the entire line, and Generals Nestorow and Freytag
were collec;iug in all haste their tiisposable force to
per.nte the enemy and cut off the retreat of Schamyl.
The latter marched through Lower Kabardia, and crossed
the Terek, bete een Jekaderinagrad and Prischipskaja,
and on reaching the steppes of Upper Kabardia, he
formed his army into two divisions, one of which, under
his own command, proceeded towards the north, me-
nacing Georgia-fsk, whilst the other, headed by the Naib
Haiti - nuret, advatic.A towards the west, in the direction
of the territory of the Kubardia and Tartar tribes, in-
habiting the steppes to the north of the Elbrus. A small
portion of the Kabardians, frightened at the approach of
those savage hordes, which threatened them with de-
struction. j• lined the standard of Schamyl. Other tribes
iutrenched themselves in their souls_ or villages, and op-
posed an obstinate resistance ; but the main part of the
population abandoned the country and retired towards
the north, in the direction of Stavropol. Upwards of 60
(wills were taken, plundered, and burnt by the enemy.
The number of stanitzas, or Cossack villages, which fell
into the hands of Schamyl is not exactly known, but is
estimated at between 16 and 20. After ravaging the
country between Georgiefsk, Schamyl suddenls marched
to the east, re-crossed the Terek, between Mardok and
Naurskaja, and re-entered the defiles of the Upper
Tschetschina, without having experienced any severe
los% from the inability of the Russian troops, in pursuit
of him on three different points, to come up with his
•;ntiti force. There were some skirmishes between the
Cossacks and the cavalry of Hadj Muret, who had effected
a junction with Schamyl in Lower Kabardia, and formed
his rear-guard. The mountaineers, in one of these en-
counters. 'left 200 kilh'd in the field, but upwards of
1,500 Kabardians followed Schamyl into the mountains,
and the booty captured by him in Kabardia is immense.

Sir James Graham, Bart., passed through Carlisle on
Saturday, en route for Netherby, where the 'Right Hon. Baronet is
expected to remain some time. It is stated that the principal object
of his visit is connected with the effects of the recent floods upon his
estate, and the stock and crops of tenantry, which are considered to
require particular attention.—Carlisle Patriot.
NEW SIGN OF DEATH.—The following important
discovery is calculated to be of great service in cases of suspected
death. The communication was lately made to the Royal Academy
of Sciences, Paris, by 31.Ripault, who, in directing the attention of
members to the discovery, observed, that it consisted in perfect
flaccidity of the iris when the globe of the eye is compressed in two
opposite directions. If the individual be living, the pupil retains its
circular form, notwithstanding the compression ; It dead, the
apwr-
ture becomew irregular, mid the circular form is lost.