The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-19 00:00:00

THE WAR WITH PERSIAj

A Constantinople letter of the sth says that
Ferukh Khan was to take possession on the 15th of
this month only of the palace assigned for his resi-
dence. According to the news it is unlikely that the
Persian ambassador, supposing him not to have
given up the project of coming to Paris, will arrive
at Marseilles so soon as has been supposed. How-
ever, it was very confidently stated in the official
circles of Paris that ho would really be at Marseilles
by the 22d. A correspondence of the Bth, in the
Constitutionnel, expressea an opinion that Lord de
Redcliffe's negotiations with Ferukh Khan did no
meet with all the success that the English minister
hoped foie "This is but'a conjecture," says the
corre9pooTat, " but*e that is not devoid of
proba,bthtir."- It is -aind that Ferukh Khan was
geeatly dissatisfied with the explanations offered on
the subject of the. 'attitude of the English in the
Persian Gulf, and their recent declaration of war,
and that ho had suddenly broken off the conferences
which were commenced. If the rumours current
are to be believed, M. Thouvenel has offered his
mediation between the two diplomatists.
M. Bourree, the French minister to the court of
Persia, whose arrival at Marseilles is announced by
telegraph, left Constantinople on the Bth rather un-
expectedly. It may be remembered that some time
ago it was thought that he would accompany Ferukh
Khan to Paris. The reason assigned for his abrupt
departure is the sufficiently probable one that be
desires to report to his government the present
state of the negotiations between the English and
Persian Ministers on the Anglo-Persian question.
The V erite attaches no credit to the denial by
the Boersenhalle of Hamburg of the existence of a
defensive treaty between Russia and Persia.
The Presse d'Orient, in speaking of the affairs of
Persia, says :
Eoglish subjects and interests at Teberan have, in
ccnsequence of the absence of all the personnel of their a."
tional legation, been placed under the protection of the
Ottoman ambassador. The capture of Herat took place
on the 26th Oct., but no letters have been received from

that town later than the sth.
A letter from Teheran of Nov. 8, forwarded by
the Constantinople correspondent of La Prose,
gives some details of the circumstances connected
with the taking of Herat. It says :
The greatest joy was caused here by the news of Herat
having at last fallen into the hands of the Persians. When
at first the siege operations advanced but slowly, the
Shah sent there a French officer named Buhler, whoni
he had had for some time in his service, for the purp(o
instructingof the engineers of the Persian troops. That
officer had blonged to the Polytechnic School, an'
according to custom, went to the school at Metz, to
spend two years, at the end of which period be we'
named lieutenant in the French army. Just at that time
Persia required a good officer of engineers, and 0'
Buhler, thinking it a good opportunity to push bis
tune, gave in his resignation, and, withdrawing from the
French army, proceeded to Persia, where, after a short
time, he had given such indubitable marks of abilith
that he was named colonel in the Persian army. *Whet'
the siege advanced so slowly, the Shah sent Col, Bubler
to the force before Herat, and transmitted special orders
to Sultan Murad-Mirza, the commander in-chief, te
follow the French officer's advice in everything relating
to the works before the town. The day after his arrival,in the beginning of August, Colonel Buhler e::
trusted by the prince with the command of the oper.
tions, and at once gave an immense impulse to th:
works. The approaches to the town were entirely Prio
tested, and bodies of troops were sent out to kee,l)
check the tribes in the neighbourhood,- whom mos.
Mahomed was exciting to rise against the Persiseo
These diversions had an excellent effect. Theo the
tribe of the Azareh, and the population
or
Ghour, were reduced to neutrality, and Tirat)the
Konli Khan, the most important chief in f
country, repaired to Teheran to make profession
his friendly disposition towards Persia. On the s°nth
side an advance was made towards the chain of nee„,
rs
tains which extend in the direction of Candahar ; whirde
at the same time, operations were carried on taw
pet
Furrab, so as to counteract the movements of iLd
Mahomed, who, at the instance of the English,
A to
gone in person to Candahar. All the efforts Ina" a,
stir up the natives of the country failed before the rated
of the Persian commander ; one of the most necbed
military chieftains, the Sultan Ali Khan, was iedu ea
even to quit Candahar with his family, and to come atati
claim at Herat the protection of the General Soup to
Murad-Mirza, who allotted to him an asylum ale('
to his rank in the province of Khorassan, whilst be :be,
one of his vassals, the chief of the tribe of the cos.
zais, to present his homage to the Shah, at ..""escer-
As soon as the result of these operations had been ate to
tained, the besiegers established three strong P°B,
the eastward, at Bihrond Khan, at the sources J.
tber
river Heriroud; which flows past Herat, and at °end
places. This service was performed by thq cavalry 'siege
towards the end of the month of August
batteries were in a condition to open fire, and tthheea,tiieciiig
was commenced against Fort Nouchki, ThearTa'need
was well served, and the trenches were ev_ithia
regularly until they approached in some places
ten metres of the ditch which surrounds thent Us,
The defensive works of Herat consisted of .l'as:
tioned wall, which was raised during the siege of
and which had forced the father of the reign.uyer°vieers
after many useless efforts, to raise the siege.
Company's ser
some English officers of the East India
vice had added exteriNorouwcoiarkkis:
fort just mentioned,
of no very great strength in front of the Gate ttaio
andth e ke
car
ryt
wino w
thor_cthi
fiewc.
aa.
otnel
the whole surrounded by a rather deep. ossde. 04h
ueernetwyshe on;_nt
Affghans by their frequent sortiesmore
works.
In ". the Persians were steadily making theirthaanvoannccesetb_ese_.-
ceeded in partially destroying the _
eera
given in the English language skirmishes the word of command
inwdaesedfretqh
;officers were present
as."
the slightest doubt that E
was an attempted attack made by a company of rel, 4 the place. One of the most curious incidents of
_the.Sileslaii,
consent of their leaders, listened to the repeated 10'..lja
at an advanced station, who, without the knowled.
tion given them by some traitors within the city, ;et,
one dark night surprised a tower, from which, howeivere
the Persians, overwhelmed by superior numbers, their
obliged to retreat with the loss of two-thirds of t'ed
number. If this movement had been better arreP-tto
and supported Herat would probably have fallen
the power of the Shah that very night. were
At the beginning of October the trenc.--
so far advanced that Colonel Buhler pledgeda
place
self, in a despatch to the Shah, that the fnced
was the ruler of Persia that the French
would be taken within a given time, and so coy— uo
caw wroaog
make good his promise that he raised him to the
pd
of general. The exterior works were deetroY-_,so,
mining, and several breaches were effected in thefiato
Everything was ready for the assaalt, and the wet,
had made all their preparations for the flea
hies
when the besieged, reduced to the greatest extrenuuencso
famine and wishing to prevent the terrible conseciritate4
of the forced capture of the town by an WO. to the
by a long resistance, despatched Mir-Abdol-Asl`.;oler•
Persians, to declare the town was willing to se'ho cony
This overture being well received, Yssa Khan, viLencon'eci
manded the garrison, issued from the town, anvil and
nied by all the chief personages belonging to :ty n, 010,
military, and proceeded to the Persian camp t° make
his submission to Murad-Mirza. The prince r',,f ooa
ff.°
him with great kindness, and with an assurancef heir
treatment. Immediately after the gates taws t
were thrown open and the Persian troops Tooeur to
entrance, in such perfect order as to do great .11,.t is we;
the discipline acquired in the Shah's army. -1-
°levee Woe
thy of remark that not a single act of vi
.ii;ere
committed. Murad-Miiza established
him
„gibe. ..,„r
citadel with four of his regiments. The 5 f.ct
per •-• reia
guarded by Persian sentries, and the most
u_A Se rat'
established in the town. All the country aro ba tb°
for a distance of 40 leagues, is militarily occuspale; blow
Persians, and the chiefs of the Affghan tribes
ing in from all sides to the commander-in-chief.

REDUCTION IN TBE BATE OF DISCOuIv

(From, the Times' City Article.) • rst°
The Bank of England yesterday have lowered their ....e
of discount from 6) per cent., at which it has stood der
the last fortn4ht, to 6 per cent.
be ou b e
adopted Althoughwi
it t
hwians
a knownweek thate r t
two,
teh, ea
emde at skuerree ;ease cyeerettaeirtiot,i7d,
a strong impression in several quarters that it would ,
pounced forthwith, it seemed to create some surprise, tit"
caused an immediate movement in the funds of nearly"
half per cent. According to the last Gazette return th
stock of bullion and the reserve of notes were beyond thet
amounts at which they stood when the reduction to 6 11,,
cent. was resolved upon in May last, and there is reasoo 0,
suppose the next statement will exhibit a fresh iniPr°,/,,,0
went. Meanwhile the Red Jacket, which is noW 84 alas
out from Melbourne, may bo expected at any moment
a further quantity of gold, and an unusually heavy rcceel,o
of silver is to be hoped for a fortnight hence by the
nest
Mexican steamer. The American remittances ore due
likely to be considerable by the Persia, which will be
on Saturday. Hence, although the drain to I 1' iii
tinues upon an unex lid:.. cos-0.
pected scale, and prevents anY rerfiro•
Pent revival of the continental exchanges, the suPPli vo
mises fully to keep pace with the demand, and there; 00
ground for maintaining a rate higher than that of
neighbours. With regard to any further relaxation, 000
over, the prospect must now depend almost entireli sor,
the course of financial affairs in France and Gururafor
Probably, in conseuence of the reduction here 37138ebitioll
the Bank of France may speedily remove their prolo 00a
against bills having more than 60 days to run, but liorii.
this there seems no immediate likelihood of any German
tion being found practicable in that country. In te
and Holland, after some temporary signs of ease, the It
donor lately has been towards an increase of pressure; the
is therefore necessary to recognise the possity 03,403,
rate now fixed way have to be maintained for Houle." the
and this consideration apparently led to a reaction 100 tgl.
Stock Exchange during yesterday afternoon fro,n3 t 13,400
vanced quotations which were realised when the alter"
was first made public. like, to diP
es(4)npnetrs
caenndt.tofolroatunosnuepyonatsecaclulr,itaines,..l
The reduction announced yesterday applies 3"-- y n
rate"-
The discount establishments have reduced their ro je.
for_oi
onpositsks withfor
desepvoesnits
isdays'
reducednotice.
cent the Jthutsw
„della)
MADAME TIISSAUD'S EXHIBITION.—Jl3 COnSe' an
of the approaching holidays, numerous additions
or%
improvements are, we understand, in progress. Alii 0
the latest additions is a portrait model of Ecbe°l3' a
to 5 per cent.
notorious for frauds committed while in the service
09
tilt: Crystal Palace Company. We understan pt
altliougtt the attendance at this popular eStabliseDy37oo
Was more considerably increased than on any Area
occasion, not one accident occurred.