The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-11 00:00:00

!same direetion. The Russia,ns were quiet tillabent 2
! o'clock or somewhat later ; about that time there was a
flag of truce in the harbour (these are" frequent now,
chiefly for the exch.ange -of prisoners' letters), and as
soon as that was over and the flag down a shell came,
singing across to the English pa. t of the town, pitching
and expledingz :little beyond the south-eastern corner
of the dockyard. , Subsequently to this. the enemy,
tempted, doubtless, by the number of visitors they must
have discovered, threw in *several shells. Coming in
from Sebastopol, over Picket-house-hill, the camp had
quite a homely and snug appearance, as it lay bask-
ing lazily in the Sabbath sunshine, its numerous, smok-
ing chimneys telling of Sunday dinners in preparation e.
and one could hardly fancy that, if all we hear be
true, in a few weeks or months' time this extensive
military city will have disappeared from the earthlei sur-
face, leaving a blackened and ashes-strewn desert.
Although the views of Russia's acceptance of the ultima-
tum appears positive, and is confirmed by recent letters
receive) in camp from Constantinople, a reaction has
taken place in the military mind, and doubt is cast upon
that which, a very few days ago, obtained almost uni-
versal credence. In many cases the wish, perhaps, is
father to the doubt, for there are many here to whom
pe lee is unwelcome. That there is a strong probability
of its being made is evident from the fact of , a commis-
sariat officer hay.ng been sent off to suspend contracts
and st)p supplies iii Constantinople, Malta, and Italy,
and to make such arrangements as plainly indicate an
expectation that hostilities are drawing to a close. If
peace be male, how long shall we be gettieg away from
this is a question one *hears continually asked and
replied to by various, conjectures. A great deal will
of course depend on the amount of shipping that can
be supplied. I understand that the Quartermaster-
General's paople say it would take a year to get men,
materiel,, and stores of all kinds away, and to clear
the English army and its appurtenances entirely out of
the Crimea and Turkey, Probably this is rather an ex-
aggerated estimate of the time re tlly neCesary, and yet,
bearing in mind the immense quantity of things- that
will have to be removed, one can hardly pronounce it so.
The horses alone will require a vast deal of shipping.
Officers whose rank and position in the service entitle
them to horses can hardly be refused, permission to take
theist home, or be fairly compelled (unless compensation
be given) to sell the animals here, where the glut would
render them unsaleable, It is to be expected that huts,
furniture, and all sorts of household property will be
condemned to the flames. I should not suppose that
many persons will be very solicitous to take home Cri-
mean beds, unless it be as- a pleasing memento of vora-
cious fleas and blankets of questionable cleanliness.
But,• however much baggage may be cut down, and
superfluities not worth the carriage consigned to the
flames; the departure of the British army front the East
will be sucha flitting as has rarely if ever been witnessed.
JAN. 29.
The weather continues fine. The Russians fired rather
briskly last night.