The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-04 00:00:00

cross.

THE CRIMEA.

A letter from Constantinople of the 21th, in the
Gazette du Midi, says :

"On the 19th the whole coast of the Crimea
was visited by a heavy gale of wind, which lasted
for several hours and caused some damage. An
Austrian vessel, having 100 oxen and 200 sheep on
board, was driven into the bay of Sebastopol, and
on approaching Fort Constantine she was fired at
by the Russians. The captain and crew took to
their boat and abandoned her, and she soon after
went on shore on the south side of the bay. The
Russians kept firing on her during the whole day,
and at length she was set fire to and destroyed
with all her cargo. An English vessel, the Caledo-
nia, which had anchored on the previous day in the
roadstead of Kamiesh, was driven on shore, where
she soon bilged and filled with water. She was
laden with coals for the squadron. The captain
and crew, instead of remaining on, where they
would have been all safe, unfortunately took to
their boat, which was soon after swamped, and
they were all drowned. An American vessel, the
Cortes, laden with hay, went on shore near the
same place ; crew and cargo saved. Five other
vessels of different nations have also gone on shore
on different parts of the coast, and their cargoes
will be much damaged. The sea ran very high
during the gale, and the weather was so thick that
it was impossible to see a vessel's length ahead.
The thermometer was at 15 deg. below zero Centi-
grade (5 Fahrenheit), and the cold, rendering the
working of the vessel difficult, contributed mate-
rially to cause the accidents which occurred. On
the same day the glass at head-quarters stood at
18 deg. C. (1.75 F.) It afterwards went up to
zero, the mist cleared off, and on 22d the weather
was delightful."

THE BALTIC.
THE RAISING OF THE BLOCKADE,

KIEL, Dec. 31.—The intelligence which reached
this place yesterday by telegraph, of the raising of
the blockade of the Russian ports, as announced in
the Gazette, gave, as you may suppose, great cause
of rejoicing to the neutral shipowners at this and
the neighbouring ports in the Baltic, and the ar-
rangements which had previously been commenced
for the shipment of goods to Russia have already
been greatly extended. As the navigation con-
tinues to be perfectly open, one vessel sailed from
hence yesterday, and the demand for shipping at
Lubeck is so great that they are now chartering
vessels here to proceed from hence to that port for
the purpose of loading for Port Baltic. The aston-
ishment of all here at the unaccountable conduct
of the English Government in the matter it is im-
possible to describe. It would almost appear that
they have even connived at the overland trade with
Russia through Prussia ; and it must be observed
that as no English men-of-war now remain in
these waters there is nothing whatever to prevent the
most extensive trade in articles " contraband of
war " being freely carried on with the ports of the
enemy, which says little for the energy with which
we have of late heard that the war would now be
carried on until it was brought to a satisfactory,
honourable, and permanent conclusion.
At a time like the present, when it has become
almost a matter of necessity that the sincerity of
the Allies should admit of no doubt, if they wish
truly to enlist in their cause the Governments of
Sweden and Denmark, the course now following as
to the blockade cannot be sufficiently reprehended.
The only parties who derive any advantage from it
are the Russians, from the supplies which they re-
ceive, and those who either from commercial rela-
tions or other reasons espouse their cause in other
countries, and who do not fail to attribute to the
weakness and consequent desire for peace on the
Allies that indulgence to their adversary for which
they say it is impossible otherwise to account. The
weather is mild--no ice to be seen here—and the
thermometer stands at 38 Fahrenheit.

PRUSSIA.
A letter from Berlin of the 31st ult., in the
German Journal of Frankfort, says :—" Nothing
has yet transpired of the contents of the autograph
letter of the King to the Emperor of Austria sent
by Colonel de Manteuffel, and which is a reply to
the request of the Emperor Francis Joseph, that
Prussia would support the last Austrian proposi-
tions sent to St. Petersburg. It is not expected
that any
change will take place in the policy hi-
therto pursued by Prussia. The mission of Colonel
de Manteuffel has for object to establish a good
understanding between Prussia and Austria, and if
peace is not restored this understanding will be
the less difficult, as Austria has not entered into
any obligatory engagements relative to the propo-
sitions in question. This is a fact, whatever may
have been said to the contrary."
The men of the Roumoon border battalions of
the Banat, Slina, and Waradin have already left
Bucharest to return to their homes. _ _

A letter from Vienna, of the 30th ult., states
that a treaty of commerce has just been concluded
between Austria and the _Netherlands, and au
arrangement has also been come to that Austrian
interests in the East Indies shall be represented by
the Dutch consular agents established there.

A letter from Berlin of the 27th nit., in the
Austrian Gazette, says :—" Much importance is
attached to the mission of Baron de Seebach, prin-
cipally on account of the intimate relations which
exist between that diplomatist and the Court of
Russia. The poli,:y of the secondary States of
Germany is not unconnected with this mission, al-
though M. de Seebach is Saxon minister at Paris.
Ho has also been the friendly representative of
Russian3interests in the French capital, and acted
in that quality in the exchange of prisoners."

..... .M.m.....,..0

AUSTRIA.
When the reduction to a peace footing of the
third and fourth Austrian army corps standing in
Gallicia, Hungary, and Transylvania, was an-
nounced, it was stated in some quarters that the
Austrian army of occupation in Moldo-Wallachia
was to be reinforced. The Dresden, Journal—a
semi-official print--is now informed from Vienna
that this latter corps is also to be reduced.