The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 7, IMO.

House of Lords—the loss of that happy certainty
accruing to the country from the specious and shame-
less and unprincipled' " dodge" which resulted in the
formation of this motley Coalition Government.

The " little war " between Ceuta and Tetuan,
the melancholy little war now commenced over
there between the troops of Spain and Morocco,
is obviously going to make up for its
smallness by the length of its duration. It has no
rapid surprises like Magenta or Palestro, like
Montebello or Solferino —it neither opens with
the roll and rush of an earthquake, nor gives
promise of closing its swift course like the
recent " great war" in Lombardy with the sudden
crash as of a thunderbolt. It begins slowly
and drearily with a few dawdling skir-
mishes in the neighbourhood of Ceuta.
It goes maundering on from day to day, and from
week to week, in the same identical vicinage.
Altogether, there is a good deal of slaughter—
there are a great many prisoners on one side or the
other—but nothing comes of it. There is no ad-
vance—but still at least the reiterated threatening
of an advance—towards Tetuan. The Spaniards
begin making a road thither—having a brush
every now and then with their foes—counting up
their wounds, and scoring off their prisoners ; and
then exulting over a succession of triumphs that have,
nevertheless, left them there, mysteriously, somehow
or other, in the same spot. Yet, triumphs all the
while, according to the victors only second in im-
portance to those decisive victories, about which
Professor CREASY has written a classic tome
for the delight of military students. Happily,
however, this " little war," in North Africa, ap-
pears, in some respects, to be carried on in the
politest way imaginable between the belli-
gerents. There is, at least, that consolation,
or mitigation. Accordingly we read to-day, in the
last despatches received from the Camp in front
of Ceuta—" Considerable progress was yesterday
made with the road towards Tetuan, and it is
said that two days' more work will com-
plete it as far as is intended. It is rather
remarkable that when our troops retire within
their lines, leaving the new road in the power of
the Moors, the latter do it no damage. One
might have supposed, they would destroy at night
the day's work of their enemies, which they, on
the contrary, seem scrupulously to respect. This
is to be accounted for only by one of two supposi-
tions. Either they reckon that when the Spaniards
depart these roads will remain for their use and ad-
vantage, or else they desire to facilitate their
foe's advance to ground favourable to an engage-
ment on a more extensive scale than any that has
yet taken place." So far there are discernible,
even through the calamities of a "little war," like
the one thus dragging its slow length along upon
the borders of Morocco, auguries of some ulterior
advantages resulting by way of compensation.

TITRE COMMUTATION.-SEPTENNIAL

AT-ERAGES.

LATEST NE WB.

- -♦

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Rcuter's office :
THE FRENCH ARMY IN ITALY.
PARIS, JAN. G.

Marshal M'Mahon will, it is asserted, replace
Marshal Valliant as Commander of the French
army in Italy.

THE FRENCH FUNDS.
PARIS, JAN. 6, 12.10 P.m.
Rentes were first done at 68.15, bat have since
become more buoyant, and are now quoted 68.25.

3.25 P.M.
Funds close firm at improved prices. Rentes
68.45, or 15 centimes higher than yesterday.

Court the other day he did not see the Empress,
who was unable to receive him, as she was suffering
from headache.

There is a strong feeling in Moldavia and Wal-
lachia against Prince Couza, and it is thought pro-
bable that attempts will be made to get rid of him.
When he dissolved the two Divans the troops were
kept under arms in the barracks, and the guns
loaded.

By the intervention of the Consuls a reconcilia-
tion has been brought about between the Servian
Government and the Pasha of Belgrade.

SPAIN AND MOROCCO.

(From the Correspondent of the Times.)

CAMP IN FRONT OF CEUTA, DEC. 23.
Another skirmish yesterday afternoon, as General
Prim returned from his road-making expedition.
There was no great novelty in its features ; a good
deal of firing, 30 or 40 men hors de combat on our
side, the artillery reported to have done much
damage to the enemy. Two wounded cazadores were
decapitated by the Moors ; their comrades, hurry-
ing to bear them off, found only the headless bodies.
The enemy showed cavalry, and a small body of it
charged some infantry guerillas. A body of Spanish
cavalry offered battle to a much larger force of
Moorish horsemen, who declined it, and retired on
the advance of a squadron or two. Considerable
progress was yesterday made with the road towards
Tetuan, and it is said that two days' more work
will complete it as far as is intended. It is rather
remarkable that when our troops retire
within their lines, leaving the new road in the
power of the Moors, the latter do it no damage.
One might have supposed they would destroy at
night the day's work of their enemies, which they,
on the contrary, seem scrupulouSly to respect. This
is to be accounted for only by one of two supposi-
tions. Either they reckon that when the Spaniards
depart these roads will remain for their use and
advantage, or else they desire to facilitate their
foe's advance to ground favourable to an engage-
ment on a more extensive scale than any that has
yet taken place.
As a change from camp scones and monotonous
skirmishes, will you step down with me to Ceuta.
The passage of horses, mules, and men has worn
a broad track from the camp into town, and the
stream of life flowing in and out leaves no doubt
as to the right way. You pass out of Head-
quarters camp, where stand groups of staff officers
smoking their after-breakfast cigar, watching a
little firing that has begun to the front, and wait-
ing for the horses that are to carry them to the
scene of action. You skirt the camp of General
Prim, where a band is, of course, playing (Prim's is
the musical division of this army), and a level
ground on the left, where infantry are exercising,
the skirmishers learning to close into groups on the
approach of cavalry. The captains now use pitos
(whistles), on which they sound, the trumpet calls
(the Spanish infantry use trumpets, not bugles).
These whistle-calls are heard and understood by the
men, but are inaudible to the Moors, who had
begun to understand the signals blown on trumpets.
Down the rather steep descent to the gates of Ceuta
you meet muleteers and soldiers, going in and out
with their beasts, fetching and carrying rations
and all kinds of stores. There are some sick men
going in on stretclaers. Officers of all grades
are riding and walking to or from the
town ; here passes a busy commissary, yonder a
weary doctor, coming from a heavy morning's
work in the hospital ; here is a Cabinet courier,
with gold-laced coat and cap, breeches and high
boots ; there are a couple of interpreters,—ono a
mere lad of 16, who speaks as many languages as
he is years old. You pass the wells, where presi-
darios (galley slaves) and others are hard at work
drawing water for camp and stable use, and reach
the outer gate of the town. If, immediately you
have gone through it, you turn sharply to your
left, you come to a nook within the fortifications
where stands a newly-pitched tent, within which
three or four officials, with flashes of lightning em-
broidered on the collars of their blue coats, are
working the oracle—in other words, correspond-
ing with Spain by means of the newly-laid cable
to Tarifa. They tell you tfat they lost a great
deal of their apparatus in the unfortunate catas-
trophe of the Genova at Malaga ; but they have
got a neat little machine, in extremely small com-
pass, bearing the name of " Henley, patentee," by
means of which they are maintaining an animated
conversation with Tarifa, which place, by the by,
I lately erroneously stated to be only 10 miles
hence, whereas it is five leagues, and something
like 20 miles of cable were laid down the other day
—part of which, however, is accounted for by the
great depth of water and violence of the currents
in the Straits. To get into the town of Ceuta you
have to pass through many windings in the for-
tifications, through various narrow places, and
some which in wet weather are pools of mud,
and through sundry small arched gateways, con-
stantly choked by the passage of loaded mules,
parties of soldiers and galley-slaves carrying
heavy burdens on boards or stretchers, by cavalry
and artillery. It is a slow and troublesome
passage, whether on foot or on horseback, and
you are not sorry to emerge from the laby-
rinth upon Africa-square—a large open place with
houses and barracks around it, whence through a
narrow street or two, and round within the ram-

part or sea wall of the town, you reach the bridge
over the creek. Here there is generally a throng
and much traffic, but, once pass that, all is plain
sailing. You find yourself at the foot of a broad
ascending street, leading into the heart of the
town. To your left is the Marina, a road along the
shore of the bay, leading to the outer or eastern
extremity of the little peninsula on which Ceuta
stands.

. I do not know that there is much noteworthy in
a ramble through Ceuta. The convicts' workshop,
where they follow their different trades, has nothing
' very striking about it. They have plenty of occu-
' potion now ; nearly every class of artisan finds
abundant customers in the army. Above all, the
carpenters have lots to do, were it only in supply-
, ing the demand for tables and camp stools, greatly i
needed n the tents, and of which few were brought
from Spain, probably because it was not expected
we should be so long stationary. The very com-
plete, although somewhat irregular pavement of
Ceuta's streets is due to convict labour, and the
labourers have displayed a certain degree of taste
in the. rude mosaics they have formed out of stones
of different colours, which they have so arranged as
to represent trees, elephants and various other
devices. From the beginning to the end of some
of the streets there meanders a seemingly inter-
minable branch with foliage sprouting from it
on either side. These convicts, as I have already
observed, fight extremely well when arms are
given to them. Among them are a great
many old soldiers ; and, moreover, they have a
strong stimulus to do their duty in the field.
—for, if they failed in it, they would return to a
chain and hard labour, while, as a reward for good
service, they may expect liberty, or at least a com-
mutation of punishment. In yesterday's skirmish,
a party of these con finados armados, as they are
called, were disposed as skirmishers, when a small
body of Moorish horse (sonic 50 or 60) charged down
upon them. With the coolness and decision of vete-
rans, they drew together, and received the cavalry
with steady fire and bayonets. Several of the Moors
fell ; the rest were disconcerted, and retired. I
understand that the experiment of arming these
convicts has been found to answer so well that it is
intended to carry it out on a much larger scale.
The large reinforcements expected frem Spain
ought now to be at Algesiras, and very shortly here.
The weather is fine, the sea calm, and everything
favours their transport. 3,000 Basques should be
here before the end of the month. The volunteers
for African service, from the regiments which re-
main in Spain, are very numerous. They are said
to amount to 5,000 men. So that the Spanish army
will soon be able to march away from here in at
least its present strength, or even more, and still
leave behind it a force sufficient not only to keep
the lines, which daily grow stronger, but perhaps
to co-operate usefully by a sortie, should the expe-
ditionary army come to an engagement with the
Moors between this and Cape Negro. Mean-
while, the delay we experience is not alto-
gether unprofitable. The soldiers get used to
fighting in the frequent skirmishes, and gain
confidence by 'seeing that, although obstinate at
.
long shots, and daring in following up retiring
troops, the Moors will not stand a steady onset,
and, above all, dislike the bayonet and artillery. I
hear, by the bye, that it has been stated in foreign
papers that the Moors readily attack with cold
steel, with their yoomias—keen-edged swords, or
long poniards. This is erroneous. The Moor's
favourite weapon is the espingarda, or long gun,
numbers of which have been captured in the diffe-
rent combats. When driven to bay, and unable to
load, they use it as a club, and it is only when it is
broken or struck from their hands that they have
recourse to their side arms. A
characteristic and amusing trait of the Moorish
prisoner made the other day, was related to me by
one present. When he was brought in, an officer
handed a dollar as a reward to one of the soldiers
who had taken him. Wounded though he was, and
terrified though he might be supposed to be the
prisoner no sooner saw the glitter of the coin than
he made a clutch at it. It was the ruling passion
developed under the most unfavourable circum-
stances—the robber instinct triumphing over every
other feeling. The poor wretch seems a sort of
savage, without two ideas, and passes his time in,

invoking blessings on the heads of the Spaniards,
for not having killed him, and in devouring with
wolfish appetite all the bread, coffee, and other
food he can obtain. He is so pleased with his fare
and treatment that he is anxious to send for his
sons and the rest of his kindred to join him in his
repasts, at the expense of the merciful unbelievers.
I lately went over the Serallo, the large, old build-
ing, which stands at about the centre of our camp
and position. It was formerly a palace, and is sup-
posed to have been built for the use of a Moorish
sovereign during it former siege of Ceuta. It his a
spacious patio, or inner native court, with a well in
the middle, and doubtless in its day it was a stately
pile, but it is in an extremely ruinous condition, and
it needs close inspection to detect even faint traces
of former magnificence.
The wind has changed, and has gone round to the
north-west--blasts from the mountains, instead of
gales from the sea. Last week was extremely mild,
now it is getting cold again. Thus we go on,through
continual changes. The working party did not go
out to-day, and the Moors have been quiet. We
are making our preparations to spend as merry
a Christmas as may be possible under the not
very favourable circumstances. I lately was induced
to belibve that we might possibly march just about
Christmas-day, but I see little chance of it now,
and should not be greatly surprised if the new year
still found us here, since it would need but two or
three days of decidedly bad weather to delay the
movement. The most prevalent impression, how-
ever, seems to be that the end of the month will
find us on our way to Tetuan.

DEC. 24, 10 a.m.
Yesterday was a perfectly uneventful day, and
there is no news of any kind.
Weather, calm, gloomy, and damp.