The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-25 00:00:00

THE BLOCKADE IN THE BALTIC.

On the 14th inst. the steam-frigate Sampson, 6, Capt.
Brook, left Faro Sound with despatches for the senior
officer (Capt. Watson, C. 8., of her Majesty's ship Im-
perieuse, 51) and letters from the advanced squadron,
and at 2 p,m. of the next day the Imperieuse and Py-
lades, 21, Capt. D'Eyncourt, got under way for a cruise
in the Gulf of Finland. The day was beautifully fine,
with a gentle breeze from the north-west ; thermometer
at 26 deg. Fahrenheit. Faro Sound was completely
frersn over, but the two vessels made their way through
it without any difficulty. On getting outside they found
the sea perfectly smooth and the weather most agree-
able, but towards sunset it became very cold ; sail was
shortened and furled, and the two ships went on towards
the old cruising ground, where one of them bad weathered
so many storms during this war. About 9 a.m. detached
pieces of ice were seen floating about, and two or three
large floes passed during the night. The main body of
the ice was not, however, fallen in with until about 5.30
a.m. of Sunday, when from that time to 10 a.m. the
ships passed through about 30 miles of it ; the morning
WAS ushered in by a magnificent sunrise. To one look-
ing from the island of Dago perhaps the most interesting
part of the scene would have been the solitary ships
moving through a sea of ice, and spurning the obstacles
' which name in their way. At 7 a.m. the Imperieuse
encountered two small vessels from, Lubeck so
itnbedded in ice that it was impossible for
them to proceed to their destination or return
whence they came. The history of their move-
ments for the previous six weeks is somewhat curious,
and proves that, instead of a brisk trade having been car-
ried on between Russia and other countries (as was so
confidently asserted in England), the Russian ports have
positively been inaccessible to any sort •f vessel wkat-
ever. These brigs left Lubeck on tie Ist of February,
and on the lath, when 15 miles from Port Baltic, were
compelled to return in consequeace of a firm barrier of
ice, through which it was impossible for them to pene-
trate. On the 7th of March they again started, but, in-

stead of getting within 15 miles of their port, they are
now frozen in at least 170 miles from it, with no pros-
pect of getting liberated for the next three weeks. After
communicating wth these vessels a light, breeze sprang
up from the N.W., and, taking advantage of the channel
which the Imperieuse and Pylades had made in the ice,
the Lubeckeri followed in their wake, vainly hoping for
a way to be made for them out of their "fix ;" but they
had not gone many miles when, from. the firm and com-
pact state of the ice, and not being able from the mast-
head to see any open water, the senior officer most judi-
ciously determined on not penetrating further, which
the brigs perceiving, rounded to again, and in all pro-
bability will have to wait till a general break up takes
place. Sail was now made, and, passing Dago at about
eight miles' distance, the Inaperieuse stood down the
Baltic, passed Oesel about sunset, and was off the coast
of Courland at 8 a.m. on Monday, the 17th inst.; passed
within 10 miles of Windau, and, sailing along parallel to
the coast, was off Libau at sunset and arrived at Dantzic
at 11.30 p.m. of the 18th, and left for Faro after com-
pleting coal.