The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-05 00:00:00

THE INDIAN MAILS.

ALELANDRIA, DEC. 22.—Very bad weather has reigned
in this place during the last fortnight. Heavy showers of
rain, accompanied by strong gusts of wind, stopped during that
time all communications with the shipping in the port. On
the 19th inst. an English steamer was descried making for this
harbour, but, owing to the heavy sea rolling, no pilot dared to
go out to her, and she was seen beating off the coast all day
long. Next morning she tir,t in safely, and turned out to be
the Government steamer Alecto, from Malta, with 20 pas-
sengers for Bombay, and the Indian mails, which she brought
from Malta, owin4 to the Great Liverpool having broken down
between Gibri.:itar and that Island. The Great Liverpool has
just come in With the Calcutta passengers, to proceed by the
Hindo•tatl from Suez, and, after coaling, will return to Malta
in two or three days wtth the passengers for England. The
Alecto returns with the India mails.

The Emmettje, which runs between Syria and this place,
came into this port on the 19th without a pilot, which is a dan-
gerous thing to attempt. She suffered a great dell on her
voyage from Beyrout, having lost all her bulwarks and boats,
with everything on deck washed away by the sea.
Several extensive sales of cotton have lately been made by
the growers of this staple. in Egypt, and, amongst others,
Ibrahim Pacha has sold the whole of his crop (about 20,000
cantars, or 10,000 bales), at ten dollars per eantar, payable in
assignments. These assignments consist of the salaries of all
those employed in the service of the Government, the greater
part of whom have been waiting upwards of two years 14 what
was due to them, and now find themselves under the disagree-
able necessity of selling their claims to the merchants at a loss
of from 20 to 28 per cent.

THE CIRCASSIAN S AND THE
RUSSIANS.

MOSDOS, Nov. 21.-1 am enabled at present to communi-
cate some details relative to the serious events which lately took
place in the east of the Caucasus. At Teflis it was extremely
difficult to ascertain the real facts. Schamyl, the chief of the
powerful tribe of the Tschetschenses, had penetrated, in the be-
ginning of the month of September, into the district of the
tribe of the Avares, who inhabit the valley of Koisu. The
troops under the orders of Schamyl, were estimated at 10,000
mess. With this force the hardy chieftain besieged the little
fortress of Ungoula, which was garrisoned by three companies
of Russians. The mountaineers succeeded in cutting off the
river which supplied the fort; and the garrison, after having
been deprived of water during six days, was compelled to sur-
render at discretion. During the siege the Russian Lieutenant-
Colonel Wasiliski advanced, at the head of a battalion, by a
forced march from Chunsak, to the relief of Ungoula. This
force was attacked by Schamyl with his entire army in the
gardens of a village, where the Russians were encamped.
After a determined resistance, the entire Russian force was
put to the sword by the mountaineers. Whilest these events
were passing M. Blak de Blagenan, the General commanding
the province of Dagestan, marched from the fortress of Temir-
Chantschme, with all the disposable force he could collect
in the province, to attack Schamyl. but the loss of the fortress
of Ungoula, and the massacre of Colonel Wasiliski's battalion,
forced the Russian General to take shelter in the fortress of
Chunsak, where he was besieged by Schamyl, whose forces
were increased by the population of the Avares to 20,000 men.
The Russian General, who feared that the fortress of Temir-
Chantschme, a most important place, might fall into the hands
of the mountaineers whilst it was destitute of troops, made
several attempts to force a passage through the ranks of the
besiegers, in order to return to Temir-Chantschme, which
was his usual head-quarters, but he failed in all his attempts.
Prince Argatinski, another Russian General, arrived with
5,000 men to the relief of the garrison of Chunsak. At the
approach of this force Schamyl raised the siege, and withdrew
into the mountains of Tschet-schen, having compelled the en-
tire population of the Avares to follow him, first having laid
waste the entire country. The loss of the Russians amounted
to 3,000 men, amongst whom were forty-five officers. The
Tschetschenses captured twelve pieces of artillery.— Times
Correspondent.