The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-05 00:00:00

REPORTED FALL OF SITUMT.A.

(From the _Hampshire Telegraph )

PORTSMOT TH, OCT. 3

IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE FROII CON
STANTINOPLE.

The following communication frnei an Officer of
the British squadron we received this morning.—
he strong fortress of Shuntla has been taken by
storm, after en obstinate rosistance by the :
" Off Tarapia, in the Bosphorus, Aug. 28, 1-!.:729.
" Authentic accounts have just reached us, stating
that Shumla, the strong and almost impregnable for-
tress commanding the passage over the Balkan, has
at length fallen into the hands of the Russians. We
have not, as yet, heard the partieulars of the battle ;
but I apprehend that the slaughter on both sides
trust have been truly dreadicl, particularly amongst
the Turks, who appear to have defended that im-
portant fortress with the greatest obstinacy, under
the direction of the Grand Vizier. Shemla was
rarried by assault ; and the Vizier, the hope of the
Turkish army, with all his Staff, is now a prisoner
in the hands of the Russians. And thus Russia is
now in possession of a garrison which may be con-
sidered as the master-key that opens the door or
high road to the destruction of the Turkish domi-
nions in Europe, should she be inclined to follow
up the splendid successes which have hitherto at-
tended her arms. The vanguard of the Russian
army advanced upon Adrianople, and summoned it
to surrender. This city, the most regular and beau-
tiful in all the Turkish empire, was defended by
Omer Pacha, who, at the head of 25,000 men,
marched out to give the bold invaders battle; but such
is the broken spirit of the Turkish soldiers, that they
no sooner received the first fire of their powerful foe,
than they threw down their arms and fled precipi-
tately in every direction. In consequence of the
general defection of the army of Omer Pacha, lie re-
urned to the Sultan's camp at Ramis Chiflick, near
Constantinople, and submitted his hopeless case to
the merciful consideration of his Royal Master. The
Sultan was about to follow the custom of his prede-
dessors, by ordering the bead of the forlorn General
to be taken off; but after a few seconds' (minutes
would be fatal) reflection, his Majesty, in spite of
Sultanic pride, let fall some tears, and pardoned the
defeated Pacha. On Monday the Mosques were
opened, aid the empire pronounced, by the mouths
of the Priests of Dervises, to be in danger; after
which a Firman or Decree was published, calling
upon every fifth mart to take up arms in defence of
his holy religion; but such is the state of blind in-
difference into which the Mussulmen have fallen,
that even were Mahomet to rise from the dead, it is
a question if they would draw the sword of ven-
geance for him. The Grand Seignior can make no
stand whatever against theßussians ; he cannot now,
out of his hundreds of thousands of fighting men,
collect more round his person than from 18 to
20,000. In consequence of this the invaders are ad

s•ancing with confidence, and have pushed on two
heavy columns, one to seize the castles on the Eu-
ropean side of the Hellespont, and the other to
seize those upon the same side of the Bosphorus.
The advanced-guard of the Cossacks are within
twenty miles of this place; the first column has
reached by forced marches the Castle of Gallipoli,
on the Marmora side of the Hellespont or
Dardanelles. To this place we have sent
the Rifleman, in company with a Turkish
steamer, who has Commissioners on board, for the
purpose of offering terms of peace to Russia; and
we have also dispatched the Hind cutter to Sir Pul•
teney Malcolm►, who is now lying off Tenedos.—
Thus we have no other European companion in the
Bosphorus now but the French frigate l' Armidc.
General Diebitsch, the Commander in Chief of the
Russian invading army, is now within 20 hours'
march of Constantinople. The Ambassadors of
all the European Powers at this place have sent a
deputation to him, calling upon him to halt ; and
strongly protesting against his approaching any
nearer to Constantinople, under the certain pain of
incurring the displeasure of all the Courts of
Europe. In consequence of this it is expected
that the Russians will not enter the city, and hence
that an immediate peace will be the concluding
scene. The Sultan must yield to the terms which
Russia proposes, and which indeed are no more
than the fulfilment of the Treaty of Akcrmann, viz.
the free occupation of the provinces of Moldavia
and Wallachia, and the free navigation of the Bos-
phorus and Dardanelles. It is thought that the
Russians will now insist, pa►ticularly after having
had such a series of splendid successes, on the right
of their ships of war passing the Dardanelles, and
of thus opening an unqualified communication be-
tween the Seas of the Euxine and the Mediter-
ranean."