The Press. — 1854-02-18 (London, England)

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.  The Sultan's departure for Adrianople is fixed for the middle of Match. The Porte has contracted a loan with two bankers for twenty millions of piastres, on account of the Servian tribute. Lord Stratford de Bedeliffe assisted in negotiating the advance. General Baraguay d'Hilliers, the Ambassador of France, left Constantinople on the 26th inst. on an excursion to Kara Rournou, accompanied by a numerous suite of French officers attached to the embassy. They were to be absent three days. The object of this excursion was believed to be tx the purpose of fixing upon a suitable spot for the encampment of a French army. A corps of engineers is employed in marking out a camp at Bouyouk-Tchekmeelesche, near the Sea of Marmora, for 40,000 men. This place is six miles from Constantinople. Kurschid Pacha (General Guyon) has resumed the offensive against the Russians in Asia, with 30,000 fcot, 5,000 horse, and 140 guns. Schamyl had received from Turkey a large store of arms and money. He had also been joined by some officers to drill his men. He was pushing forward his armaments with great energy, and almost all Abascia had pronounced in his favour. In the letter addressed by the aimirals to the Commandant of the port of Sebastopol a term of fifteen days was fixed for Russian vessels of war to return to their harbours in the Black Sea.  Private letters from Sebastopol state that an English steamer, the Hayden, had been wrecked at Janikole, near, Sebastopol, on the 30th of January. She was declared a good prize, having Turkish troops on board. The latest news from the principalities, dated Kralove, February 11, states that there were then no preparations indicating an immediate attack on Kalafat. It is stated, however, that the Russian army of the Danube is being constantly reinforced, and that it will speedily number 200,000 men. Further details of some minor, though not unimportant, encounters have arrived. 800 Turks, with eight gun-boats and four sailing-craft, crossed the Danube from Rutschuk to Giurgevo early on the morning of the sth inst. They landed near the quarantine building, and arranged themselves in line of battle. They were received by two battalions of Russians with a murderous fire, which lasted for three hours. The Russians suffered severely, but the Turks finally returned to Rutschuk. It is asserted that the Russians lost in their second unsuccessful attack on Fort Shefkatil upwards of 2,000 men. The Patrie reports, that in the district of Mohedenz, in Wallachia, the peasants have risen against the compulsory service which was imposed on them, their wives, their daughters, and even their young children by the Russian officers, in conformity with the recent edict in the Waltachian Moniteur. At Isvorila, the country people having refused to perform them, the general sent a detachment of 200 Cossacks to punish them. The poor creatures defended themselves courageously, but as they were without arms they could not long make resistance, and were massacred. Some of them contrived to escape, and gave the alarm in the neighbourhood. All the inhabitants of the villages round about, to the number of about 3,000, came up during the night, armed with guns and scythes, fell upon the Cossacks, and destroyed them. The general was preparing an act of dire vengeance, and had repaired to Giurgevo with his brigade for the purpose. As the Russians can no longer derive their provisions by the Danube, they seize on all descriptions of food, thus reducing the unfortunate inhabitants of the Danubian provinces to a state of absolute famine. The Russian troops in Lesser Wallachia are forbidden to go beyond a mile from their camp, or to have any dealings with the treacherous natives.