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    frat an earlier despatch received at Marseilles says ¦ that everything is in proper condition , and the assault expected . The scaling ladders were ready , and ¦ when the firing is ordered to be recommenced it will "be simultaneously from 410 guns . A letter in the Constitutionnel describes the position of the Russian army out of Sebastopol : —¦ " As to tlie land forces , they are at present between the Belbek and the Tchernaya , guarding with great care the

    road from Simferopol to Baktcbi-Sarai , by -which alone they receive their supplies . They are now making an entrenched camp on the positions of the Belbek and of the Tchernaya , thinking that , because the heights of the Chersonese have become impregnable in our hands , their Gamp will be so likewise . Let them go on , for we know that , once" that the town is taken , the famous northern ffcrt will not be able to hol < l out two -weeks , deprived of ¦ water as it is , and soon deprived of everything , when we shall have the command of the road to Simferopol . "

    Some improvements are announced in the humanity of our enemies . A Russian ukase ordains that whoever after a battle commits acts of cruelty on . the wounded or unresisting shall suffer the punishment of death . They have also given notice that any Russian subject resident in the kingdom of Poland who shall quit the imperial dominions without leave , will be punished by the confiscation of his estate and effects . A levy of ten men in every thousand has been decreed throughout the eastern half of the empire .

    At Odessa great fears were entertained of another attack . It is said to be garrisoned by 50 . 000 men , arid various new batteries have been erected .

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    EXPLANATIONS FROM HIGH SOURCES ^ Galigndni has an article on the war which professes to have been " communicated , " - ' as far as regards facts , from an authentic source—evidently at British head-quarters . The fact of Sir De Lacy Evans having been at Paris will doubtless ! solve the mystery , and give a proper value to an anonymous statement :- — " The most striking point in the communication with which we have been favoured is the fact that of the distinguished officers of the British army in the Crimea who at Varna expressed their disapprobation of the expedition at so late a period of the year , and of the plan which had been formed for its execution , not one

    now entertains a doubt of complete and not distant success . They foresaw the inconvenience and dangers to which the allied armies would be exposed , the privations which they would have to undergo , and the facilities which would be left open to the Russians for reinforcement ; but they now regard them as evils which have ceased , and look forward with confidence to a result which will efface the remembrance of all the blunders which have been committed in the strange and sudden alternation from a policy of inaction to one of an almost rash energy , which must have been fatal but foi the courage and prudence of the Commanders-in-Cliief of the two armies , and the gallantry of the bravo troops whom they had to lead into the field . As regards

    the privations of the English troops , we are compelled to admit from the authentic accounts that vro have received , that they have been great ; liut it is not true , as stated in an English journal , that there has been a deficiency in the provisions which had been sent out . The rations have been occasionally short , hut this arose entirely from the state of the roads between Balnklava and the English lines , a distance of about seven miles . In consequence of the heavy rains , and the weak state of tho horses and mules employed—these animals having for live months been picketed without tho slightest covering —many of tho carta and waggons stuck by the way , and consequently tho aokliora were temporarily short of food . This misfortune , however , -vraa only occasional , and has now ceased . It appears also that sonic of the newspaper correspondents have exaggerated the number of tho Hussion avmy in tho Crimea . Tho real amount was not

    known evon by Lord Raglan , for tho information that he had received came from deserters , of whom no two accounts agree . One of the best genornls of tho English jinny-declares that ho cannot estimate the number of tho Kvissiim army outside Sobnstonol at moro than from JJ& , 000 to -10 , 000 men . In tho communication which wo have received allusion is mado to tho Lancaster gnna , roapocting which such grout expectations have hovn entertained . On this subject ayo will quote our informant "*) words : ' Tho Lancastor guns im > a failure—their power is enormous when tho ball strikes tho point at wluch it ia ( limed ; but tho gun rnmly sends two balls to tho Hiuno point , nnd na yot no meann have been found to prevent this deviation . In nn ordinary gun this dofoul would not he so important ; but tho enormous ojqieiiHo of eyftry ball ( ircd from n Lancuoter gim renders it , ivnportttiblo to indulge in a system by which only one ball in nix . reaches tho object « t which it m diachurinsd . ' "

    FoiniTtron ani > innwrnsNiiia of tiim owiomta . Wo give tho following extracts from a letter of the Times correspondent in tho Crimea . They urc interesting , but , it must bo admitted , mtliur contradictory ;—'' OilicwB in huge Bailors' boots , purouatwl at

    Balnklava for about five times then * proper price , trudge on earnestly in the expectation of being able to carry back to their tents the pot of preserved meat or the fowl bought at a fabulous cost in that model city of usurydom ere the allotted portion of wood Tinder the cooking tins has been consumed . It requires a soldier ' s eye to tell captains from corporals now . Mounted on draggle-tailed and unkempt ragged ponies covered with mud , the pride and hope of our aristocracy , of our gentry , of our manufacturing bourgeoisie , of our bankership and : shipping owners , and money-owning and money-making classes , ¦ with dubiously-coloured faces , tattered and bepatched garments , and eccentric greatcoats and head gear , are to he seen riling Tip and down the filthy passes between Balaklava and the camp , carrying ; out ligneous hams or dishevelled turkeys , strings of onions , sacks of potatoes ,

    Dutch cheeses , almost as fatal as . Russian bullets , bread , ¦ the worst varieties of , ' Croldner , ' bottles of wine and "brandy , crocks of butter , and assortments of sausages , from the economical but nasty saveloy up to the besilvered and delicate Bologna . They are decidedly ' disreputable-looking . ' The liveliest suspicions of Bowstreet would be excited at their appearance in court . They are hairy and muddy , as the police reports would say , in short , * wearing the air o » f foreigners ; ' but the vast majority of them are the noblest , cheeriest , bravest fellows in Europe—men who defy privation , neglect , storm , and tempest—who , in the midst of difficulties , rarely despond and . never despair , and who comfort and animate by the brightest examples of courage and high valour , of constancy and imfluvehiflg resolution , the gallant fellows arovmd them . . .

    " The munber of applications sent to Lord Raglan for leave to retire , to sell . out , or to go on half-pay , is said to be very great- The Duke of ¦ Wellington had to contend against the same evil in Spain . It is said—but I do not know whether there is any good ground for the assertion , and I am inclined to think there is none—that after Lord George Paget ' s name appeared in orders as having received permission to re-tire , no less than 180 applications to sell o \ it or go on half-pay were sent in to the commander of the forces . Some of these have , it is stated , been acceded to—that is , Lord Raglan has sent

    them to the Commander-m-Chief of the army , with rather sarcastic recommendations that the permission sought for he granted ; others have been refused , inasmuch as the colonels of the regiments to which the applicants belonged did not approve the application . If report be true , i ndeed , some of thes « gentlemen were ¦ ' great loss , ' and the army is "well rid of them . One young person , who recently retired , and who belongs to tlie nobility , to vrhose gallant conduct here he offered a striking contrast , had been publicly rebuked by his commanding officer for his disorderly and pusillanimous behaviour before he retired . " ¦ - '

    MISERY EST THE TRENCHES . An . officer of the Royal Regiment thus describes some of the hardships which are borne so bravely : " My last letter left the camp at daylight this morniaig ; it was then raining , it increased , then cleared up at twelve ; but the floodgates of heaven soon broke loose , and such rain as pours down is only known in the tropical monsoons . It strenms down the hills in rivers ; and tlien you sec the evening guards , pickets , an d working parties marching off to the trenches for the night , soaked to the skin before starting . How can these men live ? Tho death reports will bo sent to me in the morning , and probably to-morrow p . m . many of "them will be for ever

    out of sight in this world . It is of daily occurrence , — ton died last night , twenty the night before , and so on it goes . But this is only in my brigade—I don ' t seo tho returns of other corps . All the trifling detachments s « ut out here are but as a drop in . the ocean ; thirty of my last draught ( they have been horo but twelve tli \ ys ) are under ground , besides many ol < l soldiers . I cannot see clearly how any of the groat army can stand out tho winter ; the stoutest men are giving- way . How osm it bo otherwise , living , or trying to Live , almost naked , in mud , and worked to death in spongy rags hanging in tatters about them , and covered with Russian vermin V They cannot , help it ; but so it is , and tlvero ia no use in any deception . "

    THE TOWN OF SEBAHTOrOJU Tho defences in tho town have been greatly increased . Many of tho houses can bo soon to be loopholcd , and guns arc planted iu nearly all tho streets . A battery has boon orocted in the Place ( L'Arincs , tho guns of which enfilade several streets opening into it . Some of the French , out of bravado , hnvo already several times entered tho part of the town near their advanced works , taking advantage of tho night , and have chalked up their names ami tlio numbers of their regiments on tho walla of the houses . —Daily JYeivs . I-AHDINU A JUCWKIAN AX SlSBABTOrOb . The following- is from tho letter of a midshipman of the Valoroua : —

    " YoHtordiiy * evening wo recoived orders to tnko on board iv captain of th « Russian Artillery , whom we brought up horo from Constantinople last time we < : « mo , whuro ho had been a prisoner for two months , and now he into bo ox dumped i ' or Lord DunlcelHn . Ho wiimv very agreeable fruost ; unl'ortunatoly , ho in a perfect ittisHiiin in olio point—namely , ho never yot , 1 should think , wivs guilty

    of going to bed sober . He talked French wry w « Ii ; and understood English & little . Thia morning- he came on board at 8 o ' clock , when we got under way , and hoisted a white flag , and also a Russian flag at the main ; then steamed in for the harbour , and stopped about two miles outside the harbour , and then the cutter was sent in with our charge . I was the officer of the boat , a lieutenant , of course , also going in charge of the prisoner . We pulled in direct for the harbour , and landed at the north-point , under the guns of Fort Constantine . Crp-wds of Russians flocked down to see us , and we delivered our charge to the embraces and kisses of his countrymen . While there we managed to take a good look at the forts .

    RESULTS OF tNKEKMAN . The . last accounts from St . Petersburg relative to the health of the Empress are of a nature to increase the apprehension of her royal relatives as to any solid improvement in her Majesty ' s health , and to seriously diminish hopes for the future . It is affirmed that her Majesty has earnestly demanded the return of her two youngest sons from the Crimea . A letter from Odessa , received at Vienna , confirms the latter report : — " The great event of the day is tie recal of the Gran d Dukes Michael and Nicholas , which has been decided on-They will * probably return to the theatre of war next spring with the Czar himself . It is stated that the

    princes have been recalled , because Prince Menschikoff complained at St . Petersburg that his plans were thwarted by other influences . It is said that Prince Menschikoff has received an autograph , letter from the Emperor , in ¦ which the latter thanks the army for the fidelity and devotedness which , it has hitherto Blown , and expresses a conviction that Russia , protected by so brave an army , need not fear the whole world- By the sidfr of those congratulations , which have been made public ia . an order of the day , the autograph letter contained remonstrances of a nature to prevent the recurrence of events similar to those of the 5 th . The tone of the letter is so severe that it is very clear that the result of that day has produced a very deep impression on the Czar . "

    THE BALAKJDAVA . BAILWA . T COEBS . The arrangements for this undertaking appear to be very well contrived . Nine vessels , seven of which are steamers , will be employed , and the materials so apportioned that the loss or lateness of any "will occasion no delay . The provisioning is precisely similar to that usually supplied to ships' crews , and the men are supplied with everything in the way of clothing and tools that can be desired . Medical stores , revolvers , missionaries , and books , have all been provided in suitable abundance . It is expected that all the vessels will reach Balaklava by the 1 st of

    February , and that the tramway will be laid to the heights before the end of that month . No one can yet say the exact value of this auxiliary to the siege ; but , judging from the reports of the present state of tho road from Balaklava to Sebastopol , it is evident that if a tramway of this kind had been constructed in the early part of the siege , an immense amount of toil , suffering , and death would have been saved to our gallant soldiers and sailors ; and it is likewise highly probable that the material for forming a tramway for the conveyance of heavy guns and carriages will henceforth form a necessary appendage to siege

    operations-OUR 1 'IUSONEttS OF WAK PESEttTJUSG . At the Thames Police-court , Captain " Wallace , the master of the slap Star of the Bast , stated that thirteen Russian 3 i"inlanders , prisoners of war on board her Majesty ' s ship Pevonahire , had been released on application to tho Government , on condition of their serving on board tlie Star of the East , on her intended voyage to Aden and China . They were put on board the vessel , but all but four had since deserted . A sLniilac number of llussian . Finlanders , also prisoners of Avar , had been transferred from the Devonshire to the ship Antagonist , which had since sailed for Madras , and tho men were quite satisfied with tho excellent -wages olforcd , and also with the provisions , so much superior to what thoy received on board their own country ' s ships .

    Mr . Yardloy doubted whether ho could compel tho Russian UTinlunders to proceed on tho voyago , as , owing to circumstances , they had not signed tlie s hip's articles . All tho applicant could t \ o was * to send the wjou buck to the iDevonsliire , at fcjlieemeaa , as prisoners of war .

    INCIDENTS . Fumncu Mmijsus at SisnASTOFor ,. ' —French engineers are employed in mining certain portions of ground o \ or which tlie fortifications of one of tho faubourgs of Sebastopol cxtonil . TJio difficulties of tho ground are immense , but the soldiers do not complain , and they are jit times rowanlod for thoir trouble by what thoy find . It appears that tho inhabitants , foreseeing the reduction of tho place , had buriod many articles of value , -which ( hoy hoped to bo able to dig up whoa the nrmy should have departed . They , however , did not rcolcon on tho works of tho minors , and every

    ihiy these men find Homothinir of value in tho shapa of silver and plntod articles , jewels , and costly ornaments , and amongst other things is an elegant

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• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 30, 1854, page 1227, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2071/page/3/