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    pita , from which , indeed , there has been no further attempt to dislodge theiri . Two new guns have been placed on the Mamelon , which , however , it is said , is to be stormed by the English , while the Zouaves , assisted by other French soldiers , are to attack the MalakhoffV The French are now very . hard worked in the trenches . ' They serve there three nights out of the seven , and take twenty-four hours at a time . Iti the meanwhile , the Russians still pour in reinforcements ? and the correspondent of the Morning Herald says that a rumour of fresh forces about . the neighbourhood of Tchorgoum is strictly true . The Times correspondent * says : — "It is known that Sir John Burgoyne has gone to Vienna , and it is conjectured that his visit is in some way or other connected with the instruction and enlightenment of ! Lord John Russell in reference to the condition of

    Sebastopol and the prospects of our army in the Crimea . Sir John Burgoyne ' s opinions respecting our chances of success will , it is said , induce him to represent our position to Lord John Russell in very gloomy colours . " The Sanitarium , under the care of Dr . Jephson , is doing great good to the sick and wounded men , and presents the appearance of a little village , with bits of garden in front of the huts . Nevertheless , fever is making progress among the troops , the 79 th Highlanders having 150 cases on the 3 rd of April . The

    -weather continues fine and hot , though with frosty nights ; and the men are in good spirits . With respect to the effective strength of our army , the Morning Post correspondent still places it at his favourite 30 , 000 , or thereabouts ; but the Times affirms the total number to be no more than 22 , 600 , and adds , " Of these , about 6000 would only be available in extremis , and the ordinary strength of the whole army in bayonets would not exceed 15 , 000 men . " This latter number , it must be observed , does not include cavalry or artillery .

    Sir John M'Neill , in the course of his inquiries into the commissariat shortcomings , has demanded certain returns from the commissariat officers of each division , respecting the deficiencies in the supply of food during last December . From these it appears ^ tliat some regiments or divisions fared worse than others . In the ^ Light Division , the men on several days had only quarter , half , and three-quarter rations of meat . Kice was not issued at all for some weeks towards the close of the year . On the 6 th of

    December , the men of the Fourth Division had no meat at all . From the 2 nd to the I 2 th they had only twothirds , or half rations . On the 16 th they had no rum . These deficiencies arose from the want of transports , the badness of the roads , and the desertion of several of the transport drivers . Some of the divisions , however , were excellently served ; and , in all , the deficiencies , as regards the most important articles , were only occasional , though no doubt grievous to bear .

    The long delay in the opening of our fire has been attributed to the negotiations—to the futile hope that the councils of the plenipotentiaries would lead topeace ; —That-hope ,-however , has-pa 6 sed ; and our . batteries are thundering away at Sebastopol . How long they will continue—whether they will again be brought to a premature pause , or what may be the result of their persistence—can , of course , only be revealed by the process of time .

    MILITARY MOVEMENTS . We quote the ensuing particulars from the correspondent of the Times : — " The Russians have actually thrown up two new redoubts—one opposite the left , another on the flank , of the right attack—since my last letter was despatched ; und the works which the }* have constructed on Mount Sapoune , to tho right of the Mamelon , have been strengthened and partly armed , notwithstanding the enemy have had to work under a galling fire of shells . Their rifle pita are now regularly connected and intrenched , and in one of them they have mounted a heavy gun in advance of the Round Tower . In fact ,

    they have made a parallel towards our works , and they are now gradually approaching the French right attack towards Inkorman . . . . . Our approaches almost lead us to the advanced Russian works . On Sunday ( April 1 st ) tho English engineers threw up a trench within 550 yards o £ tho Gordon Battery . The sentries posted along its front entered into that kind of rough joking with the Russians which is popularly called ' chaffing , ' and the pickets were not more than sixty ynrds from each other . Although tho Russians had a lino of doublo sentries in front of this work , numbering nt least 200 men , they did not attempt to disturb our operations .

    "To-day ( April 2 nd ) the greatest activity was displayed in Balaklava . Tho quays swarmed with labourers engaged in piling up shot and shell and loading tho railway carriages , with ammunition , of which immense quantities were sent up to tho front . The first human cargo—one of sickness and suffering—was sent down to Balaklava to-day . Four waggons , filled with 8 ick and wounded soldiers , ran from hoad-qunrtors to the town in loss than half an hour . Tho men wore propped up on their knapsacks , and seemed very comfortable . What a change from tho ghastly processions

    one met with some weeks ago , formed of dead or dying men , hanging f fom half-starved horses , or dangling about on French mule-litters . " FIRE AT BAtAKLAVA . There-was another alarm of fire in Balaklava last night ( April 1 st . ) About 11 o ' clock ,, the engineers ' storehouse at the entrance to the town was found to be on fire- The alarm bells rang in all the ships in harbour . The crews hastened on shore ; the Guards , who were on duty , hastened down to the spot , and were speedily followed by a fatigue party of the 71 st Regiment ; but the seamen and people on shore had already begun to pull down the shed . Boats from the Vesuvius , with powder to blow up the building , under Lieutenant

    Sullivan , from the Caradoc , under Mr . Skeaa , and from several merchant vessels , at once put off and landed their crews . Admiral Boxer , Major Mackenzie , &c , repaired to the place without delay . The men worked with a will , and the fire was extinguished within the building in the space of half an hour , af ter destroying or damaging a considerable quantity of stores . It was observable that this fire broke out to windward , and that , had it spread , the whole town might have been burnt , and the shipping could scarcely have escaped . How it originated no one knows ; but three fires in so short a time are , to say the least , " suspicious . "—Idem .

    A WILD BULI , IN BALAKLAVA . A wild bull from the plains of Asia Minor was landed alive by mistake , and instantly took charge of the town . The soldiers were interested in the hunt , which was a thing exactly suited to their taste ; and , as the bull formed part of their rations , they chased Mm with peculiar zest and keenness . But the bull was cool and wary , and three or four who ventured too near were capsized heavily and severely bruised . Fortunately the animal had no horns , or the consequences would have Seen most serious . As it was , his head did mischief enough , and kept everyone at a respectful distance , whilst the refractory brute promenaded among the huts at leisure . Everywhere he went , the soldiers from the . tops of walls and huts showered down stones enough to

    kill and bury him , had only half been as well aimed as they were well meant ; but none succeeded in bringing him down . Occasionally , when hit harder than usual , he turned , stood at bay for a moment , and then charged his assailants , who , of course , scattered in all directions . In the midst of these abortive efforts to slay him , some very imprudent individual called out to fire ; and instantly , without the least reference to the people about , half a dozen shots jwere directed against the unfortunate animal . One sergeant , within six feet of the bull , missed his aim , but shot a private of the 71 st through the knee instead . After this mishap , the indiscriminate volleys were discontinued ; and the bull , taking to the hills , was at last killed by a rifle shot from an officer of the Guards . —Morning Herald Corespondent .

    BRKPARATION 8 FOR THE BOMBARDMENT . On the 1 st of April , ' two more 10-inch mortars were sent to the front , with about 50 or 60 tons of powder , 300 rounds of filled shell , and 200 rounds of einpty 10-inch . The greater part of the officers and crew of the Leandcr , . 50 , came on shore , _ and _ joined the Naval Brigade near head-quarters . These men will be " distributed at the heavy guns in the different new works . Their appearance as they landed was uncommonly smart and neat ; each man dressed in blue , with his cutlass and revolver at his side , and in the centre one of the quartermasters with the " Union . " To add still further to the imposing nature of the procession , two sailors—one with

    a fife and the other with a fiddle—marched at its head , enlivening the way with " Jack ' s alive , " " Cheer , boys , cheer , " &c . ; and , accompanied by such tunes , and joking and laughing with themselves and all they met , the blue jackets rolled off in high glee to sharo in tho bloody doings of the trenches . Orders were received at Balaklava to prepare ships for the reception of the wounded ; and to the general hospital , tho same intimation to havo beds ready was also given . The St . Hilda , Orient , and Sir George Pollock transports will bo fitted up with all dispatch , each for tho reception of botweon 200 and 300 wounded , and tho general hospital , with the wooden huts which have beeh built for tho purpose , will accommodate about 200 more . —Tdem .

    STKENOTa Off THE KUSSIANS . The Crimean correspondent of the Daily JVews takes a very comforting view of the strength of tho Russian forces . Ho writes : — " In spito of all that is said about tho largo number of Russians hidden behind the hills , I do not believe that they are in sufficient forco , either to attack us or to defend thoir positions against any attempt of ours to tako them . My opinion is founded on the losses which the Russian army has suffered in tho course of tho

    wintor , which losses have not boon made up by tho arrival of fresh troops from the interior . Duducting the troops detached against Omar Pacha from the 80 , 000 efficient troops which may have existed at Bakstchi- Serai and Simpheropol , and in tho lines of Balaklava—deducting alBO the daily wear and tear of Sobastopol , for disoaso is at work thoro , and tho llussian sortioH are made at a loss , of an average of 500 per week—I do not boliovo that wo havo above 20 , 000 mon before us in Balaklava plain . This opinion is confirmed by tho ready manner n which tho Russians havo fallen back on thoso raro

    occasions when we or the French made a sortie into th plain . They were not in force to contest the ground ! There is a rumour , too , and has been for some tune past of large reinforcements that were expected by our enes mies having failed them , owing to a military revolt at Nicolajeff . If this be really the case—and the confirmation of the report has , J understand , come to very high quarters—then the Russians must be cramped for men . " Military letters from Vienna give an account of the Russian army in the Crimea very different from the above . THE ATJSTKIANS IN THE PRINCIPALITIES . A letter from Pera , of the 2 nd , in the Pays , say s : —

    " I have already mentioned to you the little sympathy which the inhabitants of the Principalities entertain for the Austrians , and the dislike of the Austrians to them . The ill-feeling between the two has led to a sad affair followed by a rising at Krajowa . An Austrian officer perceived a Wallachian lady at a window ; struck by her beauty , he entered the house and acted rudely towards her . The husband hastened to defend his wife , and a quarrel ensued , in which the husband was killed by the officer . When this became known , all the population took up arms . The Austrian authorities , when

    called on to do justice , would not consent to punish the officer , on which the Wallachians determined to do jus tice themselves . A veritable battle took place , and more than 300 Austrians perished . The Turkish authorities had to interfere to establish order . Since then Krajowa has resembled a besieged town . The shops are closed . The Wallachians occupy the interior of the town , and the Austrians are encamped outside . A deputation has been sent to Constantinople to complain to the Sultan of t h e foreign occupation . How this affair will end is not yet known here ; but it has caused a great sensation . "

    A letter in the IndepenJance Beige speaks of the above affair ; but states that it was not Austria soldiers , properly so called , who thus acted against the inhabitants , but some Croatians iu the pay of Austria .

    BRISK DOINGS ON THE 5 TII OF APRIL . Towards evening , our mortar battery in the right attack fired two salvoes of shells—three 13-inchers at a time . The first three pitched into different parts of the works of the Round Tower—one right into the centre of the shattered stonework itself . Beams of timber , trunks of bodies , legs and arms of human beings , were seen to fly up in the air , and after a time a blaze of fire ran along a portion of the work , which appeared to spring from one of the enemy ' s mines . The second salvo must have been very destructive also . On the whole , the result was so satisfactory to the feelings of a sailor in the battery , that he then and there expressed his decided determination to Captain Grant to reward him for his

    conduct with the entire use and possession of his whole " go of grog" for that day . In the evening , a very serious affair took place in front of our right attack , the particulars of which I am as " yet scarcely acquainted with . There was very heavy firing from half-past ten to half-past eleven o ' clock , which was heralded by some brisk volleys , and we hear that our working parties in the advanced trench happened to meet a working party of the Russians ^ andthat a regular hand ^ to-hand light with pickaxes , spades , bills , hatchets , and musket stocks , took place between the two parties , in which . Russians had the best at one time , and we gained the ground at another time , till at last the Island courage did

    its work , and our men drove tho enemy up towards om own lines . The fight was renewed in front of the trenches , The covering parties came out on both sides to the aid of their comrades , and at last the Russians were repulsed after a sovere struggle . We had three officers wounded —one , Lieutenant Jones , of the 7 th Cbetter known as " Inkerman Jones , " from having received a wound on the 5 th of November ) ,-the other two , officers of the 34 th Regiment . Our loss in killed and wounded is stated to be 87 . The Russians were said to have left 41 bodies and that of one officer behind them in one of our parallels ; but tho report requires confirmation . — Times Correspondent .

    THE BOMBARDMENT—LATEST ACCOUNTS . A despatch from Vienna says , that up to the 12 th tho operations commenced on tho 9 th against Senastopol continued without decisive result . Another account from tho same 9 ource says , on the contrary , that , " During the night of the 13 th , tho left uttacK of the Allies obtained considerable advantages over tho Russians . They were twice dislodged from n strongly fortified position , which remained in tne hands of tho French . Tho possession of this position enabled tho allies to fortify tho summit of the mountain glens [ ravines ?] , which is of " great importance . Tho Monitcur of Friday contains tho following : — " Undor dnto of tho 14 th of April , General Can . roberl writes from before Sobastopol thnt tho superiority ot tno artillery of tho allied armies id more and more confirmed . . . " Our troops on tho preceding night , having w " driven tho Russians from thoir / strong positions on xw left , remained masters of thorn ; they are much nearer the town . " DESPATCH ICJtOM LOHI > UAOLAN . " Boforo Sobastopol , March 01 , I 860 . " My Lobd , —Since I wroto to your Lordship on w

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    364 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 21, 1855, page 364, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2087/page/4/