EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 215, 22 November 1854, Page 3

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Omer Pacha at the camp of Devna.— We have just had a very exciting review. The men, who had had a four hours' drill between half-past four and aalf-past 8 o'clock this morningl, had finished dinner, when news arrived that Otner Pacha was coining on his way from Silistria to Varna, and that he might be expected fin an hour. Presently the brigademajors rode up from the Brigadiers with orders to the colonels to hold their regiments in readiness to turn out, and in about half an hour more the bugles sounded the assembly. The Turkish infantry down on the plains below were observed to fall in, and draw up in solid columns in front of their tents. About 2 o'clock a faint streak of dust rose over the white lines of the road winding far in the distance over the hills which lie towards Schumla, and through the glass could be discerned two travelling carriages with a small escort of horse, moving rapidly towards the village of Devna. Arrived there, they halted, and the whole of the staff present witli.lW'division, hastened to pay their respects to Orner Pacha—Brigadiers Airey, Buller, Bri-gade-Majors Mackenzie and Maxwell, Colonel Sullivan, Captain Macdonell, Captain Pearson, Mr. Campbell, as well as Colonel Beutinck, Brigadier-general of the brigade of Guards, and Cap. Byng, his aide-de-camp, who happened to have ridden up from Aladyn. Omer Pacha mounted his horse, and attended by Colonel Dieu, by an English officer attached to the British embassy at Constantinople, and several of his suite and followers, rode up the hill towards the camp, in the front of which the whole division was drawn up in line in a very short space of time. The English staff rode after him, and at his side were the two brigadiers. The coup (Vceil was magnificent. The blue outlines of the distant hills,"over which played the heavy shadows of rapidly-gathering thunder-clouds,— the green sweep of the valley below, dotted with tents, and marked here and there with dark black masses of Turkish infantry—the arid hanks of sand and gray cliffs, displaying every variety of light and shadow—and then the crest of the hill, along which, for a mile, shone the

bayonets of the British infantry, topped by the canvass walls behind them, formed a spectacle worth coming far to see. In person, Omer Pacha appeared rather below than above the ordinary height; but his horse, a well-trained gray, was not so tall as the English chargers beside him, and he may really be more than 5 feet 7 or 8. His figure is light, spare, and active, and his seat on horseback., though too Turkish fox our notions of equestrian propriety, was firm and easy. He wore white gloves and neat boots, and altogether would have passed muster very well in the ring at Hyde Park as a well-ap-pointed, quiet gentleman.

As be road by, the troops presented arms, and when lie had reached the end of the line they broke into column, and advanced and performed some simple field day manoeuvres, to the great delight of the Pacha. As the men moved off, after exercising for three-quarters of an hour, the cavalry came up at full trot, and at once ri vetted the attention of the Pacha. There were one and a half squadron 17th Lancers, a troop of the Bth, and a troop of the 11th Hussars. The artillery horses and dragoon horses were out at water.- There were two or three magnificent charges, and the Pacha is said to have declared that such infantry and cavalry could dash over any troops in the world. As he retired from the field, the men, who had all been dismissed, thronged, in shirt and fatigue jackets to the front of the lines, and cheered him enthusiastically, to his great delight.

Capture of two Russian Vessels in the Pacific. —The report of the capture of two Russian ships of wav, the Aurora and Diana, in the Pacific, by Rear-Admiral Price, our Com-mander-in-Chief in those seas, with her Majesty's ships President (flag) and Trincomalee, is not confirmed by actual despatches from the Admiral which had hot time to arrive in due course, hut the gratifying: news is rendered more probable by the fact that her Majesty's Minister at the Court of Brazil, has deemed the statement of the Swedish captain who brought the news to Rio Janeiro sufficiently reliable to communicate it to his Government at home. [The Melbourne Morning Herald of Sept. 15, reports the two Russian ships mentioned above at Honolulu in August last.] A New Cannon. —A new cannon and carriage, of peculiar formation as it regards the bore, has been sent here from the Ordinance department for shipment on board the Vulture for passage to the Edinburgh. Rear-Admiral D. Chads. It is intended for the use of the long-range projectile; it weighs 94cwt. 3qrs., and' is calculated to throw a projectile 9 inches by S. The carnage is of.new construction, and adequate to carry a long 95cwt. gun for shot or shell. It is intended that all ships iv the Baltic capable of carrying these guns are to have them put on board immediately. The less stated as to further particulars of-this most destructive weapon in warfare the better, as it is only intended that our enemies shall be permittedto make themselves better acquainted with the interior than the exterior powers thereof hereafter.

• The steam gun-vessels to operate against the Russians in tbe Baltic are rapidly approaching completion, the Arrow, Curfeiv, Wrangler, and Beagle, having been launched in ihe port of London ; the first three are nearly ready for sea. The Swallow, launched at Devonport, is being brought forward with all expedition. Fuexch Fiag-Ship ojj Shoke. — The Duqueschn, flag-ship of ihe French BearAdmiral, when off the entrance of Baro Sound, got on shore on the Warren Rock. The English and French steamers, the barges and pinnaces of the various ships, provided with anchors, hawsers, &c, immediately repaired to assistance. Her guns, provisions, stores. &c, were moved in order to lighten her. After 21 hours' constant exertion, under the superintendence of the Master of the fleet, the Dugttesclin was floated off, and was towed into the Sound by a steamer, and without, it is supposed, having sustained any serious injury. This ship getting on the Warren Eock is accounted for in the following manner: the Russians in order to render as they thought, the navigation of the Gulf of Finland a matter of dirlieulty to the English fleei, removed all the buoys denoting- the channels to the various harbours. But before the Commander in-Chief took the ships under his command into any of the roadsteads, Captain Sullivan, in the Lightning had made a survey ot the many rocks and shoals with which the entrance to" Baro Sound is surroundod, and laid down bouys to murk the channels through

which the combined squadron may proceed with safety. Bui while the fleet was on its way to Cronstadt, it would appear that the enemy, ever on the alert, had shifted the buoys to other positions—the one placed in the vicinity of the Warren shoal being removed considerably to the westward. In consequence of this, the Duguesclin grounded on it. An opinion is entertained by those holding prominent position in the fleet, that the sailing ships are not required, or rather not adapted to these seas, on account of the intricacy of the navigation, which generally speaking, renders it dangerous for them to -proceed under canvass, thereby rendering it necessary for the paddle steamers to take them in tow. when these steamers might be otherwise advantageously employed.