EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 177, 23 December 1854, Page 4

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

A telegraphic dispatch was received at the Admiralty on the 19th Aug. from the Flag Lieutenant Vice Admiral Sir Charles Napier, announcing that the forts of Bomarsund surrendered to the allied forces at 12.30 p.m. on the 16th Aug. Upwards of 2000 prisoners laid down their arms, and were immediately embarked. The loss on either side was inconsiderable. The allied troops lost 30 men. The number of troops landed amounted to 11,000 men. Her Majesty's ship Archer was at Memel on the 18th of Aug., making arrangements for sending borne the 14 prizes anchored in that port, taken by Her Majesty'scruisers for breaking the blockade of the Russian ports in the Gulf of Finland, 57 naval coast volunteers having gone out to work them home to England. Several other prize-ships have I been taken and sent to England, for breaking the blockade at Riga. The Devonshire, receiving ship for Russian prisoners of war at Silverness, was getting her stores of fuel and water, completed, preparatory to the draught of Russian prisoners of war (500) being transferred to her, theu on their pas. sage. According to Stockholm advices of the 16th Aug. the Russians have been betrayed by the peasantry

in Aland, and Gen. Baraguay d'Hilliers had proclaimed the liberation of Aland from the Russians in all the Churches. Advices from Trieste of the 16th Aug 1 . state that the attack against Sebastopol is to take place simultaneously by sea and land. The embarkation of the troops has already commenced. They will amount it is said, to 60,000 men. Marseilles, Aug. 16. — The "Journal de Constantinople' 1 states that a great quantity of balls was thrown on Sebastopol during the last reconnoissance. Shells were thrown on the town itself. The same journal announces .hat on July 29 a« combat took place at Babadagh, between the Bashi- j Bazouks and some bodies of Cossacks, which last were repulsed. The Hungarian General Klapka lias been sent to Kars, where the Russian and Turkish troops were every day skirmishing against each other— the prelude to a general engagement. 40,000 Turks, supported by 110 pieces of cannon, were in presence of 30,000 Russians, having 80 guns and a numerous cavalry, but the Turks were perfectly intrenched. The London " Times" of the 23rd Aug. in its remarks upon the war, says : — " We are at war, and it is a real war, like one of the old wars, that desolated continents, cut off the flower of the age, and clothed houses in mourning. We have met with a foe, one of the old foes, and one of the most deadly. Pestilence has dogged the track of the expedition, and cut off as many valuable lives as would have made a bloody campaign. At the last news from Vavna cholera was still slaying its hundreds. Our loss was 30 a-day, and the French troops had loßt altogether, it was said, not less than 7000, of whom 2000 perished in a fruitless reconnoisance through the Dobrudscha. Cooler weather was not expected for several weeks. The mortality of the Russians is still greater, insomuch thai they have carried off with them in their retreat no less than 24,000 sick men, of whom but few can survive." According to returns about to be laid before Parliament, it appears that the emigration to the colony of Victoria during 1853 consists of the follow, ing : English, 3996 j Scotch 3726 ; Irish, 5847 ; To Melbourne there have gone in 30 ships, 1570 married couples, 506 single men, 3905 single women, 935 male children, and 1357 female ditto. To Geelong there have gone in 7 ships, 424 married couples, 85 single men, 811 single women, 214 male children, and 346 female ditto. To Portland Bay in 4 ships, 317 manied couples, 120 single men, 333 single women, 146 male children, and 201 female ditto. In 1853 the shortest passage to Melbourne was that of the " Marco Polo" in T8 days, the longest that of the " Ticonderago," of J4O days. In 1852 the shortest passage was that of the " Statesman," of 89 days. 13 ships iv each year appear to have gone out in less than 100 days. The House of Commons had agreed to vote the salary of the Bishop of New Zealand for the years 1853 and 1854, after a long debate, the dissenters maintaining that he ought to be supported by the voluntary offerings of the membeis of his own church. Lord William Graham, in answer to an lion, member, said, that the Bishop of New Zealand was determined to return to that colony, whether his income was granted or not, and there to maintain himself, by diggiug or begging, the best way he could. It was expected that Parliament would be prorogued about the end of August. An immense gun had been forwarded from Woolwich to the Bailie for Rear- Admiral Chads. This gun will command a range of no less than 7,600 yaids, or something over four miles and a quarter — rather calculated to disturb the ""fancied security" of the Russians. A new uniform had been adopted for the army, and was to be issued to the troops in 1855. A writer to the " Times" states that " the much-needed reform in the dress of the British Army is at last to take place." The uniform of the regiments of Jhe Line has actually been decided upou ; the Guards — " frightful examples of vanity and prejudice" — are to remain as they are. tThe soldier of the line is henceforth to wear a double-breasted red frockcoat with packets and without epaulettes. It will be a great improvement on the old coatee} but is still, I am sorry to say, encumbered with decorative patchwork and useless buttons on the skirts and sleeves, is shaped in at the waist like a dress-coat, instead of being cut loose and straight like a pale tot, and is fitted with slight and small calico pockets of no use or wear whatever. The hideous Albeit shake is to be replaced by a felt helmet, considerably ovor-adorned with German silver, irksome to clean. The rifle regiments are to wear bronze or. naments— preferable in every respect to German silver. The trousers of the Line are to be dark bluej the light gray having been found to soil readily, and to necessitate, in consequence, an abundant use of blue ball, quite as detrimental to the health and comfort of the men as pipeclay.

The Times special correspondent, writing from Varna, Aug. 19, says that the cholera is abating in the army, and that its worst seems to have passed over the fleet. The news from the latter has been melancholy. The Britannia had lost 86 men by cholera, and some other ships had lost several men. In the French fleet the Ville de Paris had lost 200 men, and the Montebello about the same number. The British army is now scattered broad-cast all over the country, from Monastir to Varna, some 20 or 27 miles, the plan of wide open encampments having been found to answer in checking disease. The beauty of the country around.Alaydn and Devno, and the temptations offered by the abundant supply of water and by the adjacent woods, induced the encampment of several divisions of the troops. But these rich meadows around Alaydn and Devno have been found to nurture the fever, the ague, dysyntery, and pestilence in their bosom— the lake and the stream exhale death, and at night fat unctuous vapours rise up fold after fold from the valleys and creep up in the dark and steal into the tent of the sleeper, and wrap him in their deadly embrace. So completely exhausted on Thursday last was the Brigade of Guards, these 3000 of the flower of England, that they had to make two marches in order to get over the distance from Alaydn to Varna, which is not more than ten miles. But this is not all — their packs were carried for them. Just think of this, good people of England, who are sitting anxiously in your homes, day after day, expecting every morning to gladden your eyes with the sight of the announcement, xh, large type, of "Fall of Sebastopol,'' your Guards, your corps d' elite, the pride of your hearts, the delight of your eyes, these Anakim whose stature, strength, and massive bulk you exhibit to kingly visitors as no inapt symbols of your nation have been so reduced by sickness, disease, and. a depressing climate, that it was judged inexpedient to allow them to carry their own packs, or to permit them to inarch more than five miles a day, even though their packs were carried for them ! Think of this and then judge whether these men are fit in their present state to go to Sebastopol, or to j attempt any great operation of war. The Highland brigade is in better condition, but even the three I regiments which compose it are far from being in

good health, or in the spirits in which they set out for Varna. The Duke of Cambridge's division has lost 160 men, of these nearly 100 belonged to the Guards. In the Brigade of Guards before the march to Varna, there were 600 men sick. The Division has lost 112 men. Sir De L. Evans has lost 100 men. The little cavalry force has been sadly reduded by death, and the third (Sir R. England's) division, which has been encamped to the northwest of Varna, close outside the town, has lost upwards of 100 men also, the 50th regiment, who were much worked, being particularly cut up. The ambulance corps has been completely crippled by the death of the driver&.and men belonging to it, and the medical officers have been called upon to make a special report on the mortality amongst them.