The men of the Ai-my Works Corps "vanity fair." 109 (how many " Coi-ps " is poor John Bull paying for?) are busily engaged in road making and road repairing, and the lines for the tramway from Kadikoi to the Woronzofl" road, and from the Col de Balaklava to Kamlesch, have been survej'ed and laid down by Mr. Beatty and Mr. Campbell, but it is uncertain when our allies will begin to make them. Magazines are in course of erection, but it is to be regretted that tlio best use has not been made of the iron buildings sent out for the purpose. They are senii-cylindrieal in form, and as they are now placed on the ground their capacity is comparatively small, but if they had been raised on stone walls only three feet high, they would have contained, as any one may conceive, a very much greater quantity of stores.
The Croats — those interesting creatures to whom we pay 3s. a day for the cultivation of luxurious idleness and tobacco smoking — have at last been set to work on the roads, and may now be seen in picturesque groups alternating between the use of the pick and the enjoyment of the pipe on the side of the French road, past our cavalry camp beyond Kadikoi. "Vanity Fair" has been partly closed; numy of the booths have been shut up for tbe time, and the proprietors warned off for the present, and Kadikoi now presents a desolate and neglected aspect. The cause of this abrupt proceeding is not exactly known — some say, " spies," others " dirt;" but at all events, the Crimean Donnybrook,— where luxuries were so bad and abundant, and where comforts were not unknown — where the poor Provost jMarshal imderwent daily attacks of despair and frenzy — where Midas lived in every booth, thievish avarice haunted every turning, and the scum of Europe bubbled up and boiled over, — has been sadly curtailed in its fair proportions.
All the sutlers, with some exceptions made in favour of the better class of the merchants, such as Mr. Oppenheim, Mr. Crockford, and one or two more, have been obliged to remove, and those who are considered deserving of the indulgence have obtained permission to erect booths in the new bazaar, for which a site has been marked out at the rear of the Second and Fourth Divisions, and to the flank and front of the Guards' camp. There is a report that the fair was a nest of spies — strange fires were occasionally lighted up on the hills behind it, towards Karanyi, and were answered by the Russians on the plateau I\Iackenzie, and people came and departed as they listed without any interu'rence with their movements.
So " they say;" but I tliink the real reason was, that Colonel Harding got angry at the evil habits of the people, who permitted dirt, offal, bones, bottles, and nasty things of all kinds, to accumulate, and would «ot clear them away when ordered to do so. In fact, the fair was becoming too large and too troublesome. As to spies, they arc to be looked for elsewhere. It has just been reported that the Polish officer who deserted to us from Tchorgoun, at the Karanyi races, some months ago, was caught yesterday in an English officer's uniform trying to get over to the Russians. He lived long at head-quarters, and could tell a good deal of what passed there, but I am inclined to think there is a mistake, and that the Pole has been sent away long ago.
It is certain that a man was brought in to head-quarters di'essed in a new English tunic, and was examined by General Simpson and Colonel Pakenham, but whether it v/as our amusing friend who sang good songs and told such amusing stories I am not in a position to state. Some divisions have managed to get together a considerable accumulation of stores in advance, and almost in anticijjalion of the winter. Hum for a month, forage for three weeks, and several days' supply of meat have been collected in some cases; but fuel is brought up de die in diem by a most thriftless process. It is no unusual thing to see a stringof fine Spanish mules and ponies, each of which has cost a good round sum, coming fi-om Kasatch or Balaklavawith a couple of stout boughs lashed to ea(;h side of thenpack saddles, the ends trailing on the ground, and the di-ivers \irging them at full speed.