A deserter came off the night before last from Oczakoff, who states that there are 14,000 infantry and 3000 cavalry encamped within a league of the town, and that there are 15,000 men ou the south side of Nicholaieff. The Russians blew up the forfc (Nikolaev) off Oczakoff because they saw from the practice of om* mortar boats that if they did not destroy it we shoiold sm-ely do so. The bomb-vessels were engaged at the distance of 2500 yards from the forts. The fii-st-class gun-boats, such as the " Aitow," " Lynx," " Beagle," " Snake," &c., were emploj'ed nearer the forts in drawing off the fire from the bomb-vessels, in case the enemy directed their long-range guns against them, and in distracting their attention from the fl-oating batteries; and those three batteries, which, to the credit of France and to our shame, our gallant ally had the opportunity of testing so practically, were anchored at the distance of 800 yards from Kinburn, and opened their guns first against the Russian batteries.
The success of the experiment is complete. The shot of the enemy at that short range had no effect iipon them! The balls hopped