I saw no less than seven dead mules and horses in one little gully crossing the line of transport, yesterday. Melancholy quadrupeds, with sore backs and rib-developed flanks, whom nobody cares to own, begin even thus early to wander disconsolately about the camp, and to crawl to the lee of sheltering walls. The Eussians, having made good roads between their camps, and having established themselves comfortably on the other side of the Tchernaya, seem resolved to give us an uneasy time of it in Sebastopol, and never ceased firing to-day from one end of the Bay to the other. I ventured to express an opinion almost immediately after the capture of the south side, that the enemy's preparations indicated the intention of wintering where they lay.
We have been aU too prone, not only in England, but out here, to calculate on advantages to be gained by the privations to which the enemy would be exposed, or by imaginary wants to which they were likely in our, opinion to be subjected. But the Russian is well supplied with all munitions of war, and with the means of subsistence. The entire strength of the empire has been devoted to the supplies of the Crimean army, and the Eussian General no doubt calculates on the concentration of such a force in the Crimea next spring as will enable him to meet the allies in every point which they may assail. He knows that Perekop is not to be reached by a large force, owing to the want of water, and to its geographical position, and that no army can operate in the rear of his position in consequence of the nature of the country.
It is not because St. Vladimir was converted in the Crimea that Prince Gortschak off holds Mackenzie's Farm and the plateau of the Pelbek and Tchernaya. But he knows that until he is dislodged, the allies are paralysed, and that they can establish no safe basis of operations against Nicholaieff or Cherson while he is at Simpheropol, for it would be contrary to common sense to leave such an army in their rear and flank. He hopes, therefore, either to be able to hold the Crimea next campaign, or to be able to make such dispositions in the event of a great defeat as wall insure the safe retreat of his army by Perekop and Tchongar, and perhaps by a third road, of the existence of which across the Sivash there are very strong indications.
The electric telegraph has kindly aided him in establishing himself all the more securely, for the rumour of a Eussian attack, to which it gave official weight, prevented the occupation of Kaffa and the destruction of Arabat this autumn; and who can saj^ how the country behind Theodosia (Kalia) will be seamed with batteries should we try a descent next spring? Talk of the harm done by newspaper correspondents compared with that which has been done by the electric telegraph! The iii-st expedition to Kertch, the despatch of the* Highlanders to Eupatoria, and the expedition to Kaffa were all prevented by our electric batteries at London and Paris, and it is very questionable if they did not do the allies more harm than the Eussian guns.
The French were, indeed, adverse to the Kafia movement, and Admiral Bruat was, it appears, more especially opposed to it; but there is no reason to doubt that it would have been successful, and the occupation of that place and the destruction of Arabat, would have most materially complicated the difficulty of the Russian position, and contributed to the strength of the allies. Before SEBASxcpOii, Kovemher 30. The needy knife-grinder would not be in possession of more abmidant materials for anecdote had he lived out here for the last week than he was when he met Mr. Canning, several years ago, in the neighbourhood of Eton. We are all ankle-deep in mud. No, that would be nothing. It would be no great matter of complaint or gi'ievance if we had to deal with the ordinaay material, so familiar to all Londoners after a few wet days, before the scavengers remove the formidable soft parapets which line the kerbstones.
That can be scraped off, cleaned, rubbed away, or w^ashed out. This, nothing but long and persevering eSbrts, continually renewed, and combining all the former operations, can remove. It sticks in pasty clods to the shoes, and will insist on being brought into clean huts and tents to visit your friends. It has a great affection for straws, with which it succeeds in working itself up into a kind of gigantic brick, somewhat underdone, in which condition it threatens to build your legs into the ground if you stand long enough in one place to give it a chance; and it mightily affects horseshoes also, and sucks them off, with a loud smack of relish, in those little ravines between rocky hill-sides in which it exercises the greatest influence.