The immense quantity of cut stone l3'ing in piles at the upper end of the harbour shows that the allies interrupted the Russians in the development of the splendid architectural plans which it was the ambition of emperors to accomplish, and which h;id engaged every thought and energy of the JMuscovite governors of" tlie Crimea. The shells of princely mansions which remained on the French side of the town have been knocked to atoms by the Russian batteries on the north side; the theatre has been demolished, and the beautiful church of St. Peter and St. Paul laid in ruins by the same implacable foe, and they have directed particular volleys of round shot and shell on a monument to one of their naval heroes, whicli stands conspicuously placed in front of a beautiful little kiosk in the midst of a garden, to which there was a hue approach from the place behind Fort Nicholas by a handsome fliglit of steps, now destroyed.
On a quadrilateral pedestal of some pretensions, supporting entablatures with allegorical devices, and ornamented at the summit by a puppis, were inscribed, when first I saw it, the name of " Kazarski," and the dates 1829 and 1834, with an intimation that the monument was erected in his honour. Most of the letters have been stolen, and knocked away now; and had not the fire from the north ceased, the pedestal itself would have disappeared likewise. The French garrison, somewhat harassed by the incessant fire on the town, which, however, did them or us but little mischief, have constructed out of the debris of the houses a very neat quartier inside the walls, which is altogether new, and presents a very strange appearance from its contrast to the ruins around it.
The huts of which it is composed consist of wood, and are ranged in regular rows with the usual street nomenclature in these parts of the world, and the 21st Eegiment of the Line, who made it, certainly deserve very great credit for their ingenuity, taste, and neatness. Notwithstanding the very cold weather which prevailed till to-day and yesterday afternoon, numbers of our ofiicers and men descend to the Tchernaya every day to communicate with the Russians, to examine the new race-course, or to wade after the wild-fowl which abound in the marshes. There is nothing new iu these interviews now, except that the Russians seem to have grown more cordial, or less sullen, since they have become so confident about the conclusion of peace.
Occasionally one of the Chevalier Guard makes his appearance, and creates a sensation along the banks; but the number of officers who come down to our side bears a very small proportion to that of the allied officers who attend these reunions. The men seem never to tire of looking on each other. French, English, and Sardinians swarm 422 TUE AnJIlSTICE IN THE CRIMEA. tlowu to the banks oi' the Tchernaya, in spite of the cold and Litter winds, to confabulate with the Ruskie, to exchange money with them, and to stare at their dogged, and, it must be added, rather dirty-looking enemies, who are not quite so eager or so active in their curiosity as the allied soldiery, and who need the stimulus of turning a dishonest penny in the exchange of small coins to tempt them from grass cutting, and the pursuit of wild duck and hares by the flats beneath Mackenzie's farm to the banks of the stream.
They are dressed as usual; winter and summer there is no external change in theii* aspect, and the men I saw on that warm 20th of September on the slopes of the.•Uma, seem repeated and multiplied in every dii-ection as I look across the Tchernaya. There is a wonderful I'amily likeness among the common soldiers. The small round bullet head, the straight light hair, high cheel-i. bones, grej' keen eyes, rather deeply set beneath straight and slightly-defined eyebrows, undemonstrative noses, with wide nostrils, large straight mouths, square jaws, and sharp chins, are common to the great majority of them. Their frames are spare and strongly built; but neither in stature nor breadth of shoulder do they equal the men of our old army of 1 854.