THE NEXT cnrnrarr.

Of the six months of winter, three are already past. In three more, the Crimean winter will be at an end, and the season when military operations may be best attempted will have arrived. It is certain the Allies will do well to form their plans early enough to execute them before ex- cessive heat dries the wells and destroys the pasturage of the plains. If the Crimea is to be conquered, their ar- mies, then probably a quarter of a million strong, must take the field before April is far advanced. A council of war will shortly be field at Paris, at which the Dutte of Cambridge, attended by Sir R. Airey, will be present. Sir E. Lyons, too, will join in the conference and may be daily expected at Marseilles. The object of this meet- ing will be to weigh thoroughly the several plans for the next campaign, and, when a decision is formed, to carry out combined operations with ciieigy and completeness. It is reported, that Marshal Pclissicr has been foremost in requesting that this council Sll0Ul(l be held. September and October, the French Gt!llt‘l'-‘ll was sanguine as to an autumn campaign and pushed forward his columns with Ivhat looked like activity. ' ‘he telegraph, which, tltrouglt Lord Paiiinure, was ttsctl to make known almost daily intelligence, became on a sudden silent. The expect- ation ofthe two nations, and \\c may add of their Govern- ments, was highly raised. The Frencli crossed the Valley Baitlar, scizetl the heights to the north, pushed forward a division to the head waters of the Belbelt, and threatened the passes of Aitoder anil Albat. At that time an opin- ion was expressed, that the Russian plateau, steep as a wall towards the south, and to be gained only by narrow passes, was a position not to be attacked. The contrary, however, was urged even by military men, who held that any chain of hills could be forced or turned. The result proves, that the former judgment was well founded. Mar- shal Pclissier is said to have given his opinion, that no campaign is possible from the present base of operations. The Russians, more than two months since, held the passes with a force which could resist any assault. The

HASZARD’S GAZETTE, JANUARY 30.

the alert and watching the men most anxiously, so that, come what illness there may, it is reasonable to presume that with our increased comforts, and experience, and hats, we shall not again have to deplore the loss of so many of otir fine fellows.

EXPULSION or sriss A1‘ BALA cum. Having ridden across to Bala Clava to take up my new passport, or rather permis de sejour, at the Cominandant’s office, opposite the Main Guard, I was astonished to find that my number therein was as high as l,04'2, and on leaving the building by another door than that by which I entered, l found more than a hundred persons waiting to obtain similar documents. Capt. Mncbeun, of the 29nd Highlanders, is the officer appointed to inspect each passport. and grant or refuse a permis dc sejour. These “ tickets of residence" contaiti the name. occupation, and residence of the applicant, and are dated in the present month and signed by the Captain Superintendent, whose name I have just above mentioned. No. l,4*2l was the last number issued, when I was present, but Levantines of all nations and creeds are still flocking down to the Coin- mandant’s (Colonel llardinge) where Captain Macbean, able and cautious as he is, has a most difficult task to pre- form. There are som of our population here who are better known than trusted. Accordingly, instead of pre- seating themselves at the oflice, these wortliies have sent in some friend to personate them and to leave such passport as they might have been able at Athens, or Con- stantinople, or Smyrna, to procure. Calling next day to receive the passport and permis, many, on their names being asked for, forgot their assumed one, and answered in their own, which, of course, instantly opened the eyes of the oflicials, and led to the passport being committed to the flames and its bearer to the police. The bearer, in company with others in the same predicament, soon finds himself on board a steamer bound to Constantinople, where he is dropped on the pave, and the original owner of the passport is also sought out, and forwarded to the

roads were scarped, the hills strengthened by works. By April they might be made absolutely impregnable, or, if determined valour might force them, it would be after a slaughter from which itis the duty of a general to shrink. What plan of campaign is resolved on will, of course, be a secret, till the hour for its execution arrives. It is evi- dent, however, that the allies have a great advantage in possessing two bases accessible to their fieetand impreg- nablc by the enemy. Eupatoria and Yenilmle are now «converted titto two intreiiclieil camps, from both of which Simpheropol and the Russian rear are threatened. The country is not difficult, but the chief difficulty is likely to be the want of water. Perhaps this cattse may lead to the abandonment of any operations from Eupatoria. 'l'hc enemy. on the other hand, has the advantage of a central positim, from which he may oppose the Collvcwtlg forces which operate from the points of the coast. .0 cannot doubt that which military science can effect, after 18 months"of preparation, awaits its in OUT match tlgitinsl the Russian positions. Though of success there can be no doubt. yet it is the duty ofof our generals to purchase it as cheaply as possible, and we therefore trust that, the dcllb~"i':ttions of the council will be wise and far-sighted. ])A"-'Gl‘ZR or “ Sizizim: 'rni: l.io.\'s" AT _St:aAsroroi.. It is nioro then ltintod, that as soon as the Tchcrnaya be frozen, Gortscliukoff intends to throw his troops tt(:ros_s and to attack the allies. ln the meantime the allies do not attack Gortschakoff. They do not fire a single gun against the works on the north side. " But the north side fires daily upon the south ;_ and although with little effect, I am sorry to add, that in one day, during the present week, we had a private ofthe l8th killed and four wound- ed, l‘itt».{llSll, while cooking near the dock ; and on the other -ide of the Arsenal Creek, one French man killed, and also an ox. So that there is even yet some danger in “ 8(.'(.'lllg the lions” at Sebastopol. During the fete of St. Barbe, I am happy to record, ‘we did not lose a single man. Had a shell fallen among even one of the many military re--unions gathered together on that night. lllt‘ enemy might have made a grand coup. A French coloncl and four captains out shooting near the Tcherna_v, and somewhat too eager in the persuit ofsport, were surround- ed by Cossacks and taken prisoners, dogs and all; Shoot- ing is an amusement that cannot beiiidulged in every day, for the weather is now _very unsettled and variable. As to gala: and rain, the winter has certainly set in this year more fiercely than did the winter of 1854, and at this moment the valley oflnkerrsann resembles a lake, while our roads are knee-dse in mud in many places, and parts of the plateau and p ain perfectly like a swamp, and impassable. People are in some parts of the camp-

same destination. By these summary means we, at Bala 7Clava, shall be well rid of spies, if not cuttliroats and cut- jpurses; and as Kamiesch is acting in the same way as .,ll:la Clavn, the Crimea will soon necessarily stand in a

wry improved position. We have had these Russian lsyiiipathisers and spies too long among us, but I am jhappy to say, the new system will gradually root them out. Aml a glorious capture has this week been made by the English police ofa celebrated Russian spy. wltose “ pock-

How ova Sonoiaas nu: Fan AND Cr.o'r-iii-:o.—If our Allies, the French, had last winter the advantage over as in. point of clothes and hats, they certainly have not rm, winter in one single point. No soldiers could be better- clotlt.ed_. better fed, and, one ought to be able to my, bet. ter liutted than ours. Each man gets the following ration; daily :I pound of bread or one pound cfbiscuit, 1 pound 9|‘ meat, } gill of rum, 1 ounce of rice, 1-4 ounce of pepper to every eight men, I-4 pound of preserved vegetables or ; pound of potatoes, 2 ounces of candles to every twelve men, 4:} pounds of wood or :3 l-‘.’ pounds ofcoal, Qounces of sugar, 1 ounce of coffee or 1-4 ounce of tea, and 1.2 ounce of salt. When lime-juice is served out, an ounce is given to each man, but this last luxury is not given oft- ener now than once in three weeks. Fresh meat and good bread are always now served out daily, except on Sundays and Mondays, when salt meat and biscuit are given instead. As regards dress, each tnan gets, gratis, in addition to his usual kit in the field, 1 pair of long boots, ‘.2 pair of drawers, :2 jerseys (blue or white, as he may prefer), lcoinforter, 1 pair ofmits, l hood, 1 fur cap, I inackintosli and leggings, 1 pair of wooden clogs lined with wool, 1 extra rug, and 1 winter coat, in addition to his usual great coat.

Russits Poi..tsn.—A person who returned from P0- land not only confirmsintelligence which has been re- ceived from that Province, btit has communicated one or two facts which would seem to indicate, that if the war is carried on a year longer, there will be serious disturbance in Russia. The general levy is now going on in the king- dom of Poland, and the unfortunate peasants are driven to- gether by the Cossacks “ as if to a game at battue." The cordon of Cossacks along the Russian frontiers towards Austria is so close that the men are literally within hail of each other. However, not ten days ago several of the unfortunate recruits made a bold dash into the Vistultt, and most of them managed to reach the Austrian terri- tory. In the neighbourhood of the fortress of Zamosc 160 conscripts fled into the woods tvhere they probably died of cold and hunger, as they have not since been heard of. The kingdom of Poland is one great theatre of misery, but the peasants have begun to display the energy of despair. and refuse “ to robot” (?l for the pro- prietors of the soil, under the plea that, as they have not hands enough to till their own land, they cannot be ex- pected to work gratuitously for other people. “ lftlie inhabitants of Warsaw peak the truth, the same insubor-

{marked face” and "grey horse” have figured in our local lllue and Cry for sotne timc past. He was this tvcek Iliterally “caught napping” in a but on a slyfspot, not it «hundred miles from the Monastery and Knrani ; but now “ Othello’s occupations gone.” The French swear that .had they caught him they would have shot him iiistanter. ;Anothcr spy has just been taken near the monastery, ;where he has been in the habit of making night signals to uthe Russiai.-s_. by bonfires and rockets.——Corrcspon«lcnt of

ernld.

dination prevails in several of the other Russian pro- vinces.” The Russiims are so jealous of persons coming from Atistria, that the passports are sent on to Warsaw, and their owners must wait at the frontier station until permission to continue their journey has been sent from that city.

Tin: Power: or. Sciuitivt. IN Gt:oitGt.ti.——At the risk of destroying: many romantic notions in the minds of my readers, I nnist plainly state that the indisciplincd and

badly armed rabble that comprises the followers of

; Tm: Fi‘.'i'i: or ST. Biuint: AT Si‘.t3As'roroi..——Af the fete jof St. Barbe at Sehastopol, I believe I was the only Eng- lisliinnn present; and I had the pleasure of visiting every room in the city vthcre the French artillerymvu were as- scinblr-cl at fllt ss, atid_. moreover, the diflicult task ofdrink- ing a wire \'.‘ttit inch chairman before leaving the room. Dark r-'~ih tzas hiin_;,v on the walls, and on this we perceiv- cvl st’-‘Hl ‘.~: and lttt_\0lt(l.\‘ and pistols, and rifles arranged in the most appropriate ilr.-vices, interiningled with inscrip- tions of“ Vive l’Empereur, Napoleon lll.” Every-thing had a military turn, the chandeliers were pistols lashed around the circumference of two hoops, one above the other; so that. as the iniizzlcswere all tip, candles might be placcil therein. The effect, when lighted up, was very pretty ; and the tables were pleniifully supplied All the men were in ftill uniform. ln thrir choruses, they al- most drowned the noise ofthe Russian cannon, which for- ttinately were then not plied with tho \’l;.‘()lll’ of the pre- ceding or following day. The weather was piercingly enltl, with frequent sqtinlls of rain ; so thattprobably the Russian oflicers thought it best to shelter their men a little. But the pause in the firing benefited the French. The dinners among the oliicers were like all dinners among gentlemen. lo the mess where I had the honour to dine (Captain .laubert’s), four Russian mortars stood on the four corners of the table. mouth downwards, and a socket was for the mace attached to aaeh‘to contain a wax can- dle. And then, overhead, the officers’ pistols were ar- ranged into chandeliers;.but instead of such hoops as the men had, chains were here used, detached from bits and bridles, which produced a more brilliant effect ; and then

suffering s good deal ‘frost on the otiest, whielure attributed to the water, nevergood, having become much

gage singellw llin sat in Our Vollicers are on 1

a wreath or two were introduced, formed, of such leaves as _ . -3"‘!

could be collectodin the month of . - _

Schatnyl, though invincible in their tnotintaitt fastnesses, tare latterly liarlgiles: ip the plaigs pf Georgia.‘ i\o‘thi_ng -can c more a stir trim to rea tie no ica vic ones lrecordcd by the imaginative writers iriwtlie German pa- pers, in which, as an example, 60,000 Circassians are greprcsented as being within two days’ march of Tiflis. ‘The truth is this. When‘ the fields have been sown, the moinitaineers have leisure, llllllllhc harvest time approaches, to undertake tl little foray, and a few hun- dred liorsemen will assemble, and, descending from their

peeling Russian village. The place is sacked, the inha- bitants mtirdcrod in cold blood. or carried otfas slaves, and the intrepid followers of Scliamyl, loading their horses with the booty, beat a hasty retreat. It would be impossible for that chief to assemble and keep together any (‘onsitlerttble force for .a longer period than a week. If it were even in the power of '.5';cpIarriy| to provide food for his iiiiilisri )llll(‘.d force, his 0 owers would, never- ,tlivl<-.-is, tlispi~r.\t]-, for it is for plunder alone, that thct.’ir- ‘cnssian, Lesghion, or linglgzstuiiese quits liisbmottiitain village. A sin le Russian ragoon regiment, acked b a troop of horsegartillery, would stitfice to rout any forci: tltat Schamyl could ring into the plains of 'I‘iflis. Nobody is better aware of this than that chieftain him. self, and he has displayed consummate wisdom in never having committed himself in any similar expedition. In their own inaccessible mountains and wooded heights, the Circassians and Daghestanese are beyond danger; btit asa serious menace to Russian rule in the 'I‘radscau- casian provinces, they are not entitled to the credit and importance that has been bestowed oir_ them in Europs.- D,im¢.-an’: Campaign ror'tIrllce ’I"_urks in ~ I I

If-' the noon be made. _I I_to.v_,ny‘.‘ roqnirvoaltiftyoattgssoit. ,. , b . I H.‘ "1 ll!

mountain retreats, fall like a thunderbolt on some unsus- .

ofgrogn glissu. we '