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WEEKLY J QURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS.

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THE DEVIL'S REPAST. A TALE.

DEDICATED TO TA’ E-BRARERS GENERALLY. The most venomous evils are often concealed, Like serpents, beneath fairest flowers. There are passions to which human reason may yield, And by which all good thoughts, acts and words are congealed ; | Yhere are natures that false pride devours.

But of all evil passions there is none to compare With a gossip’s, (the devil's estate,) Whose poisonous fangs will no character spare,— A foul vice beside which all others seem fair,— A failing with little and great.

Miss A, Mrs. B, Mrs. C, and Miss D, Misses E, F, and G, H, and I, Assembled at Js to partake of some tea, And a tete a tete, and a fiddle-de-dee, And to talk of their neighbours, and—lie.

And they sat round a table, like doctors employed, Diss eting their very best friend ;

And many a character there was destroyed,

And many an unsightly fault was descried, But none did the victims defend.

There Envy and Malice found vent for their sploon, And took a peculiar delight

In distorting the character, air, dress and mien

Of all luckless wights that obnoxious had been In A, B, C, D, or E’s sight.

The evening was deepening into dark night;

A storm was abroad in the skies; The thunder roared loudly, which caused much affright, And the lightning flashed fitfully, luridly bright,

And bewildered and dazzled all eyes.

But the revel ceased not, though to many a heart Dread Terror had sent home a shaft ;

Yet none seemed to think it was time to depart,

And each one was anxious to act well her part, And drink deep of Calumny’s draught.

A storm, I said, was abroad in the akics, And grimly strode over the land; In its midst, on a cloud, sat the Father of Lies, And around him his councillors, deputics, spies, Ail waiting to do his command.

And Beelzebuh sat on a thunder-forged chair, In deep thought enveloped he seemed ;

And bis councillors said ‘twas some weighty affsir

Taat barthened his mind with such deep-s:ated care, And his forchead with wrinkles beseamed.

He started, at length, and his sceptre thrico waved, (A sign of decision, L'm told,) And said, ‘* Since mankind by a Saviour were saved, The women my vengeance and fury have braved, And have, from long-suffering, grown bold. © © © ©

** To-morrow I purpose to hold a levee,— A dinner most grand to behold,—

At which I'll assemble a great companie

Of Hell's old and long-standing aristocracie, To whom a deep scheme I'll unfold,

** Which I’ve been concocting this many an aga, To regain our old happiness, lost,—~

CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE

| Flashed brightly and constant as onward they camo,

) to a continuation of their first plan of siege, multiplying their

, the throne and to your country, you have heroically disputed jeach inch of ground, forcing the assailants to advance only

}One thousand men per day—commenced that infernal bom-

——— htttienetie a

The attendants obeyed, and each seized on a dame, And bore her with swiftness away ; The thunder resounded, the lightning’s blue flame

Revealing each imp with his prey.

And loud piercing shriekings o’erburthened the blast, And frightened the storm-clouds away. And this is the end of all gossips at last— They'll be taken to furnish a devils’ repast, And for demons become a fit prey. Ay LS

Gleanings from late Papers.

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THE WAR.

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF ON THE FALL OF SEBASTOPOL. General Order to the Army of the South and the Sea and

Land Forces in the Crimea. Head-quarters, Heights of Inkermann, Sept. 12.

Valiant Comrades,—On the 12th September last year a/ strong hostile army appeared before the walls of Sebastopol. | Notwithstanding its numerical superiority, despite the ab- sence of obstacles which military art might have opposed to it in the town, that army did not dare attack it by ma‘n force, but undertook a regular siege. Since that time, notwithstand- ing the formidable means at the disposal of our enemies, who by their numerous ships, constantly received reinforcements, artilllery and ammunition for eleven months and a half, al] | their efforts failed before your bravery and firmness. It is a| fact unexampled in military annals that a town hastily forti-| fied, in presence of the enemy, should have been able to hold | out so long aguinst a force the means of attack of which have | exceeded everything that hitherto could have been foreseen in calculations of thismature. And with means so enormous and of such a description, after the ruinous effects of an artil lery of colossal dimensions, continued for nine months, the enemy having frequently had recourse to prolonged bombard- ments of the town, firing on such occasions many hundred thousand rounds, they became convinced of the iradequacy of their efforts, and resolved to take Sebastopol by a combat. Ou the 18th of June they made the assault on different sides, aud courageously eutered the town, but you received them with intrepidity, and they were driven back on all points in the most brilliant manner. This check forced them to return

batteries, and increasing the activity of their trench works and mining operations. Since the memorable day upon which you repulsed the assuult two months and « half elapsed, during which, animated by sentiments of duty and of love to

foot by foot, and purchase with torrents of blood and an incredible loss of ammunition each yard of ground gained. [u this obstinate defence your covrage did not flag; on the contrary, it rose to the highest degree of self-denial. Taking advantage of the superiority of their fire at short range, the evemy, after the concentrated action of their artillery during thirty days—which eost our garrison from five hundred to

bardment (bombardment d'enfer) from an infinite number of engines of war, and ofa calibre hitherto unknown, which

And to make preparation a new war to wage,— And some human victims, no doubt, will engago, , And gain the good will of the host.

** What vice most revolting, what dark monstrous crime, Shall distinguish the victims I'll chooses ?”’

‘* The foulest, unsightliest, curst of all timo

Since Eden saw Adam and Eve in their prime,— Since Moses delived the Jews!”’

Thus answered the councillors. Beelzebub said, ‘+ Let Sin’s representatives come, And pass ‘fore us here in perspective parade, And we will select from the gay canaleias The filthiest, vilest—the scum.”’

And, at his command, there approached and passed by A troop of fantastical forms :

Superstition, Suicide, Hate, Bigotry,

Murder, Parricide, Theft, Felony, And Pride, and all else that deforms.

But none pleased his fancy, until there drew near

A shape like a shrivelled old maid,— “What weird shapes this, and what comes it for here?” Asked Beelzebub, with a demoniac sneer.

The shape paused, and, answering, said :—

‘* My name is Miss Gossip, great master, and know I delight in backhiting my friends ; The seeds of dissention ‘midst neighbours I sow—” ‘* Enough,”’ interrupted the devil, « I know You of old, and we ought to be friends.

** Tis you I'll depute, as most worthy of all Who've before us this evening defiled, To furnish the victims from in stall, hat will grace with their presence our feast at the ball,— That may be stewed, roasted, or boiled.’’

And Gossip bowed low in obedience. But let Us return to our friends A, B, C, And the rest of the gossips that at J’s house met, But who, 4s if heeding nor thunder nor wet, Still talked and still laughed merrily.

The storm at length seemed ¢’ have run its career, When, just as they rose to depart,

A huge clap of thunder broke frightfully near

Which caused them to tremble, and turn pale with fear And the blood to run chill’d to each heart. i

The candles waxed dim, and anon went out quite And darkness discovered a seene A More awful than e’er was shown to mortal sight,— Than ever a maniac brain did affright,—

Than Dante in vision had seen.

Before them stood Beelzebub, fearfully grand ; The lightning zig round his head,

And formed a crown. In his mighty right hand

Was a thunderbolt grasped, as a truncheon, or brand, Or a sceptre. Above him was spread

A flame-coloured eanopy, varied in hue.

ne sharp pointed arrows, his eyes.

_ a vor me approaching to blue,—

was furrowed b k thoughts that rue

And regret unsuccessful emprise.

And Beelzebub bade hi sae th ett,

Tartarus’

destroyed our defences, repaired by us at night with so great labour and at great loss, under the incessant fire of the enemy. The principal work, the Korniloff Redoubt, on the Malakhoff Hill (the key of Sebastopol, as a poiut dominating the whole town) had experienced considerable and irreparable damage. To coutinue under these circumstances the defence of the south side would have been to expose our troops daily to a useless butchery, and their preservation is to day, more than ever, necessary to the Emperor and to Russia. For these reasons, with grief in my heart, but with a full conviction, I resolve to evacuate Sebastupol, and take over the troops to the north side by the bridge constructed beforehand over the bay by hoats. Meantime the enemy, beholding on the 8th of Sep- tember, at 10.30, the half-ruined works before them and the Korniloff Redoubt with its ditches filled up, resolved upon a desperate assault, first on Bastions No. 2 Korniloff, and No. 3, and after about three hours upon Bastion No. 5, and the Belkin and Schwartz redoults. Of those six attacks five were gloriously repulsed. Some of the points of attack, like that on Bastion No. 2, on which the enemy had succeded in bringing guns by flying bridges having at various times been taken and retaken, remained finally ours. But the Korniloff Redoubt, more damaged than the others by the bombardment, was taken by the French, who brought more than 30,000 men against it, and could not be retaken after the great losses we had suffered at the commencement of this combat, for it would have been neceessary to ascend in the midst of the ruins a very steep incline, and then cross a narruw ridge above a deep ditch of the rear face occupied by the French. Such an undertaking might have prevented us achieving the pro- posed object, and would have cost us, without the slightest dou't, incalculable losses. ‘The attempt was the more needless, as, for reasons already mentioned, [ had resolved to evacuate the place. Therefore, as the success of the enemy was con- fined to the sole capture of the Korniloff Redoubt, I ordered that no attack should be on that redoubt, and that troops shou!d remain in front of it to oppose any continuation of the enemy’s attack on the town itself, an order which was executed | despite of all the effurts of the French to get beyond the gorge of the redoubt. At dusk the troops were ordered to retire, according to the arrangements previously made. The examples of bravery you gave during that day, valiant com- rades, aroused such a feeling of esteem in the enemy, that, dexpite the knowledge they must have had of our retreat by the explosion of our mines, which our troops fired one after the other as they gradually retreated, they not only did not pursue us in columns, but even ccased firing with their arti!- lery, which they might have continued with impunity. Valiant comrades,—It is painful, it is hard to leave Sebastopol in the evemy’s hands, But remember the sacrifice we made upon the altar of our country in 1812. Moscow was surely. as valuableas Se |—we abandoned it after the immortal battle of Borodino, The defence of Sebastopol during 349. days is superior to Borodino, and when the enemy entered | Moscow in that great year of 1812 they only found heaps of stones and ashes, Likewise it 1s not Sebastopol which we | have left to them, but the burning ruins of the towa which we ourselves set fire to, having maintained the honour of the defence in such a manner that our great ndchildren may recal] the remembrance thereof with pride to all posterity. ; Wherever the enemy may show himself we will present oar

for none else bad claime. oe }

breaste to him, gnd defend our native land-es we defended

EDWARD ISLAND

——

Chis is true Liberty, when Freeborn Men, having to advise the Public, man speak free -——gvRIPrIDES.

’ en

MON it in 1812. Valiant warriors of the land and sea forces !—In the name of the Mmperor [ thank you for the unexampled courage, firmness, and constancy you have displayed during the siege of Sebastopol. Let us remember the immortal names of Nachimoff, Korniloff and [stomine, and let us address pray- ers to the Most High that he will grant them peace, and eternalise their memory as an example to the future genera- tious of the Russians,

SUFFERINGS OF A PRISONER OF WAR.

Constable James Vickers, late ef the Cork constabulary, who was attached to the Commissariat Corps in the Crimea, until taken prisoner this time twelvemonth by a party of Cossacks, has written a letter to a friend in Cork, of which the follow- ing is an extract :—

“* Black Sea, off Odessa, on board H. M. S. Dauntless, ‘* September 15, 1855.

‘* At about half-past six o’clock, p. m., on the 24th of October, 1854, I was returning to Bala Clava from having a view of Sebastopol, when [ was captured by a party of Cossacks, who took me, with my arms tied behind my back, before General Liprandi, in the neighbourhood of Sebastopol, where I was questioned relative to the number of troops that were guard- ing Bala Clava, and afterwards sent to sleep under a gun waggon. On the following morning I was placed under a guard, and kept in the rear of the Russian troops, and on that night put to sleep with the wounded and unwounded belong- ing to our Light Cavalry. I remained so for, I think, three days, and then marched to Simpheropol. where I arrived on the 30th October, and was then put into prison and allowed a greatcoat for a bed, and a portion of soup, a little beef, and about 2lb. of bread once a-day, by the governor for wy main- tenance, which was inadequate, but the inhabitants brought in tea and sugar, &c., which were very acceptable. On the 7th, I together with the soldiers, were served out with a sueepskin cap, a pair of gloves, a pair of large boots, and two arge pieces of grey cloth, to answer the purposes of stock- ings, and also mine days’ pay ; the soldiers at the rate of 9 kopecks (34d. nearly), and [ 30 kopecks (1s.) per day, after the receipt of which we were marched off on our long and tedious journey, marehing at the rate of 12 or 14 versts a-day, for two or three days, and then halting one day for rest. A verst is about three-quarters of an English mile. We were supplied with waggongs drawn by bullocks to convey any of us that were unable to walk. When we commenced our journey we expected to receive better treatment with regard to lodgings, but I am sorry to say they were wofully bad, being placed m very small village prisons, having only one cell, and in the event of there being no prison, we were placed in cabins of the most miserable description, to lie in filthy straw on the floor. We went on in this manner until the 1lUth December, when my allowance was reduced to 8d. a-day, and the soldiers in- creased to the same amount (except a poor Turk, who was left on 34d. a-day.) The snow commenced on the 10th of De- cember, and remained on the greund during the remaining part of our journey, and it was not unusual to see ice in con- siderable quantities hanging at our beards. In this manner we went on from day to day until we reached Varonez, where the English solders were appointed to remain. I was also kept here with a Mr. Johnson, belonging to the commis- sariat, for ten days, and we complained to the authorities of our bad treatment, being placed in a wet damp room of small dimensions, to sleep on the floor in company with twelve other wisoners (Russians), but we got no redress. On the Sth of raneeent 1855, [and Mr. Johnson left Varonez for Rezan, being about 500 versts from there according to the way we were taken; but during this part of our journey we could sit upon sleighs whenever we felt fatigued, butas the sleighs only went at a walking pace, and the weather being intensely cold, we were obliged to walk to — ourselves from being frost- bitten. Every night we were obliged to have a scolding match with the sergeant in charge of us, before we could yet an addi- tional cabin to enable us to sleep apart from the convoy of civil prisoners who were forwarded with us from the very com- mencement of our journey, and who were very disagreeable to us, as they sometimes numbered upwards of 100, and conse- quently delayed us standing in the snow sometimes for hours, while lodgings were being procured for them hy the person in charge. On our arrival in Rezan we were put into prison for six weeks, but allowed to walk out at pleasure. My com- panion here got fever and ague, and having enly a small cell, we wrote a memorial to England fer money to enable us to purchase clothing, and to live ata private lodging, at the same time stating our grievances and dating from Rezan prison, and sent it to the Govenal. In about ten days after, we were sont for by the Governor of Rezan, who informed us that he had received instructions to give us ledgings in a pri- vate house and 75 kopecks (2s. 6d.) a-day, and in a few days after this our memorial was brought to us, with a request to put it in another form, which we did. It was then forwarded, and our application was granted, which enabled me to live comfortably, I may say, during the latter part of my stay in Russia. On the 13th August I left Rezan, and came down night and day, as fast as horses could come, in company with the officers that arrived in Rezan subsequent to me. There were fourteen English at one time and one French. There is one there still—Lieutenant Jones, of the Royal Engineers. I arrived at Odessa on the Ist inst., was locked up until the 4th, when we were escorted on board the Viper, and after- wards placed on this vessel; and it is unknown when there may be an opportunity of sending us on, (there are ten of us on board, including two of the Hango men, Her Majesty’s Ship Cossack, Dr. Easton and Master’s Assistant Sullivan), as there are only this vessel and three other small ones to blockade Odessa, the mouth of the Dneiper, and some other

place. “* James ViCKERS.”’

LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS IN THE CRIMEA.

FROM A COLOUR SERGEANT OF THE 90TH FOOT.

My dear Mother,—About 11.30 a. m., the morning of the 8th, the French attacked the Malakoff with about 15,000 men, and soon took possession of it, the Russians not expect- ing an attack at that time. The English were to attack immediately after. Our force consisted of 100 Riflemen as an advance, 160 of the 97th, with scaling ladders, and 300 of the YOth Regiment, as the storming party. Well, at last we got the word to get over our trench, and over we went, having to run about Too yards to the Redan : we ran like greyhounds, euch one anxious to be in first. As soon as the Russians saw us, they opened a most terrific fire of shot, grape and musketry upon us. Many a poor fellow never reached the Redan. I, however, reached the ditch, scaled the ladders,

DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1855. _

mounted the parapet, and into the Redan, where two captains |

and two lieutenants were immediately shot dead. We, how- ever, succeeded in driving the Russians to some little distance, where they got behind abutments and kept up a terrible fire upon us. The artillerymen, who had no small arms, threw shot, grape and stones with their hands at us. I was taking aim at one of them when another Russian saw me: he had a shot about 2lbs. weight in his hand which he instantly threw at me, hitting me on the breast. In the excitement of the moment, I forgot all about the firelock I had in my hand, or I could easily have shot him, instead of which I picked up a stone and threw it at bim, giving him a knock on the head for his impertinence. About this time the Russians brought up considerable reinforcements, and as our ranks were pretty well thinned, and no moro came up to help us, they drove us fairly out of the battery on to the parapet, where we again made a stand, for, { ghoulg think. ou how. A number of

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[EDITOR axv PUBLISHER

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men came to our assistance, but it was too late, we never could make our footing inside again. The Russians now came up in swarms; one party attacked us in our flank, and another made a dash at us in front: it was no child’s play for us now, for those who were not killed or wounded stood & good chance of heing made prisoners ; they fairly forced us

off the parapet into the ditch. Now ensued a ‘scene that

baffles all description: we were nearly all precipitated into the ditch. I tried to go down by the ladder and had got almost halfway, when about 40 or 50 came tumbling over me, knocking me down headforemost with a leg sticking through the staves. I was most afraid of being run through with some of our own bayonets as they came tumbling over me, but fortunately I never lost my presence of mind for a mo- ment ; if I had, I was lost. JI managed somehow or other te get to the bottom, the Russians pouring a murderous fire upon us, and bayonetting all they could. J, however, got om my legs, and by some means (how [ cannot tell), got up the other side of the ditch. I had lost my firelock and Serres and forage cap. I immediately secured another firelock and bayonet, which, luckily, was loaded ; on looking round I saw the enemy close behind, and not many of our own men. left. [ gave them a farewell shot, andran, bareheaded, for my life. Every gun they could bring to bear upon us was dealing death around me. On all sides were dead and dying, the shot flying like hail; still I pressed on, and by little short of a miracle escaped. . . . . . . Next morning a considerable number of dead and wounded of the 90th were found either inside or on the parapet of the Redan; and also a great number of Russians inside, showing how fierce the strife had been. I could extend my letter to a considerable length, had [ time to do so, but I have not, so you must be contented to learn that I am well and all right at present. I have 26 men out of the 44 that I took with me to look after, for L only brought 18 home again. My love to everybody and expect to be home soon. I have encloged a small artificial flower I took out of a Russian house in Sebastopol. All is quiet now. Your affectionate son, R. Gipsiys.

FROM SERGEANT PARKER.

Camp before Sebastopol, Sept. 12, 1855. - My dear Sister,—The regiment to which I belong had te advance for a distance of 240 yards under an extremely hoavy:

fire of cannon and musketry, but the worst of it was waca °

we got through this terrible fire there was a deep ditch to-geat into, and all the ladders, except a few, either broken or Jefe behind with men who had been killed or wounded ; however, I got into the ditch and scrambled up the opposite side ew best I could, the Russians all the time giving us grape, shell and rifle bullets in abundance. I got through an embrasure into the Redan, when such a sight met my view. Close be= fore me, behind a breastwork, through which some great guns were playing, were the Russians firing at our men, and thoy in return were blazing away at the Russians, whilst in front some officers were trying to form our men, and have a go with the bayonet at the Russians behind the breastwork ; but it could not be done. As soon as they came up to form they were shot down, and many a gallant fellow fell in this way. The Russians had now many a thousaud men inside the Re- dan, while we had got no supports, and had lost a deal of.

jmen. The Russians saw this, and rushed over the breast--

work at us with the bayonet, our men met them man to man. Then came such a struggle that I hope I shall never see agair . There was a Russian otiicer close to me making himself very conspicuous, so | made fur him, and in less than a minuto [ stopped his course, and succeeded in leaving the mark of my sword en his head, while at the same time I received a bayc- net wound from a very tall Russian soldier, who was imme- diately bayonctted by a grenadier belonging to the 41st. Dee spite all that we could dy, they drove us back over the parapet and through the embrasures into the ditch, from which place we made our escape to our lines. The Russians had got enough, I think, fur they set fire to every part of the town that would burn that night. They loaded all the guns to the muzzles, filled all the shell, undermined their batteries and magazines, and laid slow matches to them. Then the scoundrels set fire to the shipping and the place and left it, Explosion followed explosion for: two or three days; in fact, they are not yet over. We are not allowed to go into the city yet, because it is not safe, the houses being full of live shells, to which slow matches are laid. I cannot give youa correct account of the loss, but it must be heayy. The Rus sians were lying in thousands. My regiment lost 235 men, 23 sergeants and 13 officers. The Light Division lost about 1,300 men, and is yery much talked about here. J. T. Parker, Sergoant.

FROM A ‘‘ YOUNG PROFESSIONAL GENTILEMAN.”’

On Friday night we were told that it was the intention of the generals to storm the Malakoff and Redan at 13 o’clock the next morning: I went to look for a position whore I might see the fight, but found that the heights were all oceupied by Lancers, who were keeping the people back. However, by going round about for some distance, | managed to elude them, and to. get ona hill between them and the Malakoff, where I had a splendid view of all the batteries and trenches. The French began early to march down into the trenches in thousands. Punetually at twelve the firin began, and, fortunately for me, the wind was strong wea to carry away the smoke quickly. I could distinetly see tae French adyancing up the Malakoff hill, planting their stan- dard in the middle of the battery. The Malakoff was taken without much difficulty. The English did not get on so well with the Redan. The musketry and cannonading went on for about an hour—I was tired with hearing it. 1 knew that some musi be suffering most fearfully, and thought I might

now be more useful in the camp than on the top of the hill. °

What I saw on my way back horrified and disgusted me with war. I met many Russian prisoners, some of whom were severely wounded; also some English and French wounded, being carried to the hospitals. When [ arrived at the 8&th, the surgeon was glad to see me, for he had more wounded than he could manage, and his assistants were at the front. I had several operations, such as removing bullets and eut- ting off fingers. 1 cut off one arm by tho shoulder joint, which is called a capital operation in England. During the next night | heard many explosions, and when [ awoke in the morning I was informed that Sebastopol was in the hands of the allies. I applied for pass to enter the town; and, in con- sequence of my exertions the day before, had no difficulty in obtaining one. Onmy way to the town I passed through the Redan, and saw the scene of the previous day’s havoc. The dead soldiers were being buried by their comrades in the trench of the Redan. Some of them were mangled horribly enough, and presented about as frightful a sight as one can well imagine. The interior of the Redan is large enough to hold a considerable army ; but, as fur as I could see, it is not commended by any battery except the Malakoff; so that when it was taken, the Redan must yield. The waste of English life on Saturday appears to have been totally useless, as has since been proved by the evacuation of the 7 battery when the troops had ceased to attack it. When arrived at Sebastopol I found hardly any English in the place, but many French were hard at work plundering; I think I must have been one of the first fifty Englishmen who entered the town. All the houses and public ildings were in a frightful state of dilapidation. The shells had penetrated their walls in every direction, and large portions of the town were in flames ; every now and then powder magazines were exploding. I brought some plunder away with me, but none of any value. All portable valuables had carried off by the Russians. I have a young dog with me now, which I took prisoner in Sybastopol.

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