THE GREAT SEBASTOPOL HOAX. 
Last Saturday afternoon the Emperor of France announced 
(it was said) to his staff at a review that Sebastopol had fallen. 
His Majesty's words were, “Sebastopol estpris!" The Monileur 
in confirmation, published the telegraphic despatch, dated 
Bucharest, Sept. 28, from the French consul in the capital of 
Wallacliia, that such event had taken place. The Vienna 
press also gave insertion to a series of apparently confirma- 
tory despatches, all dated the 28th ultimo. Later, the 
telegraphs gave the same news under date of the 30th, with 
remarks that the intelligence was brought to Vania by a 
steamer, which fell in. with another steamer bound to Con- 
stantinople. 
The bubble has now burst. The telegraphic despatch 
issued in the Extraordinary Gazette of last night, from Lord 
Stratford de Redeliffe, is dated Sept. 30th, at 9.30 p.m. In 
the note, signed “ E. Hammond," from Lord Clarendon, it is 
stated that the despatch was forwarded from Bucharest by 
her Majesty's consul-general at half-past three o’clock the 
same day. This beats Gulliver ! Only six hours from 
Bucharest to Constantinople ! ! ! From Bucharest to 
Varna or Ivustendji, by the ordinary road, is just 
upon 100 miles, and there is no regular conveyance, 
no -relays of horses, nor no established post. From 
Ivustendji to Constantinople is 220 miles, or at this time of 
the year 19 hours’ good steaming; and the distance from 
Varna being 180 miles, the Banshee would do well to go over 
the space in 15 hours. To test still further this Bucharest 
news, we must look at the place of disembarking the siege 
guns. The telegraph makes our ships laud the siege gnus at 
Balaklava, to drag through a mountain gorge, and over lofty 
hills at the south of Sebastopol, for siege purposes on the 
north. 
However, this telegraph is valuable in other respects. It 
bears date the 30th September (at night), from Constantino- 
ple, so that the tale of the capture o f Sebastopol on the 25th 
or 26th September is blown to the winds, for the Banshee is 
declared to have left the Crimea on the evening of the 28th 
ultimo, two days after the reported capture of the Russian 
stronghold. 
Further, it upsets the yarn of the steamer on the 26th or 
2ith (the day is doubtful) meeting the other steamer bound 
to Constantinople with the important news of the surrender 
of the forts of Sebastopol; for the despatch of Lord Strat- 
ford de Redeliffe, though of the 30th September, is silent on 
the subject. It took about four days for our ambassador’s 
despatch to reach Belgrade, in Servia, where the telegraph 
commences, yet we are to believe that a despatch from Bucha- 
rest to Constantinople was delivered iu six hours ! What a 
pity our agent at Bucharest did not give the name of some 
officers as voucher for his authority. 
DESPATCHES RECEIVED IN LONDON ON FRIDAY 
EVENING, October 6. 
{By Submarine Telegraph.) 
, “ Marseilles, Friday. 
" The I- ury, which left Constantinople Sept, the 27th, ‘has 
arrived here. 
“ UP t0 the 24th there had been no further fighting in the 
Crimea. 
“ The 23rd Regiment lost all its officers but three of 
whom Captain Bell was the senior. 
“ Colonel Ainslie was killed in planting a standard on the 
heights of Alma. 
“ General Brown had a horse killed under him. 
“The want of cavalry was much felt in the pursuit 
towards Sebastopol. 
“ Touching Sebastopol, it is confidently stated that the 
second line of defences has been carried. The place was 
commanded by the allies, who occupied the heights. 
“ The Russian naval division had made an unsuccessful 
endeavour to push out with fourteen sail." 
“ 0° the 19th of September there was a skirmish between 
English and Russian cavalry : six English were wounded, 
and twenty-five Russians killed." 
On the 25th of September, when within sight of Sebasto- 
pol, Lord Burghersh set out with a despatch. [He is ex- 
pected to arrive in London to-day (Saturday).— E d.] 
The Russians had sunk four of their vessels of the line at 
the entrance of the port. 
The English fleet before Sebastopol, was constantly firintr 
shells and balls. 
The capture of Sebastopol is not confirmed. It is, however 
invested. 
The Monileur announces the occupation of Balaklava, of 
which the allies have already made a considerable place. 
The various columns ot the army had to cross several 
rivers iu succession, in order to turn the Gulf of Sebas- 
topol, and enter the mountain country, before they could 
arrive at Balaklava. 
The siege artillery had been landed at Balaklava from the 
ships which were blockading Sebastopol— Balaklava being 
now included iu the operations of the allied expedition. 
How the allied army gained this new position is not 
stated. 
Prince Menschikoff stood with only 20,000 men atBaktchi- 
Serai, awaiting reinforcements. 
WHEN WILL OFFICIAL NEWS ARRIVE ? 
The despatch of Lord Raglan the day after the battle of 
Alma reached London on Sunday, the 1st October, viA Bel- 
grade. This was ten full days. The despatch of Lord Strat- 
ford de Redeliffe, also via Belgrade, reached Loudon on the 
night of Saturday, 30th September, or over nine days. 
Suppose the batteries of Sebastopol were taken by the allies 
on the 26th of September, the official news could be brought 
to London by the night of the the 5th of October, or early 
in the morning of Friday, the 6tli. Thus, Sebastopol to 
Constantinople is 350 miles ; supposing the steamer with 
despatches from Lord Raglan left Sebastopol on the 
night of the 2Gth of September, rfnd performed twelve miles 
per hour under steam, this would briug her to Con- 
stantinople early in the morning of the 2Sth. If the same 
packet could be spared to proceed on to Varna, a distance 
of 180 miles, or to Kustenji, and performed the passage in 
nfteen or seventeen hours, this would bring her t<> her desti- 
nation late the same night. Supposing couriers were ready 
to start on horse, the distance to Belgrade could be done in 
lour days as before, which would bring the despatch to Bel- 
grade on the evening of the 2nd of October, and this intelli- 
j*. ce - mi k' *L“ av ® keen telegraphed to London early in the 
dSIvf S the 3rd iust But this pre-supposes no 
-* A r t ^ etelegl ‘ aphs up to Wednesday purported to 
The Auglo-French authorities would 
ThVSS 6 heU 'w Spatches in that round-about manner. 
Jnv nffiS a - n ?^r eft a de P 6t at Varna, and it is not likely 
any official intelligence will be communicated through 
T1IE FIELD 
any other channel except Kustenji. All announcements 
coming trom \ ienna via Bucharest, or from any part of the 
lert bank of the Danube, should be received with reserve. 
Fl’RTHER ACCOUNTS FROM THE CRIMEA. 
{From the London Gazette Extraordinary of Thursday, Oct. 5.) 
WVw Department. October 5. 1851. 
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle has this day received a 
letter, of which the following is a copy, enclosing, by direc- 
tion of the Earl of Clarendon, a copy of a telegraphic despatch 
from Viscount Stratford de Redeliffe, her Majesty’s ambassa- 
dor at Constantinople : — 
"Foreign Office, October 5, 1851, 10J a.m. 
“ Sir, I am directed by the Earl of Clareudon to transmit 
to you herewith, for the information of the Duke of New- 
castle, a copy of a telegraphic despatch from Viscount 
Stratford de Redeliffe, dated September 30, 9± p.m., aud 
purporting to have been forwarded from Bucharest by her 
Majesty's Agent and Consul-General, on September 3*0, 34 
p.m., and containing accounts from the Crimea. 
“I am, &c., “ E. Hammond." 
“ Colonel Muudy, &c. &c. &c." 
Translation of (he e,ract copy of a telegraphic despatch, 
received October 5, 10 a.///., and transmitted by the agent 
of England, in Wallarhia, at Bucharest, the '60th of 
September, 1854, 34 p.m. 
LORD STRATFORD, CONSTANTINOPLE, TO LORD CLARENDON, 
MINISTER OF FOREION AFFAII18, LONDON. 
, .September 80, 1851, p.m. 
1 lie allied armies established their basis of operations at 
Bala Clava on the morning of the 28th, aud were preparing 
to march without delay upon Sebastopol. Tne Agniuemuon 
and other vessels of war of tho allies were in the port of Bala 
Clava. There were facilities there for disembarking the 
battering-train. 
It is stated that Prince Menschikoff was in the field at the 
head of 20,000 men, expecting reinforcements ; that tho 
fortified place of Anapa has been burned by the Russians ; 
that, its garrison was marching to the scene of action ; and 
that a convoy of ammunition, escorted by Cossacks, had been 
taken aud destroyed by the English detachment. 
The Banshee, bearer of this news, left the Crimea on the 
evening of the day before yesterday. 
Stratford d e Redcliffe. 
THE AUTHORITIES FOR THE NEWS. 
There is something unaccountable — says a contemporary 
on Thursday the 5th inst.,— about the manner iu which 
official intelligence respecting the alleged fall of Sepastopol 
hangs fire. A great many versions of the story have been 
published, but only two authorities for any of them have 
been named. One is the captain of a French steamer, which 
was hailed on leaving the Bosphorus from on board another 
French steamer, and told they were carrying the news of 
the fall of Sebastopol from the Crimea to Constantinople. 
This intelligence the master of the first steamer commu- 
nicated at Varna, whence it was transmitted to Omar Pasha. 
The other source is the Tatar, who brought to Bucharest 
from Constantinople certain despatches, for Omar Pasha, 
which were sent after that chief to Silistria un- 
opened. The details respecting the fall of Sebas- 
topol which have been published were obtained from 
the Tatar. The Tatar's story and that of the master of the 
French steamer harmonise sufficiently to convince ns that a 
steamer had arrived at Constantinople with news from 
Sebastopol. But how comes it that days after this news, 
picked up by a messenger carrying despatches and a master 
of a steamer who meets another by chance 1 1 sea, has boon 
received, no authentic official intelligence has yet arrived > 
Instead of letters to the master of the house, we have only 
the gossip of the servants' hall aud travellers’ room in a 
coffee-house to warrant the existence of such letters, or the 
nature of their contents. 
957 
THE WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 
“ Constantinople, September 25. 
“ The Vulcan has brought 320 wounded from the Crimea 
“ The Andes brought 300. 
“ No general officers were hurt. 
“ The 7th, 23rd, and 33rd Regiments suffered most." 
At the battle of the Alma, on the 20th of September, the 
Russians numbered 45,000 men, and 100 cannon. The 
English had 1,895 rank and file, 96 officers, 114 sergeants, 
aud 23 drummers killed and wounded. The loss of the 
French was 1,400 men and 60 officers. 
The allies had sent to Varna for cavalry. 
Advices from Odessa of the 29th September state that 
fightiug continued uninterruptedly in the Crimea from the 25th 
to the departure of the courier on the 27th. The allies were 
on the rivers Belbek and Merterewady, ten versts from 
Sebastopol. The English Levant steamer took 840 wounded 
Russians from Eupatoria to Odessa on the 28th. Six allied 
steamers had captured prizes off Odessa. The Turkish 
troops at Bucharest fired guns on the 2nd to celebrate the 
victory of the Alma. 
(By Submarine and European Telegraph.) 
o • t- « , Vienna, Wednesday, 
ihe Russian Embassy last night published a despatch of 
the 26th of September, in which it is said that Prince Men- 
schikoff had met with no impediment in advancing from 
Sebastopol, along the rond to Bakchi-Serai,aud that no attack 
had been made on Sebastopol. This intelligence was tele- 
graphed from St. Petersburg on the 2nd. It is not doubted 
here that the despatch was forwarded by Menschikoff on the 
20th, and not on the 26th. The journey from Sebastopol 
to St. Petersburg, via Moscow, takes seven days. It is now 
ten o clock, aud the Turkish Embassy has received no news 
from Omar Pasha confirming the taking of Sebastopol." 
Paris, Wednesday Evening. 
“ It is rumoured that Prince Menschikoff surrendered < n 
condition of being allowed to retire.” 
The conflicting nature of the despatches kept both Paris 
and London in the most intense state of anxiety throughout 
Thursday. 
HOME REJOICINGS FOR VICTORY. 
Balmoral, Oct. 2. — Yesterday morning the intelligence of 
the victory over the Russians on the Alma reached tlic 
Queen by electric telegraph and express messenger, causing 
the greatest joy to her Majesty. 
Windsor. — The glorious intelligence of the defeat of the 
Russians by the allied armies was welcomed horo by flic 
ringing of the bells of the Chapel Royal of Sr. George", and 
St. John s Church, and the firing of a royal salute i , the 
town bombtuliers in the Bdchelor's-acrc. The 48th Regiment 
turned out, under the command of Colonel Garrett, and had 
a field-day in the Home-park, in honour of the occasion. 
Plymouth.— An order was received by telegraph from tho 
Admiralty to fire a salute in honour of the great victory 
obtaiued over tho Russian forces on the heights of Alma ; 
accordingly, at noon the Impregnable, Royal William, aud 
Calcutta thundered forth a royal salute of twenty-one guns, 
and all the ships in tho harbour wore dressed with flags. 
Portsmouth. In puraunoco of an order from tho Admiralty 
to tho Commaador-m-Chiof at this port, tho whole <>f tho 
mon-of-wav were dressed out iu colours at noon, and some of 
them fired a salute in honour of the victory obtained by the 
allies in the Crimea. The vessels that saluted were the 
Victory, flag-ship, Illustrious, 42, in harbour ; and the 
Powerful, 84. aud the Colossus, 80, at Spithend. The 
entire squadron at this port remained dressed in colours till 
suusot. Shortly after tho ships had saluted, the garrison 
did tl»e same from the batteries. 
Southampton. — The utmost excitement prevailed in 
Southampton on Sunday, in consequence of tho announce- 
ment of a great victory having beeu gained over the Russians 
by tho English and French forces at Alma, in tho Crimea. 
1 he newspaper offices in the town, and tho telegraph office, 
where notices of tho victory wore posted, were crowded all 
dav by persons reading the glorious news. The subject was 
alluded to rejoicingly in some of tho places ..f worship. 
Du Monday morning tho railway terminus aud the news 
•emlers' shops were crowded by persons anxious to purchase 
the London morning papers, and there was quite a scramble 
r them. The Southampton church bells rung merrily for 
the victory. Notices were issued also that grand per- 
formances of appropriate music, in honour of the victory, 
would take place at the theatre. The news of the battle 
at Alma, reached the Isle of Wight also on Sunday, and 
caused the greatest rejoicing there. 
Leeds. — The news of tho victory of the allies at Alma, 
and the alleged fall of Sebastopol, have caused a degree of 
excitement iu Leeds, unequalled, we believe, by any event 
since 1815. Extraordinaries of tho local newspapers have 
been published, aud the news has beon read with almost un- 
paralleled aridity. The report of tho victory was announced 
both from the church and dissenting pulpits, and the bells 
of the parish church rang a peal of joy immediately on re- 
ceipt of tho glad tidings. 
Birmingham. — The glorious intelligence of tho great 
victory on the Alma, and the report of a still greater triumph 
at. Sebnstopol, arrived here about ten o'clock on Sunday 
morning, and, within a few hours, it wnatho theme of rejoic- 
ing over the whole towu. The announcement was immedi- 
ately posted in front of somo of the local newspaper-offices, 
and means were taken to convey the intelligence to some of 
the clergymen and ministers of tho borough, ho that, in tho 
evening it became the subject of mauy appropriate allusions. 
Colchester.- -At Colchester the news of tho victory by 
the allied armies occasioned general rejoicing, which was ex- 
pressed by the ringing of merry peals on St. Peter’s bells, 
and a perambulation of the town by tho local band, playing 
ni .rtial airs, and escorted by a guard of honour, composed 
of the recruiting staff, who volunteered their assistance in 
the commemoration. The sanction (iu his worship's absence) 
of the Mayor's deputy was also obtained for a large bonfire 
aud pyrotechnic display in the evening. In the meantime a 
colossal effigy of the Czar was prepared, and a couple of 
scaffold poles, with chain and pulleys, were set up at tho 
top of High-street to suspend tho royal “guy." In the 
evening some thousands of persons were collected by the 
kindling of the bonfire ; and about eight o'clock “the Em- 
peror Nick " was brought out and hoisted by way of exhibi- 
tion before committing him to tho flames ; but the figure 
instantly became a mark for the mimic artillery of the 
crowd, in the shape of Roman caudles, squibs, &e„ .several of 
which “took effect" and at length set fire to the drapery, the 
flames gradually extending themselves till tho conflagration 
was completed by ft “dip" into the bonfire below, tho 
burning moss being again drawn up amidst the shouts of tho 
spectators. During the evening a number of rockets were 
fired, and there was a profuse expenditure of gunpowder in 
various shapes by way of celebrating the occasion. Essex. 
Standard. 
Shields. — On Tuesday the harbour of Shields presented 
an interesting and imposing spectacle on tho occasion of tho 
rejoicing for the success of the armies of the allies iu the 
Crimea. Flags of tho following nations were seen floating 
on board vessels belonging to the respective countries, and 
moored in the same tiers with English and Frenrii ships — 
Belgium, tho Netherlands, the United States of America, 
Danish, Sardinian, Austrian, Portuguese, Swedish, Nor- 
wegian and tho Hause Towns. The only maritime flag that 
did not mingle iu tho general rejoicing was the Black Eagle 
of Prussia. The Prussian vessels iu the harbour presented 
bare poles. 
Torquay-— The news of the glorious victory on the Alina 
reached this town on Saturday evening, between seven and 
eight o’clock, and, although couched in very brief terms, so 
great was its import that it spread among tho inhabitants 
with marvellous rapidity. Immediately onCaptaiu Rodway, 
of the Torquay Rifle Corps, becoming aware of the circum- 
stance, he called out the members of the gallant corps to do 
honour to the glorious event. The corps fil ed a feu de joie, 
and simultaneously tho harbour was illuminated at six or 
seven different spots with brilliant crimson fire, producing 
one of the finest effects ever witnessed, the band playing the 
National Anthem. Three hearty cheers were then given by 
tho Riflemen, joined by the multitude, for the Queen, the 
hand repeating the National Anthem; and again for tho 
A rmy and Navy, the baud playing “ Rule Britannia." Several 
villas, the most conspicuous of which was Waldron Castle, 
the residence of Lieutenant Dashwood, were illuminated, 
presenting a most imposing scene. — Torquay Records. 
Leicester.— Tho glorious intelligence of the great victory 
over the Russians, and the capture of Sebastopol by the 
allied armies, reached this town in the after part of Sunday. 
When the papers arrived they were read with avidity and 
soon at a premium. Everybody was elated, and tho congra- 
tulation and rejoicing became as general in the workshops of 
the operatives as in the highest commercial circles. The 
bells of St. Martin’s and St. Mary’s churches rang a 
merry peal — the first time on a similar occasion since tho 
battle of Waterloo. • Monday being the monthly pay-day of 
the pensioners, some hundreds of these veterans were 
assembled, and received the news with hearty ohccis, pa- 
rading the towu headed by the Militia band, and tho Militia 
and Yeomanry staffs, to the tune of “Cheer boys, cheer." 
Livkui’OOL. — The greatest interest was exhibited on 
receipt of the advices from tho Crimea reporting the victory 
"f Alma. Aud announcing on very good advice flic lots of 
Sebastopol. Tho bells of the parish churches (which, by the 
direction of the church wordcus, have remained silent for 
several months, owiug to the refusal of the parishi 
several months, owiug to the refusal of the parish iouera to 
pay a church rate of i/d. per pouud) were suddenly re-invi- 
gorated, aud sent forth merry peals. The national ensign 
