JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
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them, then directly from us, probably to a camp under the brow and above the river. There were mountedpeople about, and especially an escort of cavalry, at dusk, came away.
The columns did not seem large deep columns, probably single battalions, and it had the appearance of aparade or manoeuvring of troops, more than arrival.
xass.
July 27. Three hundred and twenty-three waggons or carts came to the north side. Of these 150 wereladen with large timbers, and subsequently 40 with large timbers, and 120 with gabions. 109 went away, 8 ofwhich covered white, like ambulances ; the remainder empty. One barge from the south to the north sidewith barrels like powder. Some of the timber brought in consisted of whole trees.
The corn stacks about the same. The haystacks considerably increased in one part, and one stack entirelyremoved in another part. Some kind of earthwork is raised on the counterscarp side of the ditch of theMalakoff, either to form a place for a lower tier of guns or for a covered way.
Much work is being done at the white Barrack building, the alternate windows closed up, and nearly allpropped up with timber inside, possibly to make it bomb proof. A shell was thrown from the rear of theMalakoff over the camp yesterday.
July 28. The roof of a large building in rear of the white Dockyard buildings has been taken
off, the ditch of the Malakoff has been widened, and a square-looking parapet in the centre increased.
Three hundred and twenty-three carts passed in, of which 127 with gabions, 10 with timber, 18 with sacks.239 passed out, 15 of which by the lower road.
July 29. Work is being done by the Russians at the 12-gun battery on the north side, and muchwork also at the 6-gun battery in part of Dockyard buildings ; it has now a ditch round it, made partly byblasting. Planks were across the ditch in three places, and I saw a man walk nine or ten steps upon one ofthem in crossing. A large building in the Dockyard has had the entire roof taken off. The Cemeteries arevery large, and the camp beyond Inkermnn increasing, with mud huts, wooden huts, and tents. A smalltrench has been made from the Malakoff straight towards the trench, earth being thrown up on both sides.
There came to the north side yesterday 18 carts, some with covers, 40 apparently empty ; 199 with gabions,and 84 heavily laden. About 123 went away empty.
July 30. A working party at the 12-gun battery all day on the north side. In the afternoon a heavy
fire was kept up from the Redan and Malakoff upon the Mamelon. Five rockets were fired from one of theFrench camps. 263 carts came towards the town ; 138 of them with gabions ; 282 passed out by the upperroad.
July 23. Par. No. 2. As the working parties are from this date to be furnished specially for engineerservices, officers are not to apply for the assistance of the guard of the trenches, except in most urgentcases.
Par. No. 3. The number of gabions in store being very much reduced, the directors of the two attacks arerequested to observe the strictest economy in their use, and whenever it can be done without lowering thecover too much, to remove those that are no longer required in the communications, &c. to the front, insteadof drawing from the parks.
Par. No. 4. The Turkish Government having awarded a certain number of medals to the officers of RoyalEngineers and the Royal Sappers and Miners who were engaged in the campaign of 1854 on the Danube , theMajor-General Commanding lias much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a letter addressed byHis Highness Omar Pacha to Lieut.-Colonel Simmons, Her Majesty’s Commissioner with the Turkish forces :—