NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The War between the Russians and Turks has become
bloody and destructive; but the details of the engagements
which have taken place subsequent to the first
collision at Oltenitza on the 4th of November, are
contradictory and uncertain.

The following is the Turkish official account of the
battle of Oltenitza, given by Omer Pacha in his despatch
to his government:—" The possession of the island
situated in front of Turtukai having been considered
indispensable, I had effected the passage of troops, and in
the space of the night of the 1st managed to raise
tolerably strong fortifications. On the following day, the
2nd, two battalions of infantry, three pieces of cannon,
and a hundred of the mounted police, were conveyed in
large boats to the locality, with ammunition, provisions,
and great coats. They had scarcely landed, when from
the batteries of Turtukai we opened a fire on the
lazaretto situate on the left bank. After the first discharge
the Russians quitted this position, and the imperial
troops took possession of the building, which is of solid
constructions, with vaulted chambers. Without loss of
time four hundred workmen, under the direction of staff
officers, commenced raising fortifications, for which
purpose two thousand gabions had been already prepared.
On the 3rd again other troops were sent to fortify the
position. As soon as the imperial troops had landed on
the left bank of the river, the Russians quartered in a
large village, at about an hour's distance turned round,
and began to retreat. A body of cavalry was despatched
to reconnoitre, and having encountered at Oltenitza an
outpost of Cossack cavalry, they killed five, and rejoined
our lines with a loss of three men. We found at Touzla,
on the left bank, a great quantity of boats, which were
sent to Turtukai. The number of boats at our disposal
having facilitated the construction of the bridge, we were
enabled without delay to place in the fortifications twelve
large guns, which were brought from Schumla. On the
3rd, at four P.M., three battalions of Russian infantry,
with eight cannons, a regiment of cavalry, and a party
of Cossacks, entered the village of Oltenitza. Our troops,
posted within the works constructed on the left bank,
waited them firmly. This same night I caused to be
constructed a bridge at the conflux of the Argish and
Danube, and flanked it with redoubts. Yesterday,
Nov. 4th, at six A.M., we began to perceive the movement
of the Russian forces. As soon as their march was well
defined, I caused to be embarked, and carried to the
lazaretto, a reinforcement of one battalion. The evening
before I had placed on an even ground a battery of guns
calculated to face any attack which might be made.
The Russian force amounted to twenty battalions, three
regiments of cavalry, one of Cossacks, sixteen mounted
batteries, and sixteen on foot. They formed in order
of battle, with fourteen pieces of cannon in the rear of
twelve battalions, and the regiment of Cossacks in lines
beyond the reach of our guns, and fronting the centre
of our works. They advanced, supported by the fire of
their artillery, and at the same time two battalions,
with two cannons, came on threatening our left flank.
Having commenced tlie assault, another stronger division
—consisting of six battalions, with four cannons, and
having in the rear three regiments of cavalry supporting
and outstripping their left flank—took its position, and
formed in two lines, with artillery, horse and foot, into
echelons, attacking our right flank. After an exchange
of some cannon-shots, the centre gave the assault,
whereon they charged both our wings. The centre
attacked three different times, and each with a fresh
battalion—twice on the left, and once on the right. A
well-directed fire from our fortress at Turtukai soon
dispersed their right column—and the centre gradually fell
back after having suflered severely, and half its number
hors de combat. The battery of the island also mounted
with powerful guns, menzil top, and commanded by Khalid
Pasha, did admirable execution on the enemy's right
wing. The Russians advanced with coolness and
resolution almost to the brink of the trench, and on this
account their loss was considerable, amounting to a
thousand men killed and and double the number
wounded. The engagement lasted four hours, from
noon till four P.M., and during this interval the waggons
never ceased to carry off their dead, and twenty were
observed heavy laden even after the conflict. With a
view of facilitating this duty, as long as it lasted, we
abstained from molesting the enemy, and from firing a
single shot, but found, nevertheless, 800 bodies on the
field. A private carriage, moreover, was remarked,
and, from the pains taken in the search, we conjecture
it must have been destined to receive the body of a general
officer. At five P.M. a total confusion ensued in the
Russian ranks: their lines were completely broken, and
their retreat precipitate. An hour later some few
rallied in the neighbouring villages, but the remainder fled
in disorder. Some of our men pushed forward in
pursuit of them beyond the lines, but were summoned back
by trumpet to their own quarters. Our loss amounted
to 106 men. We found on the field of battle 500
muskets, sacs, cartridge-boxes, equipments, &c."

A Turkish squadron lying in the harbour of Sinope
in the Black Sea has been destroyed by a Russian
fleet. The only details of this disaster are those given
in an official despatch from the Russian Admiral
Nachimoff. From this it appears that when he was
cruising off the coast of Anatolia, he saw a division of
the Turkish squadron at anchor in the harbour of Sinope.
He sent to Sebastopol for reinforcements, and, on the
30th of November under cover of a dense fog,
entered the bay under press of canvas. They were not
seen by the Turks until within half a mile. The ships
then took up position and dropped their anchors, under
a terrible fire from the Turkish ships and batteries; but
in less than five minutes the Grand Duke Constantine
demolished the land-battery next her guns, and blew
up the Turkish frigate lying off that battery. The
Ville de Paris served another frigate in the same way.
The Turks gallantly cut the cables of the Empress
Maria and the Tri Sviatitelia; but fresh anchors were
dropped, and they held on. At two o'clock in the
afternoon the guns of the Turkish ships were silenced.
Three frigates, one of them of seventy-four guns, with
the Admiral's flag on board, were burning, and of two
transports nothing could be seen but the masts. The
Turkish quarter of Sinope was in flames; and the
Admiral stopped the firing, and sent an officer with
a flag of truce to tell the authorities of Sinope that if
another gun was fired, either from the town or the
strand batteries, he should certainly bombard and
utterly destroy the town of Sinope. The officer landed
and stayed above an hour; but he could not find the
Turkish authorities. He did not see a single Turk;
they had all taken refuge in the neighbouring villages.
That the destruction of the Turkish fleet might be
complete, three additional steamers—the Odessa—the
Crimea, and the Chersonese—were sent from Sebastopol
on the 29th, under Admiral Kornileff. They arrived,
however, at the close of the fight, in time to attempt to
intercept the Taif steamer,—the sole Ottoman ship
that escaped destruction at Sinope. On the evening of
the 30th, says the Russian account, the guns of the
burning vessels went off one after another; blew up,
and their burning fragments were hurled over the
Turkish quarter of Sinope. On the following morning
nothing was left of the Turkish squadron but the
Damiette frigate, which had been taken in tow by the
Odessa, and the sloop and the corvette—mere hulks
—in the northern portion of the bay. On being
examined, the Damiette was found to have her hull
torn by seventeen cannon-balls; and her rigging, &c.,
were in such a state that she could not be taken to
Sebastopol. She was run on shore, and burnt. Orders
were also given to burn the sloop and the corvette.
The officers charged with the execution of these orders
found on board the sloop Osman Pacha, the commander
of the Turkish squadron, who had a wound in his
right leg. They found also two captains and eighty
sailors. The prisoners were at once removed to the
Russian ships. On that evening not a single Turkish
vessel remained in the harbour of Sinope. The Russian
fleet remained at Sinope, repairing damages, until the
2nd December; when it departed for Sebastopol.