ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1000, 8 September 1877, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

[By Telegkbaph.] Auckland, September 7. The steamer City of New York has arrived with the English and American mails, after a passage of twenty-two days four hours. Passengers for New Zealand —Rev Chaxdes Clark, Mr Kennedy, Mr Henneberry, Captain Mast, and Mr Buchanan and wife, for Lyttelton. Freight —For Auckland: 1268 packages, 83 tons; for Wellington: 203 packages, 68 tons ; for Lyttelton : 70 packages, 2 \ tons ; for Port Chalmers: 400 packages, 15 tons; for Sydney: 12,780 packages, 488 tons ; for Melbourne ; 500 packages, 201- tons. She brings 281 bags of mails for New Zealand. WAR NEWS. Before the end of July, the Russians concentrated a hundred thousand troops around Plevna, and completed the investment of Rustchuck, advancing near enough to throw shells into the fortifications. The bombardment of Silistria caused several fires in the town. Battle of Plevna and Grreat Russian Defeat. On July 31st, the Russian right wing, 40,000 strong, attacked Osman Pasha at Plevna. The Turkish force was estimated at 50,000. They occupied a series of positions which were naturally strong, and also artificially fortified in every available spot, forming a horse-shoe in front of Plevna, with both flanks' resting on the river. The Russian force consisted of the Ninth Army Corps, under General Krudiner, the 13th Division and the 13th Brigade of the Second Division, under Prince Schakosky, with three brigades of cavalry and 160 "guns. It was arranged that General Krudiner should attack the Turkish centre at Grivaca, and the northern flank of the entrenched position over Robrova, while Schakosky attacked Radagevo, and General Skaboloff held in check a strong Turkish force at La;oa, which was the extremity of the Turkish lines ; but General Krudiner began the battle about half-past nine o’clock. After a long bombardment he succeeded in silencing the Turkish cannon at Grivica, but could not expel the infantry from the earthworks. Ho spent the whole afternoon in an unavailing endeavor to force the northern Hank of the Turkish position, desisting after dark without having gained any tiling material, having himself suffered considerable loss. Prince Schakosky, about noon, carried Radizeu, planting four batteries on a ridge beyond. He bombarded the nearest Turkish position, which was an earthwork armed with cannon, in front of an entrenched village. After an hour’s cannonade he silenced the Turkish guns. His infantry, after a long and bloody contest, carried the earthwork and the village. The second Turkish position, consisting of a redoubt and a series of entrenched vineyards, strongly held, was then attacked and ultimately carried, but with a terrible effort and a very severe loss, owing to the heavy Turkish artillery fire. The Russians, moreover, were unable to utilise the captured position. About four o’clock the reserve brigade was brought up, and an attack was made on the position immediately covering Plevna. The attack was continued until nearly sunset. The Turkish infantry was in great force in a continuous line under the shelter of trenches. Despite the most stubborn efforts, no impression could be made upon that line. Two companies of Russian infantry did work round to'the right of the Turkish trenches, and entered the town of Plevna, but it was impossible to hold it. The Russian batteries pushed boldly forward into the position first taken, to attempt to keep down the Turkish cannonade, which was crashing ;,into the infantry in open field, but were compelled soon to evacuate the hazardous spot. At sundown the Turks made a continuous fprward movement, and reoccupied their second position. The Russian infantry made g, succession of desperate stands, and died like heroes. The Turks gradually re-took everything they had lost. The fighting lasted long after night-fall. During the darkness the Bashi-Bazouks took possession of the battlefield and clow all the wounded. The Russians held the heights above Badozio, but the Bashi-Bazouks worked around to their rear and fell on the wounded collected in the village of Eadigivana. Retreat was compelled in the direction of Bulvariom.

A correspondent telegraphs that Princi Schakosky’s division was utterly routed. H( had not a mau left to cover his retreat, and the Turks struck without stint. “They had the upper hand and were determined to shov that they knew how to make the most of it They advanced in swarms through the dusk, captured t]ie Russian cannon before the

batteries could be withdrawn. The Turkish shells began once more to whistle over the ridge above Radishona and to fall into the village behind, now crammed with wounded, who had wended their painful way over the ridge badly wounded. They mostly lay where they fell. It will give some idea of the disorganisation to say that when a company was told off to cover some of the wounded in Radishova it had been made up of men of several regiments. About nine o’clock the staff quitted the ridge, leaving it littered with groaning men, moving gently lest we should treadfon the prostrate wounded. We lost our way as we had lost our army. We could find no rest for the soles of our feet, by {reason of the alarms of Bashi-Bazouks swarming in amongst the scattered and retreating Russians. At length, at one o’clock in the morning, having been in the work since one o’clock on the previous morning, we turned into a stubble field, and, making beds of reaped grain, your correspondent and the Cossacks alike rested linder the stars; but we were not even then allowed rest before an alarm came that the BashiBazouks were upon us. We had to rouse up and tramp away, and what in the morning was a fine army was now a handful of weary Cossacks. General Krudiner sent word in the morning that he had lost severely and could make no headway, and had resolved to fall back on the line of the River Osmar. Fighting was renewed on the following day with further losses to the Russians. Defeat had a most demoralising effect. A panic extended through the Russian army as far as Sistova, where a few Cossacks on arriving said the Turks were closely following them. The people of Sistova thereupon rushed en masse across to Sirniniza, followed by the Cossacks, who fled beyond. On the road they came upon a convoy of Russian transport waggons, and spread panic among the drivers, who leaving their charge ran in all directions. Next morning order was restored by the arrival of a large number of prisoners at Sistova said to have been captured in the engagement by the army of the Czarwitch. The Russian killed and wounded is estimated at twenty-four thousand. The defeat has completely disarranged the Russian plan of operations. Reinforcements were pressed forward. Osman Pasha did not follow up the victory, as he was waiting for reinforcements. On the same day the Russians attacked Raouf Pasha at Eski Saghra, and after seven hours’ fighting Raouf Pasha retreated upon the Karabonner, but Sulieman Pasha coming up repulsed the enemy, and captured Eski Saghra, capturing several guns, and inflicting considerable loss to the Russians. A dispatch from Sukhum Kaleh, dated August 2nd, says the Turkish frigate Maumadieh bombarded the Russian batteries at Tchamtchiva on the 30th ult., silencing every Russian gun. Maumadieh was considerably damaged and' several of her crew killed and wounded. Near Tchamtchiva there were 600 Turks in a critical position, owing to the advance of the Russian army. Hobart Pasha embarked the entire force safely on the Ist instant under cover of the guns of the fleet. This completes the withdrawal of the Turkish military from Caucasia. Hobart Pasha has command of the entire Black Sea forces, consisting of twenty men-of-war and transports. After suffering the defeats south of the Balkans, the Russians strongly fortified Shipka Pass. Twenty-five thousand Turkish regulars were ordered from Batchogto Yarna. Miscellaneous. The Servian militia, 30,000 strong, were called out and posted as frontier guards. Austria has mobilised 90,000 men. She has issued a loan of 26,000,000 of florins to cover the cost of mobilisation. Mehemet Ali’s army at Rasgrad opposing the Russian position on the River Lorn numbered 40,000. The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs has sent a circular to the Turkish representatives abroad, reciting the barbarous acts committed by the Russians, and said it is necessary that the civilised world should become acquainted with these horrors to express its indignation. The inhabitants of Ternis, near Tirnova, having on the approach of the Russians taken refuge in a mosque, were burned alive in the enclosure. The Russians, having met three hundred carts filled with fugitives, destroyed them with cannon shot and then completed their work of extermination by massacrcing all the men and women they could find. In every suburb or village occupied by the Russian troops the dwellings of the Mussulmans were given to the flames. The Bulgarians, excited by the example of the Russians, committed against the peaceful Mussulman population, acts of barbarity and outrages still more atrocious than those perpetrated by the invaders. On the oth a Turkish division from Loratz occupied Selva unopposed. The Turks at Plevna received reinforcements of 4000 Albanian cavalry. The Russian forces are between Selva and Tirnova, holding a strong defensive position. General Gourka is charged with the duty of protecting the southern outlets of the Balkan Passes, There is much sickness in the Russian army in the Dobrudscha. Eight squadrons of Russian cavalry attacked Lovatz, and were repulsed with 300 killed and 600 wounded. Latest Despatches. The following are the (latest despatches: — A large Russian army under the Czarewitch was facing Eyoub Pasha on the left, and Mehemet Ali on the right. The former threatened from the direction of Kashoar, and the latter from Osman Bazar. Eyoub Pasha was believed to have forty-eight battalions of infantry, sixty-two squadrons of cavalry, and fifteen batteries of artillery, while the army of Mehemet contains 60,000. Shackosky’s and Krudcner’s position is confronting Plevna, and Dragomeroff’s division is between Tirnova and Lovatz. This force is probably sufficient for protection, but utterly inadequate for the renewal of the offensive. It is estimated now that from 60,000 to 70,000 Turks are on the Lovatz and Plevna line, who will take a deal of beating. On the Russian left f}ank, the Czarewitch’s army, which is available for holding the line from the Danube to the Balkans, numbers about 60,00*4, but it is necessarily attenuated over the long front so as to leave no gap for the Turks to creep through. The Turks are probably of about the same strength, but if Mehemet Ali chooses to take the offensive, he may concentrate on Rustcliuk, Rasgrad, and Osman Bazar, The Russians must he ready to face him everywhere, and consequently must remain strictly on the defensive. The river Lom still virtually constitutes the line of the Rustchuk army. The head-quarters of the 12th Corps has been moved beyond to Kadikoi, and the beadquarter* pi tha Czarewitch, with the 13th

Corps, have been advanced to Kahatzevat, thus confronting Rasgrad, while between Osman Bazar and Tirnova their first division stands with its head-quarters in Kosariora. The same correspondent telegraphs as _ follows from Sistova:—lt has been definitely resolved to bridge the Danube at Pirgo also. A correspondent with the Dobrudscha army telegraphs that malignant fever is doing its work. Hundreds of sick are arriving at Tchernavoda daily, the majority from the neighborhood of Meajndge, whore the steaming swamp, poisoned water, and air alike with dysentery count, many victims. In proportion as the season advances, sickness increases. A St. Petersburg despatch says that 480,000 fresh troops arc already on their way by railroad to the seat of war. The Guards were to follow in ten days. These include 80,000 cavalry, 56,000 infantry, and 250 cannon. Of the Landwehr only the picked regiments are to go to Bulgaria. Sulieman Pasha announces that Rusha Pasha has re-taken Kastoga, disarmed the Bulgarians, and re-established order. He then captured Kalofir, which was defended by Bulgarians in entrenched positions, and occupied the Kalofir Pass. The rebels fled into the Balkans, after losing 5000 killed. Eleven Turkish soldiers were killed and thirty-two wounded. Despatches from Batoum describe a great exodus of Circassians from the Caucasus in consequence of the withdrawal of the Turkish expedition. 50,000 people and 150,000 cattle are awaiting embarkation. The Russians succeeded in stopping the exodus from one district. They drove the people back with great cruelty. It is reported that all the men who participated in the insurrection were sent to Siberia, and their women and children given to the Cossacks. By the military operations south of the Balkans, a loss of 12,000 killed and wounded was inflicted on the Russians. The enemy were driven from all localities south of the mountains, and law and order are restored. General Krudener, who commanded at Plevna, was superseded by General Hartoff. At Kustendji there was a panic, owing to the bombardment of the Turks. Kustendji was occupied by only two regiments of the 14th army corps. One battery will evacute the town. Meanwhile, for the protection of foreign subjects, an English steamer has arrived in port. A Bulgarian rumor from a Russian source asserts that Bulgaria, while remaining a vassal of the Porte, is to be placed under Mussulman rule. Prince Hassan, the son of the Khedive of Egypt, is spoken of as the future sovereign of Bulgaria. He was educated in Germany, and the suggestion of his name as Prince of Bulgaria is regarded favorably at Berlin. He will be supported by England. Prince Eugene, of Mechlensburgh, who commanded a force of dragoons and Bulgarians, under General Gourka, when compelled to evacuate Tokiloghra, cut his way out with a loss of 800 men. It is rumored that General Ignatieff has fallen into disgrace. It is said that the passage of the Balkans was mainly resolved on in consequence of his assurance that with the Turks anything might bo ventured upon. The Russian Government says moreover that it has been misled on certain other points concerning the state of things in Turkey. The Grand Duke Nicholas was south of the Balkans when the defeat at Eski Saghra occurred, and was compelled to make a hasty retreat. In Asia Minor the Russians have advanced upon Apulkia. i General Tergukaschoff has advanced to Balikloute, and Ismail Hakee is returning from the Russian territory towards the frontier. An official despatch from the Governor of Schildin, Anatolia, states that 10,000 Russian infantry were encamped between Kabraoon and Alasgard, and a body of Russian cavalry at Arpachier, A St. Petersburg official despatch, dated August 11th, says the Turkish right wing assumed the oil 1 - nsive along the line from the Ohenga Pass to Karavansarn, and drove in the Russian posts with small loss. They attempted to take Khalfalu, but were repulsed. The Russian reinforcements to the Asiatic and Caucasian army are stated at 90,000. Fifteen thousand crossed the frontier and occupied a strong position north of Anni, threat cning the right flank of the centre of the Ottoman army. The Russian centre is divided into three columns, at. Anigloverna and Kurdana, and numbers in all 68 battalions of infantry, 16 batteries, and 8500 cavalry. Ismail Pasha is about an hour’s march west of Bayazid. General TergukasSoff is on the frontier at Karodondok, with sixteen battalion of infantry, seven battalions and seven regiments of cavalry. Mukhtar Pasha telegraphs that 1000 Karapaka horsemen defeated two Russian battalions near Ardahan. Mukhtar Pasha telegraphs that several hundred Russians were killed in ambuscade in Koult, south of Anni. The Russian outposts near Anni were defeated with a loss of 1000 killed. The Turks withdrew on the approach of Russian reinforcements. ENGLISH AND FOREIGN. A convention for the suppression of the slave trade has been signed between England and Egypt. The Cattle Plague Committee of the House i of Commons have agreed to stop all importations from Germany, Russia, and Belgium, and enforce slaughter at the place of landing of all cattle from other countries. Communications from Sir Stafford Northcote give hopes of the release of the remainder of the Fenian prisoners. A steamer has arrived from La Plata with a cargo of fresh meat in flue condition. A Calcutta despatch says the famine in Madras and Nigpore will rage at least six months longer. The situation in India is critical. There is great danger of almost universal famine. Dr. Cornish says that already a million have died of starvation. At a meeting at Madras a resolution was adopted that "all the principal cities of England, Scotland, Ireland, and India, be informed of the urgent necessity for assistance. The mover said more people were found dead in one single morning in Madras than had died in the whole of tho Bengal famine. Rioting occurred at Londonderry on August 13th. The military were called out and several wounded. The Clyde shipwrights have agreed to submit their disputes with their masters to arbitration. A great strike is anticipated. A special from Alexandria says the Abys siuians are massing tlieir troops on tin Egyptian frontier, and threaten an invasion unless tho traitor Walldamikall is delivered up immediately. There has been rioting at Belfast for several days.

The village of Garnsel has been burnt and 800 families rendered homeless. The town of Lundsold has been totally burnt. In consequence of troubles in France, repressive measures against the Press have been taken. The police forbade in the streets the sale of portraits of M. Thiers. At Berlin a French coup d'etat is talked of as probable. Rumours of dissensions in the Cabinet are officially denied. The “ Moniteur ” says the question of a state of siege has never been raised. It denies that Germany or any other Goverment has made representations of the presence of the Due De Broglie at the head of the Cabinet, and affirms the determination of the President to retain the Ministry of the 16th of July until the elections. The adversaries of Rouher have submitted to his direction of affairs for the present. The rendezvous of Bonapartist leaders is Chiselhurst. On August 15th the Prince Imperial was to deliver an address. A telegram from Athens dated August 12th says large crowds are parading the streets shouting “War, war, war.” The mind in Greece is very uneasy. There is a departure of troops to the frontier daily.