only those brick buildings were further damaged which
had remained unrepaired since 1848. The shocks at
Lyttleton and Christchurch were severe, but no damage
is reported.

NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The account of the Siege Operations before Sebastopol,
in last month's "Narrative," come down to General
Pelissier's telegraphic despatch of the 24th of May,
mentioning the successful combat of the preceding night.
From subsequent accounts it appears that there were
bloody and desperate actions between the French and
Russians on the nights of the 22nd and 23rd. General Pelissier
describes the objects of these actions and relates their
circumstances. "Since the storming," he says, "of the
Russian counter-approaches in front of the Central
Bastion, on the night of the 2nd of May, and the occupation
of that important work by our troops, the enemy,
to impede our progress and take our attacks in flank,
turned their attention to the Quarantine side, and
erected there new lines of counter-approach. They
formed the plan of connecting by a gabionnade the
ambuscades at the extremity of the bay, those of the
cemetery, and to connect the work by a continuous
covered way with the right lunette of the Central
Bastion. In the night between the 21st and 22nd, by
an enormous effort of labour, skilfully concealed, they
commenced laying out that vast place d'armes so
threatening for our left attack, and so convenient for
enabling the enemy to assemble large bodies of men and
make considerable sorties."   General de Salles,
commanding the First Corps, was ordered to carry the
enemy's position, and turn the works against
themselves. For this purpose "two attacks were organised,
—one on the ambuscades at the bottom of the bay; the
other on the ambuscades of the cemetery by the south-
east angle of that enclosure: they were to be simultaneous.
After having carried the new gabionnades of
the enemy, the object was to maintain ourselves in
advance with sufficient solidity to protect the work and
to transform the Russian work to our own use. But
the development of the lines was immense: two successive
phases were to be expected in the action—one of
battle, and one of labour."

The enemy had determined by a great effort to
complete their works in one night, and they had no fewer
than twenty battalions on the ground. In a few minutes
after nine in the evening, General Paté had carried the
ambuscades on the French right; but masses of Russians
issuing from the Quarantine ravine, joined in the
combat, and "disputed the ground with extraordinary
obstinacy;" and the most distant rifle-pits were taken
and retaken five times. On the left the Russians
displayed the same tenacity, but yielded at length; and
the French more fortunate than their comrades on the
right solidly installed themselves on the ground. On
the next night they carried the whole line. General
Pelissier bears testimony to the great use made of the
artillery by General Le BÅ“uf.

On the 25th, "upon the reiterated demand of General
Osten-Sacken, a flag of truce was hoisted, and an
armistice concluded for carrying off the dead. We
handed over more than 1,200 corpses to the enemy.
This field of slaughter reminded us of our old struggles
with the Russians; and, as in those memorable times,
the honour of arms in these bayonet-fights always
remained entirely with our infantry."

The correspondent of the Morning Chronicle describes
these night battles of the 22nd and 23rd of May.
This is the account of the first night's combat, when
the French attack was repulsed:—"Yesterday evening
(22nd), at nine o'clock, was fixed upon for the attempt;
500 Chasseurs, 200 of the Imperial Guard, with about
1,200 Zouaves, were told off as the assaulting party,
with a reserve of 2,500 men of the Guards and Zouaves.
Everything was arranged with the utmost secrecy, only
the night, which was fine, clear and calm, seemed
slightly against the success of the attack—at least as a
surprise. The force quitted the French trenches in two
strong columns, about 500 yards apart. The plan of
the attack was to enter the trench at its two angles, so
as not only to secure the advanced trench itself, but to
enfilade and command the flanking ways which led to
it. Mistaking the flanking trench on the left for the
advanced trench, the French commenced their attack on
it, striving to close with the bayonet; but the natural
difficulties of the ground with which our allies had to
contend were almost insurmountable. Broken masses
of stones, pits, mounds, gabions, and fascines cumbered
the earth in all directions. Amidst these obstructions
the French Guards and Zouaves got involved for a
considerable time, exposed to a murderous fire from the
enemy, which they were almost entirely unable to return.
Our allies fell in all directions, yet still gallantly
pressing on, they reached the breastwork. At this point
a series of most desperate encounters took place. Four
or five times the French crossed the breastwork and got
a strong footing in the trench; but the heavy file-fire
which, from under cover of the different breastworks,
the Russians were able to keep up, prevented their
retaining their conquest. To add still farther to their
disadvantages, the Russian batteries had now got their
precise range, and threw regular volleys of grape and
shell into their ranks. Nevertheless, the assailants did
not abandon the attack, but despatching messengers for
reinforcements, continued their onset with determined
courage. Suddenly, in the midst of the melée, the
column which had departed to the right, attracted by
the firing, now returned, and joining with the reserve
column of upwards of 2,000 men, which had advanced
to support the attack, poured in upon the advanced
trench. Had this onset been made with the left column
an hour or so sooner, there is no doubt it would have
been completely successful, but as it was, the continued
fighting had thoroughly alarmed the enemy, and strong
columns of their troops lined every part of the work.
Nevertheless, the attack was so impetuous, that the
French succeeded, after a close and bloody contest, in
getting a footing in several parts of the trench, and
then commenced a fight for its possession, such as has
not, for ferocity and bloodshed, been equalled during
the siege. By mere dint of bayonetting and stabbing,
the French managed to clear the advanced trench of the
enemy and effect a junction with the left column, which
had maintained a footing in one of the covering trenches.
From the latter point, however, they were compelled
to retire. The two covering trenches remained in the
hands of the enemy, but the advanced cross-trench the
French held completely. The hand-to-hand struggle
then ceased. The French strove to throw up a breastwork,
so as to cover them from the fire of the enemy.
In this they were unsuccessful. From every point of
the Russian batteries commanding the trench a fire of
artillery was poured upon them with such density and
effect, that whole companies were swept away before it.
Still they held their ground, though under the fire of
the batteries they fell by scores. Strong parties of the
enemy occupied the covering trenches, and from their
position were enabled to enfilade the advanced trench
with a murderous fire of infantry. It was a mere
slaughter of the French. Twice driven to desperation
by the cross fire from the trenches, they sallied out and
attempted to carry them at the point of the bayonet;
but these mere ebullitions of valour were of no avail
against the strong works and well-organised resistance
of the enemy. In both cases the French were driven
back with loss, and retired to the cross trench, where
they still continued to melt away under the devastating
fire of artillery and musketry. It was close on dawn
when a message was sent to the French general,
informing him that nearly half the column had fallen in the
attempt to hold the place; that it was a mere useless
waste of life, as by daylight it would be utterly
untenable. The answer was returned that they were to
gather their dead and wounded and retire. This they
accordingly did at about four in the morning, after