The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-26 00:00:00

BALAKLAVA HARBOUR.

Among one of the most useful improvements in
Balaklava must be reckoned the filling in of the end
of the harbour. It had become a horrid swamp,
hideous and nauseous to every sense—where water
and land had contended for the mastery, and at last
effected a compromise in the form of the most
abominable mud, blended with floating offal from the
ships, the debris of drowned animals from the sea
and starved animals from the land, decayed vege-
tables, and slimy nastinesses unutterable. Thanks
to Admiral Boxer or Colonel Harding, this devil's
quagmire has now been covered over with gravel and
with stones, and stakes have been driven ►nto the
sea so as to form a quay all along the top of the
harbour. The slough is covered over, and a hard,
clean, solid bit of ground takes its place, banked up
at the sea side, and fit for landing goods and stores
on from boats with shallow draught of water. The
facilities of the piers constructed under Admiral
Boxer's direction on the west of the harbour of
Balaklava are invaluable. The seamen under his
orders have blasted away the solid rock which rose
almost precipitately from a depth of ten or twelve feet
from the bottom up to the height of several hundred
feet above the sea, and have constructed a broad
road winding along under these rocks from the top
of the creek half-way down the harbour towards the
sea. A branch rail runs along the centre of this
road from the depot at the end to join the main line
at the head of tile harbour, and very fine jetties have
been also constructed, under the same authority,
alongside which large vessels may lie with safety,
and where horses, guns, dm., can be discharged even
from such ships as the Himalaya with the greatest
ease and rapidity. In fact, if we were going to
establish ourselves here permanently we could not
do much more to secure our facilities of communi-
cation, and I only hope that some fine day or other
we shall find these things useful in hastening our
return home.—Times Correspondent.

THE TURKISH COMMISSARIA
Great apprehensions are felt as to the •
of the Turkish army. The writer of a
Constantinople to the Times, on the

says :--

There remains only about fifteen days'
Eupatoria, and the stores which ought to hay,
here are not forthcoming. I have been shown
provisions nut accounted for, though paid
hardly won 10111 l of last bear. Among the .
was one of 2,3.50,00) okes of rice, sufficient to feed an
army of 50,000 men for nearly three months. Other 'tra-
cks were missing in like proportion. There seems no
doubt that intrigues are going on with the object of
weakening and overthrowing Omer Paella. The Sersakier
is said to make every excuse to avoid sending up provi-
sions in proper quantity and in good time. The Turks
have a fleet of liue•of-battle ships and five large steamers
of more than 2,000 tons each ; these, if properly used,
would be quite sufficient to keep up the supply of food
regularly ; but the Uovernment put every difficulty in the
way of their employment. First, they insisted that the
vessels of war might be wanted; when that apprehension
was shown to be unfounded, they declared that steamers
were necessary ; now that the allied Minister' have in-
sisted that the Turkish steamers shall be used for the
purpose, the excuse is made that the machinery is out of
repair, and that some time will be necessary to prepare
them for active service. It is revolting to see these petty
jealousies at a time when the destiny of the country is to
be decided for ever.

491
[AT.
provisioning
letter from
14th inst.,
provisions at
lYe been ready
awn a list of
fur with the
e defalcstiuns