The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-30 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

The Australian advices brought by the mail bear
date, Sydney, July 21st; Melbourne, 25th; Adelaide,
29th. They represent a great depression in com-
mercial affairs. The half-yearly report of the Great
Nugget Vein Mining Company is unfavourable, and
no dividend was declared.
Mrs. Chisholm and her party of emigrants landed
at Port Phillip on the 14th of July.
New South Wales gold was worth at Sydney
3/. 175.; Port Phillip gold 41.

After contrasting the southern with the northern portion
of the country, which he described as being different in
their climate and general character, he referred to the
Tauric chain of hills, which rise from the sea in a most
delightful slope, on which the rich Russians come and spend
the summer, as did the English when they retired in the
autumn to Italy. With regard to Odessa, it was a place
destitute of attraction in respect to climate and other cir-
cumstances. In winter the cold was extreme, arising
from certain winds, and in summer the clouds of dust
were such as to render it almost uninhabitable. The
southern coast of the Crimea was protected from the
effect of those winds. There was good vegetation on the
slopes of the hills, and the vine grew in large quantities.
He had heard at Kertch that a portion of the wine produced
there was sold in Europe as an inferior kind of port and
sherry. He was received at Kertch by Prince Woronzow
in a most hospitable manner—a man who was born in
England, and who lived in this country until he was twenty
years old. He served through the wars with Napoleon, was
popular in Europe and Russia, and at the time he ( Mr.
Seymour) was there was entrusted with the oommantl of
the Russian forces which extended from Poland down to
the frontiers of Persia.
He afterwards returned to Simferopol through the
mountains. All the southern parts of the Crimea are
covered with stone tumuli and other remnants of succes-
sive generations of Greeks who had lived there at a very
remote period. Having described Kertch, a new place,
now one of great resort, and much frequented by shipping,
he crossed the straits which divided the Sea of Azof from
the Black Sea. This was the Cimmerian Bosphorus, the
place where the ancients supposed existed the entrance to
the infernal regions, and of which an account was given by
Homer. The general geography of that part of the world
had altered much since it was mentioned by the ancient
Greek geographers, and there were now no flourishing
cities, temples, or monuments.
Glancing at some of the ancient traditions connected
with the localities he had visited, he directed attention to
the country lying on the shores of the Black Sea to the
east, which was extremely beautiful, and rich in vegetation,
hearing a strong resemblance to the coast of Malabar. The
southern shore of the Caucasus was also one of those fa
toured regions for the growth of shrubs and plants, and
considered extremely fertile. All that country now occu-
pied by the Russians, with the twelve forts, all of which
had been abandoned except Anapa, those on the lower
southern range of the Caucasus, and the lower ridges of
mountains as far as Georgia, were inhabited by the people
known as the Circassians. Then, tracing the different
races of the Caucasus, and showing their origin, the
speaker referred to the power of Russia in that country,
observing that she only possessed the ground on which the
forts were built, and there was difficulty in obtaining suffi-
cient food to support life. The forts on the east coast of
the Black Sea were reserved as a sort of Norfolk Island for
the army, and all men considered as going too quick in the
march of progress were sent to finish the short remains of
their existence in that country. Such was the mortality
that the whole of the troops had to be renewed in five years.
Those who went there seldom came back again, and the
regiments were not relieved, but left there till they died.
He had heard a great deal from Russian officers who had
been there, and served in the army, and they had told him
that when, shut up within the walls, they required a walk on
the ramparts to refresh themselves, very often they would
be suddenly struck by a ball, though no enemy was per-
ceived. The Circassian would lie on his stomach for a
whole day in a place of concealment, and when lie got the
opportunity he would steal from his hiding-place and,
with his long rifle, shoot down his enemies, the Russians,
who could not be prepared for an attack of such a nature.
Attempts had been made by Russia to gain the confidence
of the Circassians, but hitherto those attempts had been
unsuccessful, and even Greek priests had been sent there
by the Emperor to induce them to become converts to the
Greek Church. _

Mr Seymour then described the country of the Black-
Sea Cossacks, commencing at Kamarne, and referred to
the Russian territory in that direction, more especial!) the
steppes, which, he said, contained a rich loamy soil, only
requiring cultivation by the hand of man to produce large
and luxuriant crops. In Circassia the Cossacks were kept
in a continual state of alarm by their enemies the Circas-
sians. They were always on the alert; and if any danger
appeared they placed a torch to some straw of combustible
material. This was a signal conveying the intelligence
down the line by which 3,000 or 4,000 men could be sum-
moned when the Circassians were likely to surprise them.
The Cossack dress so much resembled that of the Circas-
mans that it was almost impossible to distinguish them;
and, as regarded personal safety, it appeared that every
m m was obliged to be constantly on the alert to save his
life. The Russian army in the Caucasus -vhen he (Mr.
Seymour) was there, in 1840, was about 70,000 men; but a
portion of them were always to the north of the Cau-
casus, the main part being concentrated to the left of
Stavropol.

After referring to the Circassian chief (Schamyl), whom
he eulogised as a warrior, relating several anecdotes illus-
trative of his courage and devotion to his country, he
glanced at the character of the Russi in officers, some of
whom, he said, were men of intelligence, and prepared to
do their duty as well as any men. Many of the younger
ones had liberal views, read the French and English papers,
%nil he had heard the sentiment expressed by one of them,
"Let no country, when strong enough to become a na-
tion, consent to remain a province." That showed the
existence of a liberal spirit amongst some of the younger
Russian officers. There was one circumstance he might
mention as indicating the spirit of enmity fostered between
the Russians and the Circassians. The Russians made an
tnnual expedition into the country with the whole of their
army, then object being, out of a spirit of revenge, to burn
all the flocks, produce, ctc., belonging to the Circassian po-
pulation, In one part of the country the Emperor Ale:-

ander allowed a colony of missionaries to be established,
but the present Emperor, not so liberally disposed, had
driven from his territory all the missionaries from every
region. When he (Mr. Seymour) was there all had been
sent away but one, and he, being a clever fellow, was kept
as a spy. Had the missionaries been allowed to remain
unmolested, he had no doubt they would have done much to
advance the civilisation of the people. The missions were
originated by Mr. Brunton, and, besides other efforts for
the enlightenment of the people, the Scriptures had been
translated into the Circassian language. Mr. Seymour then
spoke of the general insecurity which prevailed in Cit.-
cassia, giving, as an incidental illustration, the circum-
stance that on one occasion he was staying at an hotel,
passing the evening with some friends, and they were
obliged to return back without a lantern, in order to be in
the dark, that they might not be popped off by the Circa.-
sians, who would not discriminate between them and their
enemies, the Russians. The Russians were obliged to ad-
mit the Circassians into the town to bring them provisions,
and at night the Circassians went forth to slaughter any
of their inveterate enemies whom they might find about
the place. In speaking of the victories gained by Schamyl,
he remarked that proper measures had not been taken
during the present war to secure the adherence of the
whole of the Circassian population in fi►vour of the allies
andtpg,ainst Russia. The Georgian ►.ation to the south of
the Caucasus was arrayed against us, and with proper ma-
nagement it might have been otherwise. He remembered
a Georgian prince, a distinguished officer of the Russian
army, telling him that when he went with the Georgian
militia expedition into the mountains, some of the people
called out, " Why come to fight us? It is the Russians we
want to fight; we want to fight with you against the Rus-
sians." In proof of this the Georgian militia passed unin-
jured, but the Russian battalions who followed them were
destroyed. With such a disposition the union of the Geor-
gians might have been obtained, and he regretted that no
one had been sent out there, who understood the politics of
Circassia, to effect that object The country, be-
sides, was not naturally one of a Mahometan population,
and he had often been told by some of the people that they
wished to have the means of visiting Europe to secure
some co-operation in their favour, that they might not con-
tinue to expend their energies in a useless sacrifice of life,
which had been going on long enough. He hoped the op-
portunity would not be lost of obtaining the support of this
nuclei of a great nation, that scope would be given to their
energies, and that they may be able to co operate and enjoy
the advan'ages and the benefits of European civilisation.
The address, which occupied upwards of two hours
in the delivery, was listened to with the greatest at-
tention by one of the largest audiences yet assembled
at any of the meetings of the section.