The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-05 00:00:00

788

not been taken advantage of. The walls are
useless in a military point of view, affording
no lasting protection. The writer urges the
propriety of fortifying the city, by strengthen-
ing some of these lines of, defence ; not mean-
ing that the Turkish operations should be
limited to the protection of their capital, but
in order that its maintenance may be safely
entrusted to inferior troops, leaving the elite
of the army free for more distant operations.
Schumla, when visited by General Macin-
tosh, was almost unprotected. The defences
had been allowed to fall into ruin, and, though
they have lately been repaired, the town is
described as " rather a fortified position, re-
" quiring a large body of men to defend it,
" than a fortress." The Turks are in the
habit of exaggerating the strength of this
place, and their opinion has become general
in Europe; but it may be turned both on the
eastern and western side ; and even the en-
trenched camp in its vicinity, though on pre
cipitous ground, "has never beep very strong."
The position, however, is important, and it
could not be blockaded without difficulty.
Varna had been much injured in the war of
1828, and was under repair. The works are
"on a plan of doubtful expediency, their cir-
" eumference very great, and therefore requiring
" the presence of a numerous garrison.'
Anapa, on the Caucasian shore of the Black
Sea, was originally a Turkish fort, three times
captured by Russia, and at last ceded to her
by Lord Aberdeen's treaty of Adrianople.
When seen by General Macintosh it mounted
eighty guns, but was weak and badly laid out.
Of the Circassian tribes we learn little that is
new ; and, though the general visited Sebasto-
pol, its strength was then far inferior to what
it is now. The soil of the surrounding coun-
try seemed rocky, and difficult of excavation,
a circumstance which of course would add
materially to the difficulties of a siege. From
later information General Mackintosh adds,
that last year Sebastopol was still undefended on
the land side: time has now been given to Rus-
sia to repair this blunder, which she is doing
vigorously. No mere descent, says our author,
could possibly succeed :
When we consider the great scale on which arrange-
ments must be made for attacking even an imperfectly-
fortified place, the heavy and cumbrous cannon and siege
stores which it would be necessary to land here, the great
qctantity of provisions requisite for the support of the be-
sieging corps, to last possibly some months, and which
must be collected in a secure situation ; and when we take
into calculation what a large force ought also to be kept in
front to resist attempts to raise the siege ; when we c.insi-
der further that the army must land on a level shore, com-
manded at no great distance by heights of very consider•
able strength, and that the area where it would have to
make all its preparations is too confined for the operations
of so large a force as would be required fur such an attack,
I feel persuaded that my view of the subject will be ad-
mitted to be joust by all who have had experience in such
matters, though it may not meet the wishes of many who
are too impatient that a blow should be struck at any cost
in that direction.
The difficulty of disembarking an expedi-
tionary force on an island or peninsula like
the Crimea consists mainly in finding a proper
landing-place. The requisites are many :
first, a good harbour for men-of war and trans-
ports ; next., a position such that the ships
can afford protection to troops while disem
barking; thirdly, a position not easily attacked
in front or flank, but capable of defence
against a superior force until all the troops
shall be landed. General Macintosh thinks
that the occupation of the Crimea can only be
managed as follows :—first, by taking Anapa
and the other forts on the Circassian coast, so
as to set those tribes entirely free ; then, by
occupying the whole mountain tract of the
south shore from Kertch to Sebastopol, upon
which the assailing armies might fall back if
beaten, and from which they might advance if
victorious.

The Iliad of Homer. With Notes. By W. G.
T. Barter. London : Longmans.
WHETHER it be possible to give in English
any adequate translation of the Homeric
poems is very doubtful. The number of our
consonants, and the recurrence of the harshest
amongst them, make English a very difficult
instrument for the imitation of a language so
licit in luscious cadences as the Hellenic
longue. The constant use of our propositions
" of," " to," " with," &c., and the superior con-