The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-08 00:00:00

THE SEA OF AZOFF.

As it is not probable that we shall soon abandon
our easy conquest of the Sea of Azoff, any informa-
tion relating to these waters must be interesting.
We extract the following passage from a French
worVpablished in 1854, entitled Guide Maritime
et Strategique dans la Mer Noire, la Mer d'Azog;
et sur /e Theatre de la Guerre en Orient, by M.
Coreard, and which is looked upon as in great
measure an authority on the subject of which it
treats :
"The Sea of Azoff is 90 miles in length, from the
Straits of Kertch to the point of Bieloserai, at the en-
trance of the Gulf of the Don. The gulf itself is 76
miles, making a total of 166. From the extremity of
the Tonka on the west, to Beislitskoi on the East, it is
142 miles wide, so that its width is nearly equal to its
length. The northern shore of the sea is from 26 to 40
metres high, with hills here and there and red cliffs. It
is formed of tongues of sand of considerable extent, and
bordered with banks on all the promontories, where,
yielding to the influence of the current of the Don, they
are curved towards the west. The eastern shore of the
Sea of Azoff is inhabited by the Cossacks of the Black
Sea. From Temruk it is low, often sandy, and inter-
sected by lagunes and marshes. It has numerous sand-
banks,particularly in the Gulf of the Don,and they incline
to the west like those on the opposite coast. The Tonka,
known also by the name of 'the Tongue of Arabat,' a sort of
elongated peninsula, narrow and low, forms the western
side of the sea, which it separates from the Sivash, the
Sea of Mud or Putrid Sea, an immense lagune into which
some rivers of the Crimea empty themselves. The Sea
of Azoff is bounded on the south by the Crimea and the
Isle of Taman. Those two countries present to the na-
vigator on this coast small hills or landmarks from Cape
Kazandibl to Temruk. At present (1854) the greatest
depth of the Sea of Azoff is 44 feet, between the Straits
of Kertch and the point of Bieloserai. It is only 26 fee

not far from the entrance of the Gulf of the Lion, and
from 8 to 10 feet in the roadstead of Taganrog, in the
same gulf. It has been observed that since the com-
mencement of the last century, from the year :I 706 to
1808, the depth of the Sea of Azoff has diminished 3
feet. 'lts maximum at this last period (1808) was still
47 feet, in 1833 it was only 45, and in 1850, 44. It is
evident, then, that-Ist, in the space of 100 years, from
1706 to 1808, the dimunition of the waters of this sea has
been 3 feet ; 2d, that in another space of a quarter of a
century the dimunition has been 2 feet; and 3d, 1 foot
in the short space of 17 years, making a total of 6 feet
in the course of 127 years. Its sandbanks increase
_ _

in extent also, and it is probable that new ones are in
course of formation, which will render the naviga-
tion of these waters extremely difficult. Indeed, it is
probable that a few centuries hence the Sea of Azoff
will cease to be navigable, unless, what is not likely,
some cause shall stay the progress of the operations now
going on. The bottom of the Sea of Azoff is everywhere
mud and slime, with a mixture of shells, generally black,
and reddish towards the eastern coast. The water is

thick and turbid, but the Don freshens it so much that
at 20 miles to the west of Taganrog it is drinkable. The
other affluents of the Sea of Azoff, which, however, have
only a very trifling: ; importance, are—to the north, the
Sambek, the Mionsse, the Kalmiousse, the Berda, the
Berdianka, the Obitochnia, and the Molotchnia-Vodi ;
to the west, the Salghir, the Karasu, the Boulganak, the
two Yandols, and the Soubachi. All these belong to the
Crimea, and flaw into the Sivash, which communicates
with the Sea of Azoff by the Strait of G-enitchi. The
peninsula of Kertch does not furnish a single streamlet
to ....the.Sea of 9:2ff., On the eastern side, beyond the. ,
mouths of the Ternitiriier rivers are theTcher-
noe-Protok, the Konnour, the Kirpile (which loSes itself
in the Okhtar), the Bei-su (which is lost in the Beislitskoi),
the Tehelbachi, the Ei, .and Kazanlik, which flow near

the Don. The current is not so rapid in the Sea of Azoff
as at the Strait of Kertch. When the north-east wind
blows with force it rarely acquires a rapidity of more than

a mile per hour ; when this wind fallF, and that of the south
springs up, it generally takes a direction which is con-
trary to it, but of short duration. The current of this sea,
however, is generally to the west, from the Don to the
point of Bieloserai. Its greatest mass is from that to
the south towards the Strait. It has another part which
follows the northern coast, where it meets, between the
Points Vizarionou and Beratchi, the current which sup-
plies the Sivash. On uniting their course is turned to
the south. The current of the Sivash is also found
flowing to the south for the whole length of the
Tongue of Arabat, and on the coast of the Crimea in
the direction of the East towards the strait. The navi-
gation of the Sea of Azoff is only open from the end
of May to October. After this period the ice gene-
rally renders it impracticable."
In the charts published by M. Coreard as a com-
panion to the Guide no soundings are laid down
for the lagunes of the Putrid Sea. Of the Tongue
of Arabat he says :
- • -

" The Touka or Arabatskaia-Strelka, known also by
the name of the Flbche-d'Arabat, and which the ancients
called Zeniskle, or Chersonese de Zenon, separates the
Sivash, or Sea of Mud, or Putrid Sea, from the Sea of Azoff.
It is 52 miles long, and has scarcely a few feet above the
level of the sea. It forms a line very slightly curved,
and almost without winding, on the side of the Sea of
Azoff, where its shore is composed of sand. Towards the
Sivish, on the contrary, is found land producing plants,
and so intersected that the breadth of this tongue of
land can hardly be determined. It is in some places
not more than half a mile. In, all its extent in the Azoff
18 feet of water are found at about a mile from the
coast. The depth is not interrupted until about 23
miles from Arabat, and then by a bank which advances
five miles seaward, with 10 feet of water and sandy bot-
toM. The Sivash, or Putrid Sea, is divided into two
sorts of gulfs, one of which, to the west, bounds the
Isthmus of Perekop, and the other which is called Bikbs
(the ancient Boughos or Buge), bends to the south to-
wards Theodosia. This last receives several streams
from the Crimea ; in neither of the two can ships or
barques enter. According to some travellers miasmas
and foul vapours rise from this sea, which is warm even
to its slimy bottom. Others, on the contrary, ainrm
that the air in its vicinity is salubrious. Be that as it
may, the Putrid Sea is for these parts a source of com-
merce ar,d activity. On its shores, and on the banks of
its numerous lakes, a considerable quantity of salt is
gathered, which forms an important source of revenue to
the Russian Government. That product, which is
gathered during the summer, is transported in all direc-
tions, even to the centre of the empire, by caravans,
which in no place are more numerous, more laden, and
morepicturesque than on the Isthmus of Perekop and
the Tongue of Arabat."

SIR BERNARD BURKE'S HISTORY OF THE LANDED
GENTRY.—The new and improved edition of this impor-
tant work is to be comprised, like the " Peerage," in a
single volume, but issued iii four parts, the first of which
Is just published. The Landed Gentry of England are
so closely Connected with the stirring records of its
eventful history that some acquaintance with them is a
matter of necessity with the legislator, the lawyer, the
historical student, the speculator in poijtics, and the
curious in topographical and antiquarian lore ; and this
work furnishes such a mass of authentic inforoation in
regard to all the principal families of the kingdom as has
never before been brought together. To every one,
therefore, who finds it necessary to possess a "Peerage,"
the " ilistory of the Landed Gentry, or Untitled Aris-
tocracy" must be an equally indispensable volume. 1
A YOUNG VETERAN.--The Hamburg News contains a
letter from St. Petersburg, which says—" Captain Vern-
low lately made his appearance in the drawing-rooms of
the capital, and has excited much attention from the
fact that, although he is only 23 years of age, he has 24
years of service. Ist, he has been eight years in the
army ; 2d, he has served six months at Sebastopol, and
as, according to an order of the cabinet of the Emperor,
Nicholas, each month's service there is to count as a
year, his six months are equivalent to six years, which
gave 14 years in all ; 3d, he wears the order of St. Anne
and of Wladimir, the cross of the order of St. George,
and has a sabre of honour, which reckon for 10 years
more ; and in that way he makes up the 24 years.
Strange to say, although this officer has been in twelve
sorties lie has never received a wound."
ABATEMENT OF INCOME TAX.—On Thursday a bill
was printed to continue the act for extending the provi-
sion for the abatement of the income tax in respect of
insurance on lives. It is to be extended to the sth of
July, 1856, in respect of the income tax and the addi-
tional duty.