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

CIRCASSIA.

On the 18th of June, says the correspondent of
a contemporary, we set out to visit Soubesnik, or
Fort Golovine,' the station immediately to the north
of Bardane. Our host, Ismail Bey, was to be our
guide.
As we rode along the beach, at the entrance of
every valley almost we saw a boat hauled up on the
beach, and the master sitting under a rough shed
made of branches, or of his own sails, engaged in
bartering his salt or his fruits against the mais of
wax or other produce brought down by the natives.
Salt is by far the most important article of cargo
generally, and the Circassians will make greater
sacrifices to obtain it than any other commodity.
And the owners of these boats have certainly been
in the habit of making them pay dear for it.
As much as three and four measures of mais
have been exacted for one of salt ; but the Pacha,
to put an end to this imposition, has ordered that
no more than two measures of grain should be
taken for three of salt, and this is a very remu
nerative exchange, I should think. It would cer-
tainly pay any enterprising speculator to send out
here in the fine season one or two ships, loaded
with salt and with common prints and broad-cloths,
provided he would submit to the ennui of having
to dispose of his cargo in several small portions.
Everywhere ou the coast, mais might be picked up,
and from Gagri down to Batoum box-wood, wax,
and honey, the two latter articles, perhaps, not in
very great quantity. The great inconvenience
to ships of any size would be the want of any ports,
for there are none which can be so called, except
Ghilingik and perhaps Sokoum-Kale. They would
have to lay out at some distance off an open beach,
which might be a very awkward neighbour in the
frequent squalls that blow off the coast ; but in the
summer months its is rare that these squalls are
heavy enough to drive a ship from her anchors,
as there is good holding-ground almost everywhere,
so that there is really not much danger in that
season.

Before reaching Golovine we had to ford a broad
and rapid stream which runs along its south-east
side. The water was not high, but from the sand-
bank accumulated at the mouth of the river, and
the trees and rubbish which had been carried out
and left at some distance at sea, we plainly saw
that after the melting of the snow it must be quite
impracticable at present. It empted itself into the
river by two principal streams, leaving a delta of
sand between them about a quarter of a mile broad
at its base, but all this was under water only a few
days ago. Before the present Fort Golovine was
built, the Russians had erected, close to the river,
a smaller one, built of rolled stone, and in one
night it was all washed away by a rise of the river.
Fort Golovine is about the smallest fort I have
yet seen on the coast. It is in the centre of a
little plain on the north bank of the river.
It is about eighty yards square, with a double
storied tower at each angle. Like all these
forts, it is built of white shell-stone brought ex-
pressly from Kertch. The walls are about twenty
feet high, loopholed, and protected by a ditch ;
they are still pc...feet, as well as three of the towers;
but that at the east angle, where the principal
powder magazine probably was, has been com-
pletely blown up. Outside the fort, on the beach,
is a small earth battery, whose guns are still there
disabled, and a square tower ; and to the east, to-
wards the river, is a stone blockhouse, which com-
pletes the defences of Fort Golovine. The plain
around the fort was tastefully laid out in gardens,
and planted ihith trees, amongst which rows of
poplars were most striking. There was nothing
left in the fort except the bare walls, all the
buildings in the interior having been destroyed,
but I suspect more by the Circassians than the
Russians. They must have left in great haste,
for they did not even take their church vases,
nor the robes of the priests, which were all
brought to us for sale a few days ago. There

•-resat nurillir of Os um, 11111
handsome, being made of gold and silver cloth
and velvet, all richly embroidered. A large silver
gilt chalice, some eighteen inches high, was brought
with them, which I believe our friend Ismail Bey
purchased. One can scarcely conceive how such
things, so sacred to Russian eyes, could have been
left behind to fall into infidel hands, except under
most pressing circumstances. Perhaps the pre-
sence of the Sampson off the coast on the very day
the fort was evacuated may in some way explain
this. The Sampson saw quite distinctly the Cir-
cassians going in and out of the place as soon as
the Russians left, and plundering it and setting it
on fire. There are not many guns here, but there
are two of brass,' both more or less disabled, and
some thirty tons of excellent coal, which I have no
doubt will find their way into the furnaces of some
of our steamers.

On the 25th of June a messenger brought intel-
ligence that the Naib had arrived at Gonaia, or
Fort Lazariff, immediately beyond Golovine, and
that he might possibly be detained there a week,
that Begtchet Pasha was with him, and that the
Sampson was lying off Gonaia also. We immedi-
ately decided on starting early the next morning
to go and see him, rejoiced to be so near at last to
a being whose very existence we were almost be-
ginning to doubt, from the extreme difficulty of
learning anything delitnite about his movements.
We aocordingly set forth on Monday morning, the,
26th, and after a hot ride of eight hours on the
beach we arrived at Fort Lazariff, where we
found a boat from the Sampson, and Captain
Jones wailing for us. As we were all very tired
we intended seeing the Naib only the next
morning ; but we received a message from Begtchet
Pacha, informing us that both he and the
Naib were going to leave Fort Lazariff almost im-
mediately; so we hurried on shore, determined not
to allow him to escape without seeing him. We
found the Naib sitting under a tree, Begtchet
Pacha by his side, and a circle of his chiefs squatted
before him. His flag—red, yellow, and red, placed
one over the other, with a red crescent and star in
the yellow stripe—was floating from the top of a
lance before him, and all around stood some 20 or
30 Circassians, their rifles resting on their haunches
as a guard of honour. He and the Pacha rose to
receive the English, and cloaks were laid on the
ground in front of him, on which we sat. The Naib
is a man in the prime of life, about thirty-five or
forty. He is of most athletic proportions, broad
strut shoulder, and well formed. He stands about
five feet eight. His head and face are large, and
his features well marked. He wore the costume
of his country—a Circassian cap on his head, made
of a peculiar brown, short-haired, curly sheepskin,
and magnificently ornamented arms in his belt.
Affecting the part of a prophet, he puts on, when-
ever he is with his followers, an inspired look, and
appears as if he was collected in himself, or in a
trance, frequently burying his face in his hands,
and muttering fragments of the Koran. He speaks
only Arabic in their presence, not condescending
to use a less holy language, but he thoroughly
understands and speaks both Circassian and Turk-
ish, so that he is certain that his words will be
faithfully interpreted. The interview was only a
short one, and mere compliments were exchanged
on both sides. The Naib said he was going to
leave Fort Lazariff that evening, and move by slow
marches to the southward, so that he would again
have the pleasure of meeting us, when a more pri-
vate conversation might take place, should we wish
it. We retired and returned to the Sampson, and
although I had scarcely seen the Naib, I still felt
very much gratified at having been, though but for
a very short time, in the presence of a man who must
be possessed of immense talents to have been able
to attain in this country the position he now enjoys.
You must have been with this people, and have
seen the numberless little tribes and families in
which, not even speaking the same language, they
are divided and scattered over a country :bout the
size of England, to conceive an idea of the wonder-
ful undertaking it must have seemed to attempt to
bring them together, and unite them in any sort of
body under the authority of one man, and that
man, too, a stranger, with neither high birth nor
wealth to recommend him. It is true that he came
from Scheikh Schamyl, and that he rallied them in
the name of their religion and of their independence,
and pointed out to them the results of union under
Schamyl on the other side of the Caucasus; but it
is no ordinary man that could have worked suc-
cessfully on such people even with such arguments.
We left Fort Lazariff the next morning, and went
down to Golovine, where the Russians had left some
coal which Captain Jones wished to take. The Naib
arrived there soon after us, and sent word that if
Captain Jones could wait for him till twelve the
next day (to-day, 28th), he would like to take a
passage on board to Bardane. 0 !course, his re-
quest was granted, and I have, in consequence, had
the pleasure of spending almost the whole of to-
day in his company ; he dined with the captain,
and in a conference of several hours after dinner,
has proved satisfactorily to all his listeners that
he possesses a most sound judgment, and a tho-
rough knowledge of his country and of the capa-
bilities of his people. To talk more freely, he sent
away all his Circassian attendants, and in the com-
pany of English he forgot for a while his inspired
mission, and condescended to talk and discuss for
several hours like a clear-headed statesman and
general, very much to our admiration. A vast
confederation of the tribes on both sides of the
Caucasus is his object. To join Scheik Schamyl on
the other side, and cut off the Russian communi-
cation with Georgia, is what he aims at. With his
persevering nature, undaunted by any obstacles,
ever so great in appearance, I hq,ve no doubt that
he will, sooner or later, succeed.

THE CHOLERA IN ITALY.
TURIN, August 4.—The King, accompanied by
the Ministers, left to-day for Genoa, to visit the
cholera hospitals. There is great excitement both
here and at Genoa.