The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-01 00:00:00

THE BALKANS-SHUMLA.

The gloomy and rocky defiles of the Balkans are still
at this day as impenetrable as when Darius passed them
from the south, five hundred years before the Christian
era. For centuries the rich and fertile delta, which lies
between the Carpathians, the Balkans, and the Black
Sea, has lain unused, and its immense resources have
remained almost unknown to Europe. And yet nature
has lavishly endowed these magnificent regions, while
the Danube offers them an easy outlet, and a means of
communication with all the rest of the world. Why,
then, are they so neglected ? The cause is not far to
seek. As the constant battle-field of every nation, these
vast plains have been periodically devasted by war at
each great historical period, and hence so far from
lamenting the mountain chains which shut them in, the
inhabitants of these countries have hitherto regarded
them as bulwarks against invasion, rather than as ob-
stacles to their commercial relations.
This fact explains why the Balkans are so little known,
and why the practicable passes still remain in their pri-
mitive state. As regards the former point, the general
state of knowledge is so imperfect, that the celebrated
historian of Turkey, Von Hammer, reduces the defiles
of the principal chain to seven only, whilst by a paper
lately read before the Royal Geographical Society of
London, it appears that the real number is much
greater.
The author of that paper, General Jochmus, states
that with the express object of studying the entire chain
from Cape Eiuineh (finis ITerni) to Tirnova, situate at
the foot of the mountain between Schipka and Dransva,
he crossed it seven times in a zigzag direction—that is,
from Messambria to Sudshib, from there to Aschly, from
Aschly to Dobrak, from Dobrak to Carnabat, from
Carnabat to Kasan, froni Kasan to Selimneh, and from
Selimneh to Tirnova. He also explored the little chain
of the Hcemus in the same way and crossed it from Tir-
nova to Osmanbazar, from that place to Kasan, from
Kasan to Ozalikavak, from Ozalikavak to Yoprikoi,
from Koprikoi to Shumla, from Shumla to Paravadzo,
and from Paravadzo to Varna.

The highest point of the chain beyond Monastirkoi is
2,000 feet above the level of the sea, the pass itself being
situate at a height of 1,800 feet. It leads to Bann, a
village 12 miles south of Messambria, passing through
dense forests of oaks, by the roads used by the waggons
that convey wood and iron to Messambria.
Shumla, lying at the foot of the Balkans, is a strategic
position of extreme importance. It is strongly fortified
by nature, and art has created additional means of de-
fence which render it almost impregnable. The Turks
have given it the appellation of Ghazi (victorious). This
town is the key of the valley which extends from the
Balkans to the sea ; it commands the principal pa=s of
the chain, and like Roustchuk and Silistria, is one of
the stages on the road to Constantinople.
Shumla contains a population of about 35,000 inhabi-
tants, and covers a surface of between two and three
miles in length by one mile in width. It stands at the
foot of a wooded hill 600 or 700 feet in height, which
half surrounds the town like an amphitheatre. The
greater part of the ancient entrenchments no longer
exists, but the hill which protects the town is steep and
inaccessible—qualities which have been taken advantage
of in constructing the modern fortifications, which are
upon the European system.
The ports, redoubts, and casemates which now guard
Shumla render it a very formidable place. The positions
of these new works have been carefully chosen, so as to
cover all the ravines and defiles leading to the camp,
and to defend the high road to the great pass of the
Balkans, which is only thirty miles from Shumla.
The passage of the Balkans by a hostile force is, there•
fore, almost impossible ; and as long as the flags of
England and France cover the coasts of the Black Sea,
the chain cannot be turned. The position of tho Turks
is excellent, supported as it is by impregnable fortifica-
tions and impassable mountains, whilst, on the other
hand, the Russians, at the least check, might be thrown
back on the Danube, and forced to return to the Prixei-
palities.—Maniteur dc la Flotte.