The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

LETTER FROM THE BLACK SEA.

The following is from the special correspondent
of the Daily .News, dated Varna, Dec. 8
I arrived here on Wednesday, by one of the
Austrian Lloyds' steamers, after a most tedious and
vexatious passage of nearly five days from Constan-
tinople. The distance is about 172 miles (English),
and a boat of ordinary powers ought to be able
to accomplish it in eighteen hours. Previous to the
outbreak of the war there were Turkish boats on
this line, which ran two or three times a-week both
ways ; and, owing to their regularity, and, above
all, to the civility and attention with which the
passengers on board of them were treated, they
left the Lloyds' boats with very little .to do. They
have, however, ceased running within the last
three or four weeks, as one of them was captured
not long ago by a Russian frigate. The Austrians
now have the route all to themselves ; and accord-
ingly, manage matters in a manner quite charac-
teristic of the nation. I had made arrangements
to leave Constantinople for the Danube on the 29th
ult., in company with an English officer, who is
about to pass the winter at Schumla en amateur, by
the boat which is advertised to sail regularly every
Tuesday. To make sure, we called at the office to
inquire, and were told by the agent that the steamer
would start as usual. The day arrived, and brimful
of blissful confidence we put ourselves in marching
order, and proceeded to the Custom-house with our
baggage, to have it examined previous to embarka-
tion various articles of home manufacture, such as
chibouks, saddlery, &c., being in Turkey liable to a
small export duty. This troublesome ceremonial
over, we got into a boat, and commenced to cruise
about the harbour in search of the steam-boat for
Varna. Therer were plenty of Austrian ones at
anchor, but neither flag nor smoke gave sign that
any of them had the smallest intention of going
anywhere. We hailed them all, but the crews not
only denied that they were about to sail for Varna
but seemed rather doubtful whether there was such
a place at all, and whether we'were not a couple of
eccentric Englishmen whom " the natives " were
gulling. There was nothing for it but to return
to the office, where we gave vent to our indigna-
tion, rather to take the load off our hearts than in
the hope of producing any effect upon the obdurate
official, who heard us with a face calm and impas-
sible as that of a SphinX'. As soon as we had done
he informed us that they had two boats missing on
the Danube, which was the cause of our disappoint-
ment, but that if neither of them arrived that day
(Tuesday), they would send an extraordinary boat
on the Thursday following. We waited accord-
ingly, and on Wednesday evening went down to
inquire once more regarding the " extraordinary
boat," but then learned, to our astonishment, that
the despatch of such a boat was not one of the
measures contemplated by the " administration,"
and we were moreover unable to ascertain whether
the Steam Navigation Company of the Austrian
Lloyds would ever again send another vessel to
Varna in the whole course of that distinguished
body's existence. We started off directly to the
Porte, and applied for firmans to enable us to
travel overland on horseback by Adrianople—a
ride of at least ten days—no very pleasant
prospect in the present state of the roads, and
with heavy snow in the Balkan, and the ther-
mometer down very near zero in Constantinople.
We were promised them at the same hour on the
following day. Thence we proceeded to the post-
office, and arranged for horses, a Tatar, and a
Swindji or postilion, all necessary but expensive
items in our equipment, reserving to ourselves the
right of countermanding the order within 24 hours
if we thought proper. On the Thursday, when
walking over for the firmans, we called in at the
Austrian Lloyds' office—more from curiosity than
any other motive, as rumours were afloat that
they had received a hint from their Government,
in the interest of Russia, to break off the commu-
nication by sea between Constantinople and Varna
—to inquire whether they had received any news
of their missing boats. No, they had not, but had
made up their minds in any case to send one on ,
the Saturday. Seeing an incredulous smile on our
faces the functionary waxed warm, became slightly
imperious, and • swore and protested in the most
solemn manner that the boat would positively sail
on the day he mentioned. Thinking there might
be some truth in his statement, and being un-
willing to impute deliberate perjury to a man
of whom we knew nothing, we determined to
wait once more, and accordingly countermanded
the horses. On the Saturday we started from
the hotel with our baggage again, but this time
took the precaution to call again at the office on
our way down. No boat till the morrow ; the
weather on the previous day was really so stormy,
and. the "mer si grosse," that it was impossible to
put the cargo on board. As all this was undenia-
able, we remained silent and patient, and meekly
took our places at the table-d'hôte once more in the
evening, to the great amusement of those of our
fellow travellers who were aware of our two abor-
tive attempts at getting away.
_ _ _

On the Sunday we made a third and last trial,
and this time were partially successful. I say
" partially," because, though we got on board, and
were made certain, humanly speaking, of reaching
to the mouth of the Bosphorus that night, we heard
such terrible moaning and groaning amongst the
captain and officers over the horrors of Black Sea
navigation, that getting out of the Bosphorus
seemed to be a feat which we could only hope to
accomplish after many efforts and great and sus-
tained exertion. We resigned ourselves to our fate,
and to the contemplation of the glories 'of the
scenery around us, as we slowly passed up the strait.
I am not about to describe it, or attempt to describe
it, lest it should be found that I was the one hun-
dred thousandth individual who had done so ; but
I may remark that, in gazing on Constantinople, it
was not .hard to understand why a rapacious and
ambitious man, like the Czar, backed up by a sensual
and luxury-loving nobility, should be ready to fling
away the lives of a few thousands of serfs, if only in
the hope of - advancing one day's march nearer to
so splendid a prize. The imagination of the ele-