The Sun.
London, England, 1828-10-15 00:00:00

BLOCKADING THE DARDANELLES.

The following are parts of two of Lord Coiling-
wood's letters to Lord Mulgrave, on the difficulty
of blockading the Dardanelles:—

" TO LORD MULGRAVE.

" Ocean, off the Dardanelles, Aug. 19, 1607.
"I have considered Sir Arthur Paget's mission to
establish peace between Turkey and the Allied
Powers as an object of the first importance, which
indeed, increased by the little prospect there is of
our giving annoyance to the Turks as their enemy.
It was hoped that by a rigorous blockade the capital
would be reduced to such a state of want as would
urge them to a speedy retreat ; but, by the first in-
formation which I can get here the supply of Con-
stantinople depends very little on the navigation of
the Dardanelles; and, indeed, it would appear that
it ought not to do so even in times of profound peace,
as the N.E. winds which prevail during the summer
months, and strong current which runs out, as effoc-
tually prevent vessels from entering as any blockade.
The supplies are said to go by caravans to Galipoli,
or other shipping places on the sea of Marmora,
and it is the Greek islanders who suffer most from
the interrupt►on of trade. Those islands draw most
of their supplies of corn from the Continent ; so that
there appears little reason to expect that an insurrec-
restion in the capital from scarcity will urge them
to treat; and there is not the smallest attempt made
by vessels of any kind to enter the Straits."

" TO LORD MULGRAVE.

" Ocean, off the Dardanelles, Aug. 28, 1808.
" In the event of not succeeding in establishing
peace, I do not conceive, my Lord, that a squadron
of large ships can be of the smallest utility whatever
here. To keep the sea is not possible among the
islands, and to find a port where they can be secure
is not easy.

" Almost every island has a port for polaccas and
small vessels, which navigate here in summer ; but
there are very few places where ships can be in
safety it+ the winter.
-The port at Skiro is a fine inlet of the sea, but
has very deep water, from thirty-five to above fifty
fathom, and the ground foul and uncertain. Paros
has a small and good port ; hut, with the prevailing
north wind, it is impossible to get out of it. I have
sent the See Horse to examine other places, but
have found only Paros that can give a safe anchorage.
" My opinion is, that when the season is so ad-
vanced as to make it improbable that their fleet will
move, a cruiser being stationed between Cape Ma-
tapan and the west end of Candia, and another be-
tween Rhodes and the east end of Candia, would
more effectually blockade the ports in the Archi-
pelago than any number of ships which might be
amongst the islands, where they could not keep
the sea.

" Last winter two vessels were lost, Nautilus
and Moucheron ; for in thick weather it is not a sea
navigable for more than the passage through it.
" These reasons I hope your Lordship will think
sufficient for adopting the stations which I have pro-
posed. 'Whatever produce the Turks have in the
country, on either side the Dardanelles, appears to
be conveyed to the capital without entering this
passage by sea; m hatever may come from Egypt,
or the traders of foreign nations, will be more ef-
fectually stopped by those stations than by any
other."