Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-12-08
THE DARDANELLES.

The old gates Of Janus were opened
when Rome was at war; and their modern
prototypes, the Dardanelles straits, are oper
only when a state of war makes treaty slip
ulstions void, and the Porte deems it to be
necessary to admi. his allies through them
to protect his capital. The accounts we have
are that they are now open TO the passage Of
the British and French fleets.
The Dardanelles, from which the strait
or HelIespon. derives its name, are four
strong castles bull. opposite to each on the
European and Asialic coasts; and the keys
Of Constan,nople. Two Of these castles
the old castles, were raised by Mahommed
II, soon after the conquest OF Constantine
pie, in 1853; the other two, Che new cas-
lies, were bull, in the middle Of the seven
teenth century to protec, the Turks against
the Venitisns. The latter command the en-
trance to the Hellespont, and the distance
from each is about two miles and quarter;
in four hours sail up the strait are the old
castles, which are about three quarters Of q
mile apart. These are well mounted with
formidable batteries. All along the Europe
an shore 10 Marmora, the aspect Of nature
in its ruggedness corresponds with the
frown of the gnns, but the scenery on the
Asia,ic shore is beautiful. The region
abounds, too, in places famous in classic
story. Here it was Leander paid his night
ly visi, Hero; here The il-faled hosts of
Xerxes crossed on bridge Of boats here
Solyman crossed on bare raft; and in mo-
dern times here Byron swan from Seslos
to Abydos.
These famous straits have been more
than once passed. In 1870, the Russian
squadron, under Elphis,one, appeared before
the tower castles; and the admiral actually
wen. by without damage. Blu! the other
ships did not follow him, and he returned
with drums end trumpels sounding. A Bri-
fish fleet under Admiral Duck orlb, forced
their passage in 1907. Duck worth, in his dis
patch to bis government, giving on account,
Of this fact acknowledged that he ran a mar
row chance. He set sail on the morning OF
the 18Th Of February. AT quarter before 9
The whole squadron under a tremendous fire
had passed The outer castles; q, half pas,
nine the leading ship, the Campus, entered
the narrow passage of Seslos and Abyd
under a heavy cannonade from both cas-
Ties, receiving a stone shot Of 500 pounds
weight. Each ship as il passed had to en-
dute this canonade. The admiral remained
before Constanlinople until the Sd of March
when his squadron Of ten ships returned.
10 this interval, the Turks had been SO busy
that the castles were made doubly formida-
BILE. The admiral weighed anchor in the
morning of this day, and "evcry ship was
in safety outside Of the passage sbou, noon"
The admiral, in his dispatch, expressed his
most lively sense" of his good fortune, and
admits that had the Turks been allowed q
week longer, sit would have been a very
doubtful point whether a return would lay
open 10 him a. ALL" He lost AZ killed and
235 wounded. The Turks were so indlg-
mont at the escape of the British fleet tina.
they believed the Governor Of The Dardan-
eIles was bribed by Duckworlh, and behead-
ed him.
The Dardaneles are said to be in such q
formidable condition as to be impregnsble.