Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-12-04
s L b "A S T . + O L
From Mr.. Scotfs Book on the Cr,m,c

The port OF Sebastopa consists Of n bay run
ming in a south -oaserly direction, about fpar
miles long and IA mile wide at the entrance di-
mnshing 10 400 yards ut the end, where the
"Tchernaia Retchke," or Black River. cmpties
itself The average depth is about eight faith
oms, the bottom being composed Of mud in tho
centre and gravel at the sides. On the south
ern coast of this bay are the commercial, militia
ry. and careening harbors- the quarantine harhor
being outside the entrance all these taking
southorly direction and having deep water.
The military hnrbor is the largest, being about
mile and lalf long by 400 yards wide, and i,
completely land locked on every side Here it
is that the Black Sea fleet is moored in the win.
ter, the largest ships being able 10 lie with all
their stores ON board close to the quays. The
small harbor which contains the naval arsenal
and docks is on the eastern side of the military
harbor, near the entrance.
The port is defended to the south by six min
cipal batteries and forrrsses, each mounting
from 50 10 100 guns; and the north by four,
having from Is to 100 pieces each and besides
these, there are many smaller batteries.
The fortresses built on thu easement prin-
ciple, three of them having three tiers of guns,
and the fourth two tiers. Fort ST. Nicholas is
the largest. and mounts about 100 guns; on
carefully counting them made lS6. BY great
interest we obtained permission to visit this for
tress. 1t is built of white limestone: a fine
bouHu stcHet WHICH DPcofIlcS nara ana Is very uu-
rable, the same material being used for all the
other forts Between every two easements are
furnaces for heating shot red hot; we measured
the calibre of the guns, and found it to lac eight
inches. capable OF throwing shells or g pound
solid shot.
Whether all the guns in the fortress were of
the same size 1t is impossible TO say, but my be.
lief is, that most of the Notifications of Sebasto-
pol are heavily armed. We entered Fort ST.
Nicholas through the elegantly furnished apart
ments OF the military commandment, situated at
its south western end.
At the period of our visit there were certainly
not more than $50 pieces of artillery defending
the port towards the sea, and of these about 800
could be concentrated on ship entering the bav
Other batteries, however, are said to have been
built since. We took some trouble to ascertain
these facts by counting the guns of the various
forts-not always an easy matter where any sus-
picion of our object might have subjected us 10
grave Inconvenience Sebastopol is admirably
adapted by nature for strong position towards
the sea, and it will be seen from what we have
stated above, that this has been fully taken ad-
vantage of to render it one of the most formida-
bly, fortified places in that direction which could
be imagined.
We well aware that the casemated fortress
SEES very badly constructed, and, though
having an imposing exterior. that the walls are
filled in with rubble. The work carried on
unoer Russian engineers, whose opJect was 10
make as much money as possible out of it
They were. moreover. found to be defective in
ventilation 10 remedy which some alterations
were subsequently made; but, admitting all their
defects, they are still strong enough 10 infict
some amount of injury on an attacking fleet, be-
fore their guns could be silenced And when
that is accomplished, supposing there now
$50 pieces, there would still remain 500 guns OF
large calibre in strong open batteries. half OF
them throwing shell and red-hot shot, indepen-
IDENTITY Of mortars. This is force of armament