Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-14
Wasbington gentinel.
From III London Times.

From tn London Times.
| The Port of Sebastopoi on the Black Sea.
The following account of the town and port
Of Sebastopol, the Russian naval headquarters,
by Vsevolojsky, the Russian topographer, will
be fonnd interesting at the present moment:
"This famous stronghold of the Russians in
the Black sea is one Of the most modern crea-
tons ia the rapidly growing empire of the
czars; its site, until 1856, having been occupied
| by nothing more pretentious than q miserable
| village of Tartar huts, named Akhtier. The
| splendid natural advantages ofits harbor for
| irst-rate naval port however, attracted the
keen notice of Catherine IL, and in 1880 the
first stone of the new fortress and arsenal was
laid, and from that period it has rapidly in
creased in strength and Importance. Sebasto
pol is situated on the western coast of the PEN
| iasnla of the Crimea, in an amphitheatre to
the south of the harbor, extending along
| point of land which separates the bay OF
Yuiusia- Bukhta which forms the port, from
Artillery bay, small indentation on the other
side. The town stands on a chalky stratu M
which rises from height of thirty feet at the
extremity Of the point to an elevation of l so
feet above the sea in the upper part. This
elevation, with the steep coast opposite, which
also consists of calcareous rock, perfectly
defends the bay, which, from the summit of the
heights, appears to lie at the bottom of deep
cavity; and, indeed at very short distance
from the shore inland, it is impossible to per-
ceive the tops of the highest niasts. The town
is composed Of parallel streets running up the
steep acclivity, and,i divided into quarters BY
few transverse Streets Near the extremity OF
the point of land stands the house built in 1871
| for the reception of the Empress Catherine II.
| Behind are situate the admiralty, the arsenal,
| and the houses Of the naval officials; while
! higher mp are the dwellings Of the inhabitants
| of the town, the market, and the Greek church,
besides which there is Russian church for
the use of the sailors belonging to the Black
sea feet.
"rhe seamen's hospitals and barracks and
| the magazines are mostly situate on the other
side of the harbor, and, together with the bar
racks of the garrison, built a short distance
from the former, compose sort of suburb.
| Outside the town, towards Artillery bay, are
the quarters of the artillery corps, few private
houses, the quarantine station, and scattered
here and there on the shore opposite the road
stead the contingencies and gardens of the
| officers of the dock-yard and arsenal The
| town of Sebastopol itself is not much above a
mile in length, and is nowhere more than four
hundred yards wide but neither the regimen
| tai barracks, erected about halfa mile from the
upper part of the town, nor those for the sail
ors opposite the town itself, nor the hospitals,
are included within this space.
The harbor, as being the most important
feature ofSebastopol, and which has been COM
pared to that of Malta, merits q more minute
description. The principal bay is about three
miles and half in depth, with width Of three
/ quarters of mile at the mouth, widening tc
nearly a mile, and then narrowing to six hun
dred or seven hundred yards at the head. The
!. 4 tIo L. fo,o
eleven fathoms; as far as the ancient village
of Akhtier, where the naval magazines nov
are, it is about nine fathoms and from there
diminishes gradually towards the two ports te
three fathoms. There is not a rock or shoal in
the whole harbor, except opposite the Sever
| naia Kossa, or northern point, where there is q
small sand-bank, which ships entering the bay
have to avoid, and where the sailors find abun-
dance of fish. At the further end of the port
the water becomes gradually shallower in the
direction of Inkerman, and near the little river
Byjugusen is not more than q yard or half a
yard in depth, with muddy bottom.
! "The entrance of the harbor is defended by
strong batteries placed at the extremities of the
two points of land that form the bay. Besides
these, there is another fronting the town, and
two more on the double point on which the
town stands, with redoubt higher up. One
defends Artillery bay. The large harbor, as
well as the lesser, is perfectly protected from
all winds by the chalk rocks which surround it,
and which rise to greater height more inland
SO that it is only on the rare occurrence Of a
tempest from the west(that any danger can be
occasioned to the shipping in the bay. About
a mile from the mouth of the bay the grand
port for vessels of war forms a sort of small
arm, running in southwest direction. This
arm, which the Tartars used to call Kartalt
Kosh, (Vulture bay,) is now called Yujusa
Bukhta, or Southport. 1t is upwards of a mile
and half in length, with width Of four hun.
dred at the entrance, and has little narrow
creek of about six hundred yards in length, in
which ships can be laid up in ordinary with
perfect safety. On the other side of the town,
in Artillery bay, is similar creek, used to ca
reen vessels of war, for the purpose of cleans
! ing and scorching their bottoms. The sea-
worm, laredo nacalis, which pierces submerged
wood, exists in large numbers in the Black sea,
! especially along the shores of the Crimea, and
| in the harbor OF Sebastopol. In less than two
years, if vessel is not copper-sheathed, these
worms pierce through the whole of the outer
timbers Hence it is found necessary to coun-
teract their operations by careening the vessel
every two wears, and scorching the outside Of
the bottom with pitch and juniper wood.
'The situation of Sebastopol on dry soil
/ causes it to be extremely healthy, the air being
tempered in summer by cooling winds, and
mildened in winter by the shelter of lofty hills
to the north and east. The greatest heat in
summer does not exceed twenty-six degrees Of
Reaumur, (773 F.) Land and sea breezes al
ternate successfully morning and evening,
cooling the air, at the same time favoring the
entrance and departure Of vessels while at sea
outside the harbor The prevalent winos are
northeast and northwest w.
| From the Gazette do sponer.
Intrigues Of Russia IN Asia.