Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-14
THE cRIMEA.

THE CRIIEA
The expedition Of the Allied fleets to this peninsula
with view to the destruction OF Sebastopo the station
Of the great Black Sea feet Of the Russians gives unu
sual interest its history The Crimea is quadrangle
lar figure in the Black Sea- and contains 5000 square
milesneary the size Of Massachusetts, 1t is connect
ed at the norther point Of the quadrangle with South
srn Russia by neck Of land about twenty miles long
and at its narowest part five miles broad Across the
deep trench dug by the Turks during the last
century about sevenywo feet wide and twenty feet
deep. walled rampant built along this trench Of
free stone dotted with batteries of which there Eve
still in toersble preservation. The water from the
flows through the TRENCH which is crossed by draw
bridges Sebastopol is over one hundred and twenty
miles from this trench the southern point Of the
quadrangle, and is the finest harbor in the Black Sea-
The bay which it is situated extends about five miles
inland, and is nearly mile wide The buildings rise
above each other, with the emnence which they
located presenting from the land side an imposing
view The population of Sebastopo exclusive Of the
army is ten thousand. The public buildings the
admiralty the arsenal the barracks the hospitals the
azaretto and other public structuresuch the docks
and dockyards-are the most extensive scale, Ia
Dor expense having been spared upon them The
tera s of white calcareous sone obtained in the neigh
borhood of the 1t resembles the shell limestone of
which Odessa is built and is extremely pershabe,
in the houses Of Odessa which fall pieces Of them
selves The population of Sebasopol is purely Russian
with small admixture Of Greeks. The population OF
the peninsula of the Crmea, Grim Tartary, ancieny
the Cersonesas Tducd is about 800 000 composed
thirds of mixture of Mongols and Turks called Tartars
the residue of Russians Germans and Greeks But little
regard to have been paid this native population
in the estimate OF its strength formed by the Allied
Powers.
The Allied feet after coursng along the shore
of the Black Sea far north the mouths of the
Danube crossed to the Crmea by way of Serpent
island and landed Eupatora the southwest side Of
mill fhwaa of
The landing accomplished the 18th Of September
The Allied troops Immediately commenced their march
in the direction of Sebastopo 1t seems to be doubtful
whether the of the march will be southeast along
the coast directly towards Sebastopo, eastery
into the interior by way of Simferopo forty miles dis
tant, and thence southwestery to Sebastopo distant
forty miles from Smferopo By either route abundance
OF water and provisions be obtained The two rivers
which lie between would by one route be crossed near
their mouths, and by the other to their in
mountainous region The march by the coasroute would
be about six days. by the interior twelve The Russian
army of 1885, in its march towards Sebastopo and when
about twenty miles distant from it, encountered opposi
ton at Bahtc in the gorges fthe mountains which
lie adjacent to the valley in which the town is situated
On the map before Bahtch is the road from
Smferopol so that whether the inland the coast route
be TAKEN it probable that the contendng forces will
meet in that vicinity and there decide the fate Of Sebas
topol.
considerable mountains and is built in irregular
upon each side of the sopng ground which descends
u
stranger approaching close to the spot is taken by
prise the which breaks upon him the
suddenly before him, with its buildings scattered
beneath impending rocks and precpces, which to
threaten with instant destruction The sight of fountains
streams, smiling gardens and terraces, inermnged with
mnares and elegant chmneys vineyards and
groups Lombardy popar renders the impression
pleasng but this is confirmed by examination of the
interior Of the town."
The situation of Sebastopo to the centre of the
Black Sea, gives it command over its navigation. The
fleets of Russia sally forth from this point and in
three days sail could reach any Of the ports Of Turkey
whether in Europe Asia, and pour destruction upon
them The direct objects of the imposed therefore,
upon the Allied fleets the necessity of destroying Sebas
topol if possible England and France went into the
from fear of the extension of Russia to the
by which the line Of operations of each of those Western
Powers with their distant possessions might be cut
France maintained her intercourse with Algeria and
England hers with her East Indian possessions by way
of the Mediterranean which Russia desires to control
The destruction of Sebastopol will stop the growing
strength of Russia in southery direction, by of
the fleet which she has been building up there since the
Crimea into her possession in 1888. We cannot
suppose that step of such vast Importance be taken
by the Allied Powers without encounterng all the oppo
siton from Russia Of which she is capable That such
step of the great objects of France and England
in entering the Black Sea has been openly proclaimed
but it would be equally apparent had it not been pro-
claimed IT. therefore, the whole strength of Russia shall
not be put forth to defend Sebastopo it will appear that
has become the policy Of Russia to conquer not by her
active energies, but by her capacity Of enduranceby
drawing into her she'll like the tortoise and waiting till
her enemies are tired by their blows.
Demosthenes in of his orations mentions that
Athens imported from the Crimea annually between
100000 and 400 900 medimni of grain 1t was consider
ed the granary of Greece.
This peninsula has been for than three thou
sand years. since the first expedition Of tho Argonau
story which, though mixed with fable yet well founded
in its principal facts The mountainous parts inhabited
by the Taur probably colony of Scythans while its coasts
the the and the south occupied by Greeks
The Scyhians driven by Mthrdaes the Greeks by
tho atipps NV nd oths n
northern horde of Scythans The Hungaan the Cossack
and Tartars succeeded in their and the Genoese in the
twelfth century held temporary and precaous possession of
the ports which they obliged yield the Turks
in 1875 At the peace of l774 the Tarars Of the Crmea
declared independent and in 1888 this peninsula
defnitively united to the Russian empire"
EXPORTS FROM NEW YORK.