New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-12
AN EXCURSION TO SEVAST0POL.
From Our Own Correspondent
BRITISH CAMP BEFORE SEvAsToPoL, !

From Or Own Correspondents
BRITISH CAMP BEFORE SEvAsToPoL,
Thursday, April 20, 1855.
Since my last letter to THE TRIBUNE | have
awaited myself of the permission of Admiral
Grey, Port.Admiral for Constantinople to run up
to the Ciimea and "see the elephant" An ex-
cursion from the Turkish capital to the seat of
war is so easily made that many strangers add a
little to their intended travels to call IN upon
the camps of the Allies near Balaklaya and Kam-
iesch. The steamer ia which / was favored
with free passage, only paying 10 shillings per
diem for my grub, came up in about Az hours,
though we did not get into Balsklava harbor
until late in the evening of the day of our ar
rival. The port is so very small that when one
vessel enters another must make place for it,
Admiral Boxer, the burly sury old English tar
in charge of the port regulations is equal to
Napier in his originalities and perhaps is about
his equal in clustering. He is not much re-
spected by the Captains and is generally laughed
at for the eccentric manner in which be executes
his duties.
The whole coast of the Crimea is very high.
We could see il seine 80 miles distant. To the
left about Eupatoria and Kamiesch it is less so
than just about Balaklava and to the right of it.
At the latter place the coast is from ono to 900
ieet high almost perpendicular, reddish of color
and with an eastern inclination The distant sum-
mits 10 the right of Balaklaya are crowned with
trees and brushwood, and we could now and then
distinguish when nearer the entrance to Balaklava,
Costack videttes peering over the cliffs to keep an
eye ON the English sentinels below them. The
IN fha harh M
row, and is not at all perceptible until you have
approached 60 within O few yards OF it. The local
iiy however is not TO be mistaken for on enc side
(tLe rightly are the two small old Genoese towers
erected in 1900, and to the right is small indent
ure, a bay, the scene of the awful shpwrecks in
last November. Above the latter the high cliffs
are almost perpendicular, and could readily i'm
agine the hopeless condition of ship caught in
there with hurricane blowing fercely from the
southwark upon her. 1 am told that the wine
blew the waves and surf to the summit of the
cliffs which, if true, must have been TO the hight
SEQ or COO feet
With the aid of a small steam-tug our vessel
itself steamer, wound its way into the little port
Ships almost all very large ones, lined the way Oh
eitLer hand, stem on, leaving narrow passage for
the entrance and exit of the arriving and depart
ing The port is not very crooked and has but
one twist in its VII, length though not 10 all more
thar the eighth ofa milo in its fullest extent; il is
deep enough for the largest shps-of war, and these
when once inside, need fear no winds. A securer
port cannot be imagined but the chief difficulty
consists in reaching it. 1t is much more certain
and safe TO steamers than to sailing vessels
l have already mentioned that it was quite late
when We got in In few moments it became
dusk and from the deck could see the flash of the
distant cannonading, and hear the dull of the
heavy artillery in the line of the Camp, some
eight or ten miles off. After early breakfast on
the following morning with my feow-companion,
Mr.. s. Of Baltimore, | got on shore, full of the
warmestdesr TO behold the great sight the specta'
Gle of "our times"-a single strong city holding
out before the combined forces of England,
France and Turkey and promising by its prowess to
Withstand all of their efforts to capture IT, Ii will
be impossible to convey TO you correct idea OF
the scenes on the landing at Balaklava. Ii is
strict, military and YOU see nothing whatever but
what relates to the support of the armies or to the
attacks made by them upon the Russians baia-
klaya once was smart, snug little town, occupied
uostl, by Greeks 1t had military Commander
IA Major and few Arnaut troops In 1t to pre-
vent smuggling, and this was all the use made Of
it by the Russians, whose superior port OF Sevas-
topol prevented the increase of the trade OF Bsla
klaya. Now nearly all Of the houses built by the
Russians OF the Greek Inhabitants have been COM
plefely destroyed by the British for fuel An un-
finished church with cupola much resembling
those Oh MOSCOW and one or two houses are ali that
remain of the town; and in their places there are
new large number Of wooden huts, some white
washed, others au nGturI, and tents. The space
between the waters edge and the rocky and sterile
hills which surround the little port 10 not more
than couple of hundred feet, and is completely
covered with shot Of all dimensions in piles and in
confused masses on the ground, with piles of boxes
Of shell, with cannon on and of carriages, wagons
carts, coal, wood bags, barrels hay, eats, barley
wheat, &c, and provisions OF al sorts and kinds
Thsse are all being removed in yS-'ous vehicles
ii \. .wo.u ;xo, carts which are In upon the