Smyrna times., 1855-06-20
gntrestmg Eetter,
Correspondence of the Neoo York Tribune.
An Excursion to Sevastopol.
BRITIsH CAMP BEFORE SEvAsToPOL,
Thursday, April 26, 1855.


Thursday, April %, 1855.
| Since my last letter to The Tribune have
availed myself of the permission of Admiral
Grey, Port-Admiral for Constantinople, to run
up to the Crimea, and "see the elephant" An
excursion from the Turkish capital to the seat
of war is so easily made that many strangers
add little to their intended travels to call in
upon the camps of the Allies near Balakava
and Kamesch. The steamer in which | was
| favored with a free passage, only ID shillings
per diem for my grub, came up in about forty
hours, though we did not get into Balaklava
harbor until late in the evening of the day of
our arrival. The port is so very small that
when oae vessel enters another must make
place for it. Admiral Boxer, the bury surly
old English tar in charge of the port regula-
tions is equal to Napier in his originalities and
perhaps is about his equal in clustering. lie
is not much respected by the captains, and is
generally laughed at for the eccentric manner
in which he executes his duties.
The whole coast of the Crimea is verv higb.
We could see it some 30 miles distant To
the left, about Eupatora and kamesch it is less
so than just about Balaklava and to the right
of 1t. At the latter place the coast is from 600
to 1000 feet high, almost perpendicular, red
dish OF color and with an eastern inclination
The distant SUBMITS to the right of BalakaVa
are Crowned with trees and brushWood, and we
could now and then distinguish, when nearer
the entrance to Baakava, Cossack vdet7cs
peering over the cliffs 10 keep an eve on the
English sentincls below them. The entrance
10 the harbor OF Balaklava is very narrow, and
is not at all perceptbe until you have ap-
preached to within a few yards of it, The
locality however is not TO be mistaken, for on
one side (the right are the two small old Gsno-
cse towers erected in 1900, and to the right is
small lndenture, bay, the scene of the aw-
tul shipwr;cks III last November. Above the
latter the high cliffs are almost perpendicular,
and | could readily imagine the hopeless condi-
ton Of d ship caught in there with hurricane
blowing liercely from the southwark upon her.
am told that the wind blew the waves and
surf to the summit Of the cliffs, which, if true
must have been to the height OF 500 or 600
! feet.
With the aid of a small steam-tug, our ves-
sci, itself steamer, wound its way into the
little port. Ships, almost all very large ones,
! lined the way on either hand, stem on, leaving
IA narrow passage for the entrance and exit of
the arriving and departing. The port is not
! very crooked and has but one twist in its whole
! length, though not in all more than the eighth
of Il mile in It's fullest extent; it is deep enough
for the largest ships ot-war, and these, when
once inside, need fear no winds. A securer
port cannot be imagined; but the chief diff
Guilty consists in reaching it. It is much more
certain and safe 10 steamers than 10 sailing
vessels.
have already mentioned that 1t was quite
late when we got in. In few moments 1t be-
canc dusk, and from the deck could see the
flash of The distant canonadin9, and hear the
dull roar of the heavy artillery in the line ot
the Camp, some eight or ten miles of. After
au early breakiast on the following morning,
with my fell0w-companion, Mr.. $. of Bllti.
more, | got on shore, full of the warmcst de.
sire to behold the great sight, the spectacle o
' our times IA single strong city holding out
before the combined forces OF England, France
and Turkey, and promising by its prowess tC
withstand all Of their efforts to CT ptu G it. Il
will be impossible TO convey to you a correct
idea of the scenes on the landing at Bala klava
: 1t is strictly 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. Balaklava once was a smart, SNUG
little town, occupied mostly by Greeks. 1t haC
a military commander Ga ma lOr), and Il few
Arnaut troops IN it TO prevent smuggling, anC
this was all the use made of it by the Russians
e whose superior port of Sevastopol prevente,
t the increase of the trade of Balaklava Nov
: nearly all of the houses built by the Russian
or the Greek inhabitants have been completed,
e destroyed by the British for fuel. An unfnish
r ed church with cupola much resembling thos
+ Of Moscow and one or two houses are all tha
remain of the town; and in their places ther
n are now a large number of wooden huts, som
whitewashed, others du ndtureL, and tents
The space between the waters edge and tn
rocky and sterile hills which surround the littl
c port is not more than a couple of hundred fee
If and is completely covered with shot of all d
" mensions in piles and in confused masses on tn
:. ground, with piles of boxes of shell, with can
: non on and off carriages, wagons, carts, Goa
y wood, bags barrels, hay, OATS barley, whea
e &c and provisions of all sorts and llnds.--
It These are all being removed in various vehicle
&c and in small iron carts which are run upon tn
railway which now extends from the port
the quarters of Lord Raglan's staff, some fou
miles. 1t is of infinite utility to the British
and the manner in which it has been made fl
= speed and excellence of work does them muc
i credit. 1t is in the hands of the navves, ali,
the hardy English and Irish workmen, who haN
!. done for the British army what they have dor
IL for us on our canals and railroads The ca
us arc dragged by huge horses from London, suC
~ as are used by the breweries. The horses co
in England, so NAVY told me, from Gao
re ESQ each, and the navvies receive 5s D
s; diem, THEFT food and clothing, lodging include
mt At this, however, they grumble and say tn
nm they prefer to go to the United States, whe
:, they can take their wives with them. We ft
e in with black woman and her daughter {
pt the way from Panama. Mrs. Seacole came
an Balaklava to put up hotel for travellers or 4
,ss officers. She had just arrived and was landil
set her goods and chattels on the shore near 4
no spring of the port and opposite a sad display
g mud-the only appearance of the article viii
We saw anywhere during our visit Mrs. 81
"'''"'tta vse 4bFsf 81 ahtb seed aGG