New-York tribune., 1877-06-29

soldiers-salt pork. Mukhtar Pasha's army were as
patient AS Turks are under the miserles OF TINS HE
among the mountains But they did not expect 10
fight yet. The common precautions were hegiec'eu'
The roads in front not pcketed lhe cav
airy was all on the plain behind kars, prepared 10
resist the efforts of the enemy to complete the IN
yestment of the place and the troops amused them
selves with running telegraph line along the sklrt
OF Soghanu connecting points yet TO DO Occupieu'
This WAS the situation week after the fall OF
Arabian Then the Russian right wing quietly
advanced by roads which were also through defen-
sble defles, and hanked the Turks out of Soghanlu
and it's passes The army before Kars then dashed
aside the Circassan cavalry the plain and COM
pleted the investment of the city, One pitles the
under dog in a fight, but in war one cannot pity
very much the party which lacks brains. Mukhtar
PasIa was in ptiable state of vacillation during
the whole movement lie wished to go in various
directions but could not decide IN time which was
the best
To-day the situation is this The Russians are on
SochanIu with both fanks thrown forward IN the
form of a crescent, half encircling Mukhtar Pasha
whom they outuumbeT. The Turks have lHooo
men, with five field batteries and nearly 700 pieces
of fortress artillery, at karS the Hover oi the Whoie
force. There are perhaps 10000 regulars of the
rum besides an increasing Falstafian horde whose
room is ALWAYS better than their company, and
never more so than on the battlefield The military
authorities have decided that il is now neces-
sary TO complete the fortiGcatons OF E1crum, and
with the Russian advance only three days march
distant they are beginning the work. The great
source of comfort to the people OF EHernm now Is
the fact that there I'd roads over ne nfoun-
rains They still expect three weeks of freedom be-
fore toe Russians appear in force under the walls of
the city. The people of Erzerum would like to iee
but have not where to 90, and So remain to face a
siege on half raions Here, too there are no proy-
sions.
From letters which have received it seems that
the presence OF the irregular sodery in E-zerum is
not blessing. The Government has kindly ordered
that no one shall kill Christians, if the armies
arc defeated so that life is tolerably safe but the
little woes TO which Christians are heir IN the pres
euce OF the irregular defenders Of their hearths
wear upon the minds of the sufferers more than
greater ones The Circassans are commonly the
cuprts. One goes to a shop and asks, for instance
for gunpowder. 1t is furnished, aud he walks of,
SAYING that he does not propose 10 fight and pay for
his gunpowder also. Another stops a in the
street and takes the shoes OFF of his feet
with the remark, "Thcre, | knew those
we're my shoes" Another helps himself to
pair Of boots and pay dollar toward the cost of
them and departs. There is resisting the argu-
ments Of these fellows when they are armed to the
teeth especially where the article stolen is pair of
boots. The shoe which is in general Use among them
is very simple. bit of leather is turned up the
sides Of the foot and finely scwed with two seams
one from the tip Of the pointed toe to the mstep
and the other at the heel. This Is the original model
of all pointed shoes, ancient and modern, and is
doubtless strong and comfortable affair, but has
the drawback for the CircaSsian cavalry service that
the nstep and ankles are left barc-for Crcassian
wears stockings. To remedy this the Circassans
make sort of boot leg Of another piece of leather
and wear that separately The sight of this cavalry
boot is enough to explain tho Crcassian greed for
surrcptitious foot gear.
The SoftaS Of Erzerum made a demonstration the
other day the subject of the fall Of Ardahan.
Their demand presented -o the Civil Governor was
that Niukhtar Pasha and all the other generals be
turned out of office. This was no surprise to tho
Governor and it cost him severe effort to rcprese
the irrepr,ssible patriots since the communal system
is strong in Turkey and every man has a right to
NEEDLE in publ affairs IN great crises But he was
forced to send the Soltas away and Mukhtar Pasha
still holds the lines in front Of Erzerum.
The hatred Of the Turks for Montenegro is beyond
expression. For hundreds Of years they have aeain
and again beaten their impOtent arms against the
fanks of the Black Mountain. In 1862 they con-
queIed 1t after tremendous loss of life, but
were deprived of their sweet vengeance by Russian
threats and limited the fruts of their victory to
the construction of a military road guarded by
block-houses through the heart of the
country. The bOck-hOuses were evacuated
three four years later as a token Of friendly
regard TO Russia, and now tine Turks are once
more gnashng ther teeth In a white rage over
the failures OF their army. The attack Mon
tenegTo began on Sunday, and the only bulletins We
allowed To read H. print those Of the Generals
commanding the three columns, which all begin
"Confding in the mercy of the God Of Victory and
in the Spiritual and of the Prophet, and under tire
shadow Of the protection Of His Majesty, we adj
vanced' etc, etc. If pious mouthnc of cant phrases
Influenced battles, the Russians would have been
banished to Siberia long ago. but as it is, the blight
Of ineiiciency seems TO have fallen evenly all
t.I In, in, Al.