The daily gazette., 1877-09-29
THE DARDANELLES.
THE PASSAGES OF THE FAMOUS CHAM
MEL THAT is GUARDED so JEAL-
oUSLY BY TURKEY-soME
; NOTABLE HISTORICAL
TNoT NnEG ..'f


The privilege of entering the Mediter-
ranean from the Black Sea, says the Lon
don Pail Mall Gazette, Is one to which
in the last century Russia attributed but
little Importance, for the simple reason
that in the last century Russia had no
Black Sea feet. Since. however the time
of Catherine the Great this Power has
constantly been endeavoring to obtain
from-the Porte the right to which that of
re-entering the Mediterranean from the
Black Sea would be the necessary COM
plement. Turkey could never have had
any objection to ships of war leaving the
Black Sea, provided she could be sure
they would Dever return. But she has
always refused to sanction the passage of
armed vessels from the Mediterranean to
the Black Sea, which she at one time re-
garded as a sort of Turkish lake, though
In presence of Russian encrOachments
along the coast, it has gradually lost that
character. Twice, meanwhile Gin 1774
and in 1889, the TURKS have been pre-
vailed upon to concede to Russia by a
secret treaty the right Of passing the
Straits, though no use was ever made of
the concession. Twice, too, the passage
has been forced, and each time by an
Ehglishman. Once, moreover, an Ameri-
can captain without precisely fercing the
passage (for his progress was not resisted)
yet made his way without permission to
COnstantinOple.
The first passer of the Dardanelles was
Captain or Admiral Elphipstone, an En-
glish officer serving in the Russian navy.
GATHERINGS ships were nearly all COM
manded by Englishmen; and 1t was by
three of our countrymen-Elphinstone,
Greig, and Dugdale--that the Turkish
feet was burned, blown up, and sunk in
that battle of Tchesme which gained for
Alexis Orloff, Admiral-in-Chief, the
the epithet and surname of "Tchesm-
enski." When the three Englishmen,by
sending fire-ships among the. Turkish ves-
sells, had destroyed nearly all of them,
nothing would satisfy Elphinstone but to
make the passage of the Dardanelles, just
to show how it could be done. Accord
ingly he entered the Straits.sailed past the
batteries and7reached the Sea ofMarmora.
Satisfied but not unduly elated by his
exploit, he ordered flourish of trumpets
and cup of tea, and waited quietly until
the tide changed, when be sailed back to
the Mediterranean. The performance
seems to have excited the jealousy of
Orloff; and Elphinstone received but
scanty thanks from the Empress. Grelg,
who was Elphinstone's subordinate,
Jared better; and even Dugdale, the third
in command, got promotion and some
sort of decoration. Then Elphinstone
threw up his commission, and calling
upon Catherine to take leave, appeared
in his uniform of captain in the British
navy, so that there might be no mastake
as to his determination to return home.
The gossiping and often mendaclous
Castera, who, in his Ii story Of Cathe-
rine II, tells the story of Elphinstone's
yexation and of his final interview with
the Empress, makes Alexis Orlof prom
Use Immediately afterwards that he also
will force tine passage OF the Dardanelles.
He says twill COSTA vast sum OF money
Gti cost Elphinstone thevalue OF a cup OF
tea), on which Catherine Ill remarks that
money is no object. Then Orlof rches-
menskl starts once more for the Mediter-
raneap to the Sea of Marmora, and from
the Sea of Marmora to Constantinople
ITSELF His immediate purpose, however
was a less noble one. Catherine had
sent him not only to resume the COM
mand of his feet, but also to look after,
and if possible get into his power, pre-
tender to the throne, the unfortunate
Princess Tarakanof Greis did not
scrllple on this occasion to act as Orloffs
accomplice. Greig's wife, moreover, and
the wife of the English consul at Naples.
seem to have entered into the plot, OF
which the Immediate aim was to get the
Princess Tarakanotf on board Orlof's
shin. Alexis Orlof, like his brother
Gregory, we'll known as one OF enc EN-
press tayorites. WAS man of fine presence
and yery agreeable manners; and he had
no trouble in persuading the young Prin-
cess that he not only espoused her cause,
and was devoted to her personally He
invited her one day to an entertainment
an hoard his ship, and when all the
o,,ests on except the Princess had departed,
weighed anchor, and sailed with his vic
tim 10 st. Petersburg where Catherine
condemned con her Ito perpetual imprison-
,oant' .But, Orloff no, more forced the
1ae nassape Of the Dardsnelles than he had
OBVIOUSLY burned the Turkish neet in