, 1877-06-23

ORA4 4Nh' 1900 80 - - I'LL
important, while the Turks have a fine
ironclad fleet. We shall therefore find
that the naval operations in the Black Sea
will be limited to attacks by the Turkish
fleet on the Russian towns. Already we
have learned that the Turks have captured
Soukum Kaleh, a considerable town at the
east end Of the Black Sea, from whence
they have started au Instruction among
the Circassian subjects of Russia. Odessa
and Nicolaieff fear bombardmont, and Of
course the whole Russian trade is stopped.
The Russians have very fine ships In the
Mediterranean. Pacific, and Baltic j; but
these could rot venture the attempt to
pass through the Dardanelles and Buspho-
rus, which are narrow and heavily forth
fed. We perceive then that /. the naval
line Of collision (the centre one Of the three
which we have pointed ouD the Turks
have The upper hand. On either side of this
middle line il is otherwise, or probably
wiU be otherwise. for no decided results
have vet been obtained. Let us fist
speak Of the European line Of encounter.
There the Turks stand or their defence
a.ong the south bank Of the Danube. They
have not attempted to enter the tribu.
tary province OF Rolmania on the northern
bank, a province vhicA has now declared
It's iu dependence and openly Joined in the
war. Ia advancing to the banks Of the
Danube the r ssian army has encountered
no setious obstacles. The rivers Pruth
aad .rotl which run across the route
ali i,l into the Danube are both crossed
by uuHn.rOuS bridges. the roads are GOOD,
and there is a railway from GaIatz, at the
great bend of the Danube, to Bucharest,
ana thence onward through the whole
OF Wa.Iachia. BY a convention with
L tumaoia, the right Of the Russian army
70 march through the country ana to usa
the railways was secured, and it is said that
The Id. ways and telegraph stations are
nov az '1r the chIrga OF Russian officers.
/, was expected That he Russians would
before now nave crosse the Danube; bus
they have been delayed, partly by the
weather, which has been 50 wet as to fill
the rivers and spoil the roads, and partly
by the difficulty Of moving an army which
is state to number about 100000. Tho
Russian troops have taken possession of
most Of the large towns on the north shore of
the river. have erected batteri S at several
POINTS, and it is said have placed torpedoes
IN the river. This latter pOiat is however
very uncertain, for it is stated that no
trace Of torpedoes has been found by
the Turkish gunb1ats. The Blowing up
Of the i~ron-cIad which the last mail Informs
us about was done by a portable, not q
fixed torpedo.
1t is Of course not known where the
Russians will attempt to cross, probably
it will be at several points simultaneously.
The Valley Of the Alutl river, which
enters the Danube after crossing Wallachia
from north to south, is said to be
the rendezvous Of a large portion of
the army ; hence some have supposed
that The passage will be attempted near
Nicopoii, q town on the south back of the
Danube nearly opposite the mouth of the
Aluta. Giurgeyo is also spoken of. This
is a Roumauian town lower down the river,
and exactly opposite the large Turkish town
OF Rustchuk. Hirsova, a Turkish town
etiIl lower, is also mentioned by military
critics as a probable place Of passage.
When the Danube has been crossed, the
Russians will direct their attention to the
large towns leach about so, 900 inhabitants)
Of Shun.Ia and Sophia. The former
Is fortified, bat is not supposed to be
capable of making any prolonged resis-
4o,oo JJo,n~ eoo,.l 49,. -. --