The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-05
FOREIGN NEWS.



ion The Russians, to the number of perhaps
100000, have crossed the Pruth and the main
body are moving slowly through Roumania
towards the Danube, aiming apparently TO
strike that stream at three or four different
points The Roumanians, under a thin gulse
of neutrality, are really allied with Russia
and while il is announced that Prince Charles
of Roumania, on the 9th, occupied GaatZ
ana Breila, It is stated at the same time that
Prince Chakhowski, with the 18th Russian
corps, also occupied those places, and that
about the same time the Both Russian corps
took possession CT lsmal and Kiia, with
some other less important points on the north
or west side of the Danube, at one Of those
points capturing a Turkish camp and taking
some prisoners. The Roumanians have also
taken possession of the important fortress og
Kalalat, holding It doubtless for the Russians,
while the latter have taken Giurgevo. indeed,
in spite Of the reported heavy tlotIlla of the
Turks on the Danube, the Russians have al.
ready such complete command of the stream,
especially in the vicinity of GalatZ, that they
had closed it TO commerce, re-opening it,
however, at the request of Austria, ana the
Turkish naval commander, Hobart Pasha,
has hurried hls gEnboats and other fighting
craft on the stream towards its mouth, him
self proceeding, II is alleged, 10 Constantine
pie, whence he would tie sent to take com.
mand of the squadron off Crete. Meantime
the Russians have gathered a number Of iron
clad batteries of light draft at the mouth of
thc Duiester, which they expect soon to con-
vey to KIlia to meet the Turkish fleet There
is nothing to indicate that any portion of the
Russian army has yet attempted 10 cross the
Danube, or where the attempt will be made,
although it is SAID they are building bridge
at Ibrail, twenty miles above Galatz, as well
rs collecting bridge material at Galatz.
Abdul Kerim, the Turkish commanderin-
chief, is at Rutgchuk, aud is said to have 800.
coo Turks at his disposal, with reinforce
ment of D, 900 near at hand from Asia Minor
and contingent expected from Egypt. The
war seems to be popular IN Turkey, and it is
believed the Sultan will not lack for men If
be can manage TO pay them. y: the same
time a strong Turkish naval force is guarding
Sulina, at the mouth of the Danube, and the
superiority of her fleet in the Black Sea is so
overwhelming that Russia has nothing to
meet her on water. While Russia has, at the
request If Austria, left the Danube open to
commerce. it Is announced from Constantine,
pie that the porte has ordered the river to be
closed to all navigation.
The situation in the vicinity Of the Danube
on the I'd appears thus to be correctly stated
in a Bucharest dispatch, which says: "The
Russian advance guard and Turkish gunboats
have been within easy range without firing.
We have the singular anomaly OF two hostile
forces apparently unwilling to assume the re-
sponsbllty for beginning the fray Unless
the following dispatch is reliable:
LONDON, May 3.-A Reuter- dispatch from
Bucharest, dated April 30, says fire was. open
ed at 10 o'clock this morning between the
Russian bat,arIes near lbrall and three Turk
ish monitors. The latter began To lombard
IbraIl, but was compelled toward noon TO
withdraw before the Russian fire. The loss
u Illt III lbihli oiS N-nh''b'
While there is thus no actual bloodshed as
yet in Europe there has, however, been some
pretty sharp fighting in Asia, near the Black
Sea on the border between Armenia and
Georgia. Tie battle at Batoum mentioned
in our last, is claimed by the Turks as vic
tory, but treated as of slight importance by the
Russians, who certainly were not much I'M
peded by it in their march towards the int
rior, tor we next hear of them NJ kars, occu
pied by strong Turkish force under Mush-
kar Pasha, and before which there was heavy
fighting on Sunday and Monday, the Turks
claiming TO have severely punished the Rus
SLAMS, while the latter say the Turkish sally
was driven back with heavy loss. \ Vienna
dispatch (philo-Russian) gives the following
account of the battle:
The center of the Russian army, forty thous-
and strong, under Melikotf, attacked Mukh-
TAR five miles from kars ON April 80. The
Turks fought desperately. The Russians,
supported by powerful artillery, succeeded in
disludgIng them from their positions. Mukh
tar called out all his reserves and attempted
on the Both 10 recover the lost ground with
sixty tDOuSauu men, OUT was ~eIta'ou ahN
driven back under the guns of kars. The
Russian losses were considerable and those OF
the Turks enormous.
\ Russian despatch from Titles, May sd'
announces that the Turkish garrison, mum
bering seventeen hundred, abandoned Baya-
lid on Monday, Withdrawing To Atiaday
heights, leaving large quantity OF ammuni-
ton The Russiass occupied the town. Also
that the Russian forces from Alexandropol
have occupied llama and Eatkeva The
Turkish posts on the Asia,c frontier mostly
surrendered without blow. The Russians
find the population in Asia everywhere
friendly.
\ dispatch from Vienna says the sultan
has declared that he will not unfurl the
+ 40, fha