SEBASTOPOL, _May 12, 1858_.
The voyage from Constantinople up the Bosphorus and to the head of the
Black Sea, was made in forty hours, on board of the new steamer Grand
Duke Constantine. This was her first trip, and with fair weather, a
comfortable one. The Russian Company, through a guarantee of five per
cent. interest for a term of years, from the government, have ordered
in all fifty steamers, to compete with the Austrians and French in
the navigation of the Mediterranean and Black Seas; and it is thought
by the travelling public that competition will reduce the extravagant
charges on these lines, which is detrimental to commerce.
The great grain city of Odessa suffered but little during the war from
the allies. It lies somewhat elevated from the harbor, with private
houses, rather scattered, covering great distances, and large public
and private buildings of cut sandstone; its unpaved streets, and the
immense number of droskeys, grain carts, and other vehicles, with a
light clay soil, make it one of the dustiest cities I ever was in.
The birthday of the Empress was celebrated in the cathedral, and as
a holiday, and in the evening there was an illumination upon the
Boulevard, an elevated drive commanding a fine view of the harbor; and
the turn-out of fine horses, and carriages filled with ladies in rich
robes, presented a scene seldom equalled.
A Russian passport had to be procured for the Crimea. For the
information of all those who design visiting Russia, I would say,
bring nothing printed, as all books, maps, &c., are seized at the
custom-house and sent to the censor office. On leaving, one must
advertise three times in the paper his intention of quitting the
empire, in order to show that he has contracted no debts, or committed
no offences; then a passport will be granted by the police. When I
travelled through Finland and the north of Russia, I was provided with
documents as bearer of despatches, thereby avoiding all annoyance of
examination of luggage, and met with much civility.
I embarked for Eupatoria at twelve A.M., and was landed the
following day; it is the first point of debarkation of the united
squadron. The town is partially destroyed, and is a small miserable
place. The batteries of the allies are still recognizable near Wind
Mill Point; these and the Jewish synagogue, of much beauty for this
country, are all of interest to be seen. I posted to Sympheropol,
the capital town of the Crimea, a distance of seventy-two wersts, or
fifty-four miles, passing salt lakes, which are productive, and worked
largely for exportation; a long distance of rolling prairie country,
with little timber; occasional small streams, with valleys and shade
or fruit trees, thinly settled, bearing some analogy to parts of our
western country. The city has fourteen thousand population, and is
rather pleasantly situated. The hotels are bad throughout the land, and
war prices are still maintained. The Greek churches are the prominent
monuments, with a great profusion of ornaments, outstripping the Latin
Catholics in decoration. From Sympheropol I took a two horse fourgen, a
sort of covered baggage wagon, there being no post route to Bourlouk,
or the battle field of Alma, in company with a young Russian officer to
whom I was recommended, and who kindly offered to accompany me. He had
received two orders for his zeal and bravery in the battles and eleven
months’ occupation of Sebastopol, during the siege, and was a valuable
guide and companion. His sister owned the land and village which stands
near the scene of combat. The Russians burnt the huts of the Tartar
peasants, the mansion house, and stacks of grain, to prevent their
falling into the hands of the enemy. We made the thirty wersts, and
arrived at nightfall. After the national dish of the Tabaif, a sort of
vermicelli paste, baked, with honey and tea, which can be procured all
over Russia, beds were made upon the divan in the new stone cottage,
and to my surprise and delight I slept upon the folds of the stars and
stripes of an American flag, preserved from the wreck of a vessel on
the coast.
In the morning, our accomplished hostess, who spoke French like
a native, mounted her horse, and we rode over most parts of her
possessions, some seven wersts square, comprising the battle grounds,
and the different heights and valleys occupied by the Russian, French,
and English troops, crossing the Alma at different points, visiting the
cemeteries of thirteen thousand slain of both armies, and reading the
epitaphs on such few tombs as had been erected.
The route of the invading forces can yet well be traced, by the
quantities of woollen and cotton cloth fragments, leathern straps,
cannon balls, and débris of all kinds. It was a melancholy sight, and
made my companion sad when he recollected many of his companions who
fell upon the field.
The name of Alma is taken from the Tartar for apple, of which large
orchards existed in the valley, and along the water course. The country
was desolated by the war, and the fruit-trees and crops were destroyed;
but the people are now returning and building up their little cabins,
and commencing the cultivation of grain and the vine, of which they
give one-tenth to the land proprietor. The predominant race are
Tartars, and they speak corrupt Turkish; they are Mussulmans, or of the
Mohammedan religion, and are an indolent people, and without enterprise.
I here left my companion, and had a lonely ride of some twenty wersts
over a high rolling prairie, some mountainous country, and deep
valleys, which brought me to Batschi Seray, the former residence of
Tartar royalty, and could scarcely help believing I was passing the
long streets of a Turkish town; their costumes, habits, bazaars,
carts, and market stands, all indicating the same. I visited the old
palace, with its inclosures, mosques, minarets, cemetery, and tombs of
the Tartar kings, some twenty-four in number, before it fell into the
hands of Russia. The style of architecture, the fountains, gardens, and
chambers of the harem, are strictly Turkish.
Some four wersts hence, on the top of a mountain, is a most curious
old Jewish walled and fortified town, called Tschufout Kale, which
formerly contained one thousand or more families, but is now reduced to
thirty. It reminds one of Pompeii, or the city of the dead, and is fast
tumbling into ruins. They date back their emigration from Jerusalem
in the early centuries, and while persecution reigned were in their
fortresses, but are now scattered to the four winds. The Rabbi and
his companions have still the old synagogue, and are well supported
by the absentees. Not far distant is a fraternity of monks, who have
the steep mountain side walled amphitheatre-like, and a monastery and
chapel built in the grottoes of the rock, with the altars and interior
decorated with images in gold and silver. On the outside façade, where
the precipice projects, are seen the colossal figures of Christ, the
Virgin Mary, and Apostles, in figures of gold, which are visible for
a mile, and are attractive as a pilgrimage. The lamps and candles are
kept constantly burning, as at Bethlehem.
After making these excursions, I proceeded to Sebastopol. Through
unavoidable delay, I arrived at nine P.M. of a dark night,
upon the shores of the north bay; there were no accommodations for
travellers, an unusual heavy sea was on, and the boatmen were unwilling
to cross without extortion; I succeeded, however, in getting across
safely with my Tartar guide, and found among the ruins of the town
one of the two little inns erected since the destruction of the city.
Such a scene of devastation as I found, when awakening next morning, I
had not pictured to myself. Out of one hundred thousand inhabitants,
comprising soldiers and marines, only eleven thousand remain, and
one can only judge by the light of lamps and fires, where they live
at night; some in barracks, cellars, and corners of buildings where
the walls are standing, rudely covered over. The temporary frail
huts thrown up, remind one of Texas in its infancy, or the early
frame houses of California and Oregon. The government has erected a
Greek Church, buildings for servants of the crown to reside in, and
individuals have put up some good stores for places of business; but
dwellings are scarce, and rents dear.
It is painful to gaze upon the beautiful but ruined walls of palaces,
libraries, club rooms, churches, hotels, and private residences, either
destroyed by the shot and bombs of the enemy, or exploded by the
Russians. You are so familiar with the localities, as shown by charts
during the progress of the war, that I shall not attempt a description,
but merely state that my time has been occupied in strolling over the
devastated city, visiting the ruined docks, aqueducts, and hospital
sites, mounting the famous Malakoff and Redan batteries, riding out to
the different camp grounds of the English, French, Sardinian, Russian,
and Turkish troops, visiting portions of the cemeteries, of which there
are said to be three hundred and fifty in number, and a half million
of men mouldering in the dust. Cannon balls, bombs, and bullets are
still strewn in all directions. Teamsters are employed in gathering and
drawing them to the magazines. Some curious persons have lost their
lives by picking up and throwing down infernal projectiles, which
exploded.
The camps look like decayed villages of rough stone huts; some of the
walls of the English are whitewashed, and the door-ways paved with
coarse stone, carrying out ideas of comfort. A little frame building is
still standing and preserved in a valley, near a spring of water, on
our way to Inkerman, some twelve wersts from town, where we dismounted
and refreshed ourselves. It was the pavilion of Lord Raglan. On the
summit near at hand is a monument to the united forces engaged in the
battle; it was raised by the British army. One of the English burial
grounds is well inclosed, and has many tombstones. The descent to the
plain, and scene of strife at Inkerman, through which the Russians
advanced, is a deep gorge, with high palisades of white sandstone,
quarried out of the building material of Sebastopol.
Our countrymen are succeeding well in destroying and fishing up the
fragments of the Russian wrecked vessels which obstructed the harbor. I
have just had the satisfaction of being on board one of the four flats,
or caissons, of twenty-five horse power engine each, and assisting
at the first success in raising a twenty gun schooner. There are
twenty-four sunk, large and small. It is curious to see the divers go
down, with their india-rubber suits and helmets, glass eyes, and a keg
of powder under the arm for explosion; also the fishing up of copper,
iron bolts, portions of the wreck, &c.