THE CRIMEA RE-VISITED.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3809, 29 September 1883, Page 4

THE CRIMEA RE-VISITED.

An old Crimean officer sends the Army and Navy Gazette an account of a recent visit to tlic scene of his first active service. He says:—"l paid a visit to Sebastopol It is in ruins : but hero and there houses ot a better description aro cropping up. there is a new admiralty and a largo now church, the latter on the top of the ridge near the old ruined church of St. Peter and laul. It is built of Inkcrman stone, and, with the new Church of Valdimir and the greatmemorial edifice to tho memory of those who fell in tho siege, situated on the north side of the harbor, from three very conspicuous Avhite objects seen from the deck of the ship as one approaches Sebastopol. There is a good fish market at daybreak each day, and the city has three good hotels. The newest, or Grand Hotel is very comfortable. There are plenty ot horses for riding and carriages for hire so no ono disposed to revisit the heals of his early battles can easily do so, and without either much trouble or expense. The trenches tire easily discerned by those who have any knowledge of them. Bits ot sole leather, heels of boots, buttons, the tin insides of pouches, are .about in all directions, and innumerable pieces of broken bottles. The monuments, from long exposure to the weather, are in many cases illegible. Tho sites of camps aro now great meadows with fair crops. Tho windmill hits its roofs decayed and gone. Our roads are our greatest and grandest monuments. They tire unused aud useless, as tho Tartars never travel on macadamised roads if they can go ou grass. Tho battlefield of Inkerman 'in now a forest of stunted trees. Not even the road up to the Redoubt is passable for a carriage. The two-gun battery cannot be seen until you .are in it. The Plains of Balaclava aro noAV under cultivation, and arc covered witli fields of corn, vineyards, and orchards. The toAvn has some" pleasant new houses, recently built, and a irood hotel. It is recreation ground for those Avho like to get aAvay from tho dirt and dust of Sebastopol. There has been a good deal of property recovered from the wrecks in tho harbor—money, aviiic, beer, etc.—and hopes are entertained that some of the £00,000 in gold known to bo in the captain's cabin of the Prince may yet bo recovered. I visited Alma then :it lies in solitary grandeur. The cattle and sheep avoid the deadly slopes. The few tombs covering the remains of compatriots are ruinous 0 and neglected. Tho monument over the ofliccrs'of tho 23rd is falling to pieces. This is to be lamented, as it, is a beautiful memorial of Avhite marble, and conspicuous for many miles as you approach tho battery Avliere so many fell to rise no more. The field of battle is not more than fifteen miles from tho north side of Sebastopol, and the road, though hilly in places, nan easily bo got over in two hours, Avith three horses abreast."