WITH HOBART PASHA IN THE BLACK SEA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 1898, 29 November 1877, Page 4

WITH HOBART PASHA IN THE BLACK SEA.

Admiral Hobart Pasha, a correspondent writes, is back at Constantinople, conferring on future naval operations. He tells me that last week his flag-ship the Athar Tevfik, just missed taking a very valuable prize. On the morning of that day, whilst lying at anchor with a squadron off Varna, he discovered a Russian steamer, afterwards recognised as the Czar's yacht Eiryklyk, occupied m burning a merchant brig about fifteen miles from Kaliakra. Instantly the Athar Tevfik gave chase, signalling the Fetki Bulend to accompany her, and going thirteen knots, soon diminished the enemy's six miles' start to five. Tha Eiryklyk then increased her speed to that of her pursuer, and consequently the two ships preserved the same ■ distance for several hours. By sunset, however, Hobart gained another mile, and the Muscovite was then not more than four miles off, but he never got closer, owing, I believe, to the cruel misfortune of his chief engineer, an Englishman, having been sent ashore at Varna to buy oil. This officer declares he could have knocked an extra knot out of the Athar Tevfik ; and I can quite understand it, for although his Turkish subordinates worked gallantly and well, they are without the knowledge and experience of their chief. As it happened, daylight found engineers and firemen terribly exhausted and the Athar Tevfik only making 12 knots, the foe six miles ahead, and Sebastppol, for which he was steering, full m view. Nevertheless, with the hope of his breaking down, Hobart held on, and did not stop till within 3000 yards of the harbour of the famous fortress. All was still. Not a muzzle frowned from the forts, not a bayonet glanced on the walls— silent as the grave lay Sebastopol. But the scene quickly changed. At the request of his chief of staff Hobart allowed a shell to be fired at Fort Constantine, where it pitched beautifully. The echo of that cannon's roar was awful. Without any warning, save such as might be gathered from the flashing of the mirrors with which the Russians concentrated their fire, a torrent of shot and shell tore through the air from masked batteries on ri»ht and left of the harbour's mouth, and fell m a mass close to the Athar Tevfik. Luckily she was moving, or that splen-didly-directed iron storm must inevitably have sunk her, for as it was her deck became wet with the spray. The Turkish crew behave admirably, and handled their twelve-ton guns with coolness and accuracy ; but Hobert, fearing they did no harm, and seeing that he was risking a fine ironclad and 500 lives for no possible commensurate result, steamed away just as the Fethi Bulend, which had dropped behind during the chase, rushed bravely into action. Hobart at once recalled her, and not too soon, for her deck was deep m water from the splash of the heavy bolts, thrown by 35 and 40-ton guns, which hailed around her. While the fight lasted Hobart noticed the funnel of a vessel steaming out from behind Fort Constantine, and at first thought that ho had to deal with a Popoff, but the steamer proved to be a torpedo boat, evidently despatched to complete the anticipated victory of the ' batteries. A shell, however, admonished her to be. careful, and she speedily took the hint. A ludicrous mistake during the action reminded the admiral of this the latest weapon m naval' warfare. His aide-de-camp suddenly raised a cry of fishitorpedoes — they were only porpoises sporting m the sun between the ship and the fortress — but till then nobody had, m the eagerness of the race, remembered the foes that too probably lurked below the glassy surface of the sea. If there were any they must have missed fire, for, except the boat, no sign of a torpedo could be discovered. The Turkish ship steamed out of the fight, if not untouched, at least unhurt, and without the loss of a single man ; but Hobart ' Pasha is now more than, ever convinced that to attack inbdern earthworks; especially when they are masked, with ironclads, is sheer madness. Hobart 1 was astonished at the strength, of Sebastopol^ and the more bo that the batteries are all quite now, the : old ■well-remembered forts not firing a , gup, and apparently unarmed, Odessa,: he'informs me, is still stronger, and that to. attempt its bombardment would, be rashancT vain. . . :