BATOUM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3209, 20 July 1878, Page 3

BATOUM.

The following extract from the European Mail will give some idea of the coveted port of Eatoum : — The Turkish ironclads are still lit Butomn, holding the place for the Turkish Government, and the torpedoes remain in theii 1 position encircling the harbour. Too little importance is attached in England to Batoum,and the effect upon our Persian trade and that of the future with Central Asia by the cession of this port to Buseia. Satoum is

bo far out of the way, lying as it does at the south-eastern corner of the Black Sea,' and the trade of the Caucasus is so jealously guarded from the intrusion of strangers by Russia, that the place is never visited by one of our ships. From the mouth of the Bosporus right round the Black Sea eastward to the Straits of Eertch, there is not a single harbour, with the exception of Sinope, where a vessel can lie at anchor in safety the whole year round. At Batoum the water is so deep that the largest ironclad could lie alongside the 6hore, though the practice is for them to moor with their heads out, the sterns being haxiled in and secured to anchors buried in the earth. The harbour itself is a deep gully, of no great width, lying between the said sandbanks and the western shore. The Cholok river empties itself a little to the westward of Batoum, and the deposit brought down by the said waters has formed the point of low land which, curving slightly to the westward, affords protection to the harbour at present, but will in the future, if neglected by man, close it completely and turn the Bay of Batoum into an extensive lagoon. The entrance to the g\illy" or harbour is already very narrow, though excessively deep, and each year sees the point advancing steadily towards the eastern banks. Very slight engineering works would, however, provide against such an unfortunate event, and the Russians have all their plans ready, not only for this, but for the construction of a landing wharf, alongside of which vessels could lie for the discharge of their cargoes, or take in produce for other countries. The whole of the trade of the Caucasus passes at the present moment through Batoum, and under ordinary circumstances the port is full of Russian shipping. The Russians have spent millions of roubles in the endeavour to construct a port at Poti, without success. Each winter the northerly gales sweeping along the exposed coast wash away the greater part of the summer's work, and the bar will not admit of any vessels entering the river but those of the very lightest draught.