range of their fire, except the Gurian and Mingrelian shores, extending from Anaklia to St. Nikolas, about 68 geographical miles long, serving as a point d'appui on the Black Sea to the Trans-Caucasian possessions, which circumstance gives a great importance to it. Here is situated one of the best harbours, Poti, on the mouth of the Rion, defended by the fort Rionsk, and the fortress of Redout-Kaleh. Here the shores are connected with the strategical system of roads extending over all the Caucasian Isthmus. The shores are not adapted for the debarkation and development of large armies, except in the vicinity of Anapa and the Mingrelian coasts, which join the plateau of Kutais. The southwestern slopes of the mountains, extending to the shores, with the exception of the above-mentioned points, are, consequently, serious obstacles to the development of armies, even supposing that they should not encounter enemies among the native tribes.

It is scarcely necessary to advert to the shores of the sea of Azow, and the channel of Kertsh, but it may be observed, that all the country situated to the north of the Kuban is a vast plain crossed by many rivers, forming extensive marshes at their mouth.

The shores belonging to the Turks begin at Shefkatil (St. Nikolas), which, now in their possession, commences the Ottoman line of fortified points along the coast. Some miles southward is situated the fortress of Batoum, and the fort of Gunie, at the mouth of the river Tshorok, commanding both the banks. The fortifications of the former place have been repaired and enlarged. Beyond Batoum are situated Makriali, Laros, and Trebizond, the last on the southern coasts. The Turkish Government, aware of the great importance of this place, left nothing undone to render it capable of a successful defence against any attack; though, in consequence of the maritime superiority of the Allies, all such attacks are prevented. It is not necessary, with respect to the probable operations on the Russo-Turkish frontier, to consider the southern shores of the Black Sea westwards of Trebizond.

On the Caspian Sea there are none but Russian men-of-war, and so the Russians have the means of keeping up an uninterrupted communication between the western Caucasian ports and those situated on the northern shores of that sea, and, consequently, with the interior of the empire. By this circumstance, these harbours may be considered also as bases to the Russians, as far as they can rely upon the security of the communication between them and Tiflis. The principal harbours are, Astrakhan, Kislar, Tarkou, Derbend, and Baku; not only these principal ports, but almost all the smaller ones, are protected by fortifications. Thus the overland communication is also more secured than along the Black Sea, because the north-eastern slopes of the mountains do not extend so closely to the sea, except by Derbend, and the tract between that point and Tarkou, where they recede, and beyond the Shulak begin the vast plains. The shores to the south of Cape Apsheron embrace the fertile plains of Shirvan, Karabagh, and Lenkoran. The communications along the shores and those leading to the interior, have been already described.

In describing the extensive and well-combined system of communications and the shores, we mentioned the numerous fortified points,

which may be divided into two classes, viz., the fortresses and fortified towns constituting the one class; and the smaller forts the other. The state and condition of the Asiatic fortresses, either Turkish or Russian, is not so well known as to enable us to give a just opinion relative to their capability of resistance; but we are right in anticipating a protracted one. Their reduction will require for the most part the employment of heavy ordnance, the transport of which, even on the best roads, is a toilsome and arduous task. They have been built, for the most part, for the defence of the communications; and the principal are situated at the junction of roads. We do not doubt that the Russian fortifications answer their designation, and are in a very good state of defence. The same could not be said, before the war, of the Turkish fortresses; but it must be admitted, that since the commencement of the war, great pains have been taken to make up for former neglect, and to increase the strength of their fortifications, by repairing their old works and erecting new ones. After having once more witnessed their usually brave and obstinate resistance, we may hope that the Turkish fortifications will satisfy all reasonable expectations.

The capital of the Russian dominions, Tiflis, situated almost in the middle of the Isthmus, is fortified; its fortifications are not very extensive or formidable, though it is surrounded by several fortresses and forts, at the distance of a few geographical miles. The principal of these are Gori, in the valley of the Kur, on the road to Kutais; and Zalka, on the road to Ardagan. The fortresses Kalegis, Dshelarogu, Basketshet, to the south of Tiflis, defending the roads to Gumri and Erivan; the fortifications of Mzchet and Dushet commanding the northern, and those of Telaw and Shinagh the eastern avenue. Of great importance and strength is the frontier town Gumri, called also Alexandropol, which, in combination with Akhaldzik, Akalkalaka, Shefkatil, Tialyn (to be distinguished from the Turkish fort Diadins), Sardarabad, and Erivan, forms a chain of fortifications, embracing the Turkish frontier. Among the fortifications to the north are Wladicaucas, Mozdok, Iekatarinograd; and on the plains of the Kuban, Stawropol, the most important. Among the fortified ports of the Caspian Sea the first rank may be given to Derbend. In the south-east the most remarkable are the fortifications of Elizabethopol and Shemakhi.

This Russian line of fortifications, embracing the Turkish frontier, is opposed by a nearly parallel Turkish one, formed by the fortifications of Batoum, Ardanudsh, Sursum, Ardagan (ancient Ani), Kars, Toprak-Kaleh, Diadin, and Bajazeth. The most considerable are Batoum and Kars, as well on account of their works as of their situation. The importance of the latter may be inferred from what has been said in describing the communications. In the interior there are some smaller forts, viz., Artuis and Kisku on the Tshorok, than Olti, Gorshum, Sevin, Getshevan, Mendshengerd, all situated between Erzeroum, Kars, and the Tshorok. Melisgird, Chnush, Mush, and Amur, in the valley of the Euphrates; Bidlis, on the banks of the Tigris; and Van, on the lake of the same name, also deserve mention. For the immediate defence of the place and plateau of Erzeroum there is the fort of Hassan-Kaleh, and the fortifications of Erzeroum

itself, which have been considerably strengthened and extended by entrenchments thrown up since the commencement of the present

war.

It is impossible to describe the fortifications so particularly as to convey a sufficient knowledge of them in a military point of view; we have therefore restricted ourselves to indicating them onl without entering into any details, and shall resume the subject in a subsequent article.

GREY TOWN PREVIOUS TO THE RECENT BOMBARDMENT OF IT.

THE newspapers of the past month having informed us of the destruction of San Juan del Norte, or Grey Town, we think the opportunity a fitting one to give our readers a short paper relative to this portion of the Mosquitian territory, which is situated in latitude 11° 0' north, and longitude 82° 44′ west, two hundred and forty miles westward of the embouchure of the river Chagres, and possessing the only snug harbour (if we except Carthagena) on a coast which may be considered as the boundary wall of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Up to the latter end of the year 1847, Grey Town was recognised under the title of "Port St. Juan de Nicaragua," and its inhabitants consisted of a few Mosquitian Indians, mixed up with some fifteen hundred foreign adventurers; their houses were constructed principally of bamboo and thatch, in a clearing of about half a mile in length, and close to the beach. In rear of the town, at about a hundred yards therefrom, stands a most extensive lagoon, communicating with the river, at the mouth of which the one street of huts terminates to the right, as you look towards the sea; whilst its left was flanked by an almost impenetrable jungle. Facing the town, at one mile and a half distant, a long low spit of land, with little verdure on it, connects itself with the left bank of the Nicaraguan river. It is mainly owing to this apparently insignificant piece of sand and grass, scarcely above the surface of the sea, that the unfortunate inhabitants of Grey Town have been driven by shot and shell into the woods, and have had to suffer the greatest hardships, from the wholesale destruction of all they had toiled for in so pestilential a climate.

In the annals of warfare it seems impossible to discover any occurrence where so vigorous a bombardment was prosecuted upon helpless women and children; if they had been a nest of pirates, the measures adopted by the American corvette could never have been severer. We have read that the assigned cause of this deed of daring is in consequence of Mr. Borland, who it seems belongs to the corps diplomatique of the States, having been struck by an inhabitant of the ill-fated town;-be that as it may, we design to show by this paper that the storm has been long brewing, and that opportunity was eagerly sought to wreak vengeance upon the people of the place.

Since the British government have assumed the protectorate over the Mosquitian territory, and incorporated the union flag of England with the colours of Mosquito, we have frequently been called upon to repel attacks made upon the Grey Town people by the Nicaraguans, who long fancied that the port and place belonged to them; however, after some lives had been sacrificed in maintaining on our part that the latter had no claim to the port, which is about one hundred miles below Nicaragua, it was, as most persons thought, settled by the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, and so far in favour of the Grey Town party, that we find their assigned boundaries defined as follows, viz.— "Commencing at the mouth of Indian River, thence running up through the channel of the said River fifteen miles, thence in a direct line so as to include the head of the Machucha rapids, then down the San Juan River to its junction with the Colorado, thence down the channel of the Colorado River to the Caribbean Sea."

Encouraged by the apparent settlement of this important question, Grey Town was declared a free port, the people began to build substantial houses, stores, cafés, &c., a police force from Jamaica was imported, artisans came as settlers, things looked up, land became valuable, the route to California by way of the Nicaraguan lakes was likely to be preferred to the harassing one up the sickly Chagres river; indeed, several gold-finders had successfully pioneered the way, and had embarked for their homes from the port of Grey Town; but then there was the railroad to Panama just commenced: still, scarcely any one ever believed that undertaking would succeed as it has done.

Whilst matters were thus promising, and a consul-general had been appointed to take care of and instruct the young King of Mosquitoa really intelligent youth-wholesome municipal and legislative enactments were made, and the town, now magnified to a city, began to thrive, and might have risen to one of importance, but for the advent of what was then termed the "Vanderbilt line." These are a class of steam-vessels, ingeniously constructed, for the navigation of the river, and although capable of receiving and accommodating four hundred persons on board of each, yet drawing but fifteen inches of water. The owner and projector of this speculation, Mr. Vanderbilt, or his people, took possession of the spit of land which is connected with the left bank of the river, as before mentioned, and commenced the erection of workshops, stores, &c., whereupon the authorities of Grey Town demanded an adequate sum as rent; this being refused by the possessors, the foundation of all the subsequent bickerings with the Americans was at once laid. Next came the affair of the Prometheus, which ship was fired at by her Majesty's brig Express, for attempting to put to sea without a settlement of the port-dues. After the adjustment of this unpleasant occurrence, we find the Grey Town people constantly urging their claims to the price or rent of the land in possession of the Vanderbilt* party; this being, as before, repudiated, a notice was served that on such a day, if the claims were not settled to the satisfaction of the authorities of the city, parties of the posse comi

*This gentleman has long since ceased to be connected with the enterprise.

tatûs would commence pulling down the various buildings on the disputed territory. At length the day fixed for these extreme measures arrived, but with it the identical American corvette "Cyane," commanded by the redoubtable Captain Hollins, who has so recently figured in the destruction of the city. This hero had landed and drawn up his seamen and marines on the shore in front of the American buildings, and as a matter of course the weaker side (the Grey Town people) were compelled to retire from the contest, with all their claims unsettled, and with feelings of the bitterest hate towards the intruders, who were not slow in reciprocating the same. Not a man of the numerous passengers by their vessels to or from New York or California would they permit to land on the Grey Town side of the river, or a cent to be spent amongst its inhabitants; neither would the Americans take on board a single passenger for New York, or even a mail or letter; and thus have matters been progressing for the last two years, when the Borland affair afforded a pretext for the second visit of the "Cyane," and which has resulted in so disastrous a manner for the unfortunate inhabitants of the city of Grey Town, or San Juan del Norte, in Central America.

A PROPOSAL FOR AUGMENTING THE ARMY OF THE EAST TO 95,000 FIGHTING MEN BEFORE THE NEXT CAMPAIGN, WITH A DUE PROPORTION OF CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY.

THE amount of the British Army in Turkey being ridiculously small in comparison to the diguity and resources of the empire, it is proposed that the following means be taken to concentrate upon the frontiers of Russia and Turkey the utmost military strength of the British Empire:— INFANTRY.

Let the seven regiments of infantry now in the United Kingdom (viz., the 18th, 51st, 80th, 82nd, 90th, 91st, and 94th Regiments) instantly complete their eight service companies to 1,000 rank and file, by volunteers from the Militia and from the depôts of other corps, and proceed forthwith to Turkey.

Let the 1st battalion of the Grenadier Guards be also completed to 1,000 rank and file, by the same means, and let it also join the army. Let the following regiments be immediately withdrawn from the following colonies and garrisons, and also proceed to the seat of war:16th Regiment............

West Indies.

North America.

The Cape.