one of the necessary conditions of the European equilibrium, and the undersigned plenipotentiaries declare with satisfaction that the present war cannot in any case involve modifications in the territorial circumscriptions of the two empires, calculated to alter the state of possession which time has consecrated in the East, and which is equally necessary for the tranquillity of all the other Powers. The Emperor of Russia, besides, has not confined himself to such assurances, but has declared that his intention had never been to impose on the Porte new obligations, or any that were not exactly in conformity with the treaties of Kutchuk-Kainardji and Adrianople, according to which the Sublime Porte has promised to protect in the whole extent of its States the Christian religion and its churches. The Court of Russia has added that, in demanding from the Ottoman Government a testimony of its fidelity to its anterior engagements, it had in no respect intended to diminish the authority of the Sultan over its Christian subjects, and that its only object was to obtain explanations of a nature to prevent every motive of doubt and every reason for misunderstanding with a friendly and neighbouring Power. The sentiments manifested by the Sublime Porte during the last negotiations prove, on the other hand, that that Power was ready to recognise all its contracted obligations and to pay full attention, in the measure of its sovereign rights, to the interest entertained by the Emperor of Russia for a religion which is his own and that of the majority of his people. In that state of things, the undersigned are convinced that the surest and

most ready means of attaining the object desired by their Courts is to make a communication in common to the Sublime Porte, to explain to it the wish of the Powers to contribute by their friendly intervention to the re-establishment of peace, and to give it an opportunity of stating the conditions on which it would be disposed to treat. Such is the object of the collective note subjoined, addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultan, and of the identical instructions transmitted at the same time by the Courts of Austria, France, Great Britain, and Prussia to their representatives at Constantinople."

The following is the collective note alluded to:

"The undersigned, representatives of Austria, France, Great Britain, and Prussia, assembled at a conference at Vienna, have received instructions to declare that their respective Governments behold with profound regret the commencement of hostilities between Russia and the Porte, and desire exceedingly, by interposing between the belligerent Powers, to prevent any fresh effusion of blood and to put an end to a state of things which menaces seriously the peace of Europe. Russia having given, an assurance that she was disposed to treat, and the undersigned not doubting that the Porte is animated by the same spirit, they request, in the name of their respective Governments, to be informed on what conditions the Ottoman empire would consent to negotiate a treaty of peace."

The Ottoman Porte signified its willingness to treat on the basis of this protocol; but an event now occurred which destroyed the last

hope of a peaceful solution of the dispute between Russia and Turkey. When the Ottoman Porte declared war, and followed up its manifesto by the passage of the Danube and attack upon the Russian forces in Wallachia, the Emperor, as we have seen, announced his determination to act only on the defensive, and repel the advance of the Turks into the Principalities without making any attempt at further aggression. But as hostilities continued and partial success attended the attacks made by Omar Pasha, the military pride of Russia became roused, and she watched an opportunity for striking an effective blow in another quarter. The Turks had been actively employed in sending reinforcements to the Asiatic coast of the Black Sea, in order to assist the troops which were carrying on the war against Russia in that region. At the end of November the Turkish fleet were lying at anchor in the harbour of Sinope (called Sinoub by the Turks), which is situated in Anatolia, on the southern shore of the Black Sea, half way between Constantinople and Trebizond, and about 100 leagues from each of those places. It is dependent on the Grand Pashalik of Angora, and has a population of from 8,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, The town is built on the isthmus of a peninsula, which runs out into the sea in the form of a promontory. It is the most northerly point of the coast. The port extends to the east of the town, but as it is not inclosed by any moles it can only be considered as an open roadstead. This roadstead is defended by batteries and by the castle of the town, a large massive VOL. XCV.

construction, built in the time of the Greek Emperors.

The Turkish fleet consisted of seven frigates, three corvettes, and two smaller vessels, which had left the Bosphorus to cruise in the Black Sea, but it soon became separated by a gale. The Pasha who commanded the squadron put into Sinope, where he was joined by some of his vessels. He afterwards sent steamers in search of the missing ships, and the whole were eventually united at Sinope. They were anchored without order, and badly placed for an attack, when, on the 27th of November, two Russian ships of the line and a brig came into the bay, and, passing within gunshot of the Turks, proceeded to cruise near Cape Tuich. The Russian, brig then went to give information to the main body of the Russian fleet in the harbour of Sebastopol, of the position and strength of the Turkish squadron. The latter, expecting that an attack was to be made, changed its position, but without placing the vessels in such a manner as to be properly covered by the batteries on shore. About noon on the 30th the Russian squadron, composed of six sail of the line, three of which were three-deckers, two sailing frigates, and three steamers, entered the bay, the frigates and steamers remaining outside the heavy ships. The line-of-battle ships anchored near the Turkish vessels, and immediately lowered and armed their boats. About half-past one o'clock in the afternoon, at the moment when a boat was pushed off from the Russian Admiral's ship, the frigate of the Turkish Admiral opened her fire. The Russian vessel recalled her boat, and im[X]

mediately the action commenced. After an action of half an hour one frigate blew up, an hour after two others met the same fate, and in about two hours and a-half all the squadron were put hors de combat. One corvette alone remained at anchor, but in a crippled state, and the Russians endeavoured to tow her off as a prize, but finding that she was making water fast, they set fire to her, and she was soon destroyed. At the commencement of the action a Turkish steamer, which was anchored in shore of the Turkish squadron, got under way on a signal from the Turkish Admiral, and endeavoured, by running along shore, to gain the offing. The frigates, and for a short time one of the line-of-battle ships, made sail after her, and fired broadsides at her, but she effected her escape, and was the only vessel which escaped from the disaster of the day, and brought the news to Constantinople.

The following is the Russian account of the affair, as published in one of the St. Petersburg journals:

"Vice-Admiral Nachimoff, while cruising off the coast of Anatolia, saw in the harbour of Sinope a division of Turkish vessels of war. He would have run in on the following day, but his intention was frustrated by foul weather. He dispatched the war steamer Bessarabia, to Sebastopol, to announce the presence of a Turkish squadron in the harbour of Sinope,

"When this news reached Sebastopol, the Ville de Paris, Grand Duke Constantine, and the Tri Sviatitelia, of 120 guns each, were placed under Rear-Admiral Novosilski, and ordered to proceed

towards Sinope, and effect a junction with Rear-Admiral Nachimoff's squadron. In the meantime a favourable breeze had sprung up, and Admiral Nachimoff went with three men of war and one brig to reconnoitre the harbour of Sinope. He ascertained the exact position of the Turkish squadron, which consisted of seven frigates, one war sloop, two corvettes, two transport ships, and two steamers. These ships lay at their moorings in a semicircle along the coast, but prepared to form in line at any moment, no matter from what quarter it might blow. Five batteries were on the coast; their position corresponded with the distance between the Turkish vessels.

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The junction of our two squadrons, under Admirals Nachimoff and Novosilski, was effected in the course of the night of the 27th of November, and on the 28th Admiral Nachimoff issued an order of the day, in which he declared his intention, as soon as the weather should allow it, to attack the enemy in two columns.

The column on the right was to be under Admiral Nachimoff's command, who hoisted his flag on board the Empress Maria, and who, besides this vessel, had under him the Grand Duke Constantine and the Tchesmé; while the column on the left, under Rear-Admiral Novosilski, was composed of the Ville de Paris, Tri Sviatitelia, and Rostislaff, men-of-war.

"At 9 A.M., on the 30th, a favourable breeze sprang up. It blew from east-north-east, and the Admiral signalled to the fleet to clear for action and run into the harbour of Sinope. The vessels of the two columns, with all their canvas spread to the wind, bore

down upon the Turks, who, owing to a dense fog, saw them only when they had advanced to within half a mile.

Vice-Admiral Nachi

moff, on finding himself at the distance of near 250 sagénes or toises from the two Turkish frigates, dropped his anchor. The Ville de Paris anchored at the same time, and the rest of the squadron, each vessel in her turn, took the places which had been assigned to them. The Admiral had scarcely dropped his anchor when the Turkish ships and batteries opened upon them; the firing was terrible, and did much execution among our rigging, but our ships returned the compliment with a continued and well-directed fire. In less than five minutes the Grand Duke Constantine had demolished the battery which was next to her guns. The Turkish frigate which lay off that battery, and which she bombarded with the Paixhan guns of her lower battery, was blown up, Shortly after wards the bombs which were thrown by the Ville de Paris, told on the other Turkish frigate, and blew her up. The latter had, however, succeeded in cutting the cables by which the Empress Maria and the Tri-Sviatitelia held on; but these vessels had another set of anchors and cables clear, and anchored again under the fire of the enemy.

"At 2 o'clock P.M. the guns of the Turkish ships were silenced. Three frigates, one of them 74 guns, with the admiral's flag on board, were burning, and of the two transports nothing could be seen but the masts. We had sunk them. The Turkish quarter of Sinope was in flames, and at 2.30 P.M. the admiral stopped the firing, and sent an officer with a

flag of truce to tell the authorities of Sinope that if another gun was fired, either from the town or the strand batteries, he should certainly bombard and utterly destroy the town of Sinope. The officer landed, and stayed above an hour, but he could not find the Turkish authorities. He did not see a single Turk; they had all taken refuge in the neighbouring villages."

When the Emperor received news of this success, he immediately addressed an autograph letter to Prince Menschikoff, in which he said :

"The victory of Sinope proves evidently that our Black Sea fleet has shown itself worth of its destination. With hearty joy I request you to communicate to my brave seamen that I thank them for the success of the Russian flag, on behalf of the glory and honour of Russia. I perceive with satisfaction that Tschesmé has not been forgotten in the Russian navy, and that the grandsons have proved themselves worthy of their grandsires."

The Turks lost in this engagement 4000 men, and the news of the dreadful slaughter excited a profound sensation throughout Europe. It was felt the more keenly, because such an act of aggressive hostility on the part of Russia was unexpected, and because the combined English and French squadrons were at the time lying in the Bosphorus, for the purpose of protecting the Turkish capital and coasts, and the attack looked like an ostentatious defiance of the naval strength of the two Powers.

The Porte immediately applied to the ambassadors for assistance, and they were urged to send the whole of the combined fleet into