THE CRIMEA RE-VISITED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1014, 1 December 1883, Page 4

THE CRIMEA RE-VISITED.

Ah old Crimean officer sends the Army and Navy Gazette an account of a recent visit to the scene of his first active service. He saysl paid a visit to Sebastopol. It is in ruins; but here and there houses of a better des ription are cropping up. There is a hew admiralty and'a large new church, the later on the church of St Peter and Paul. It is built of Inkerman stone, and with the new church of Valdimir and the great memoral edifice to the memory of those who fell in the se’ge, situated on the north side of the harbor, form three conspicuous white objects seen from the deck of the ship as one approaches Sebastopol.. There is a good flsh market at daybreak each day, and the city has three good hotels. The newCst-orGrand hotel, is very comfortable. There are plenty of horses for riding, and carriages for hire, so one 'disposed to re-visit the field of his early battles can easily' do so, and without cither much trouble or expense. The trenches are easily discerned by those who have any knowledge of them. Bits of sole leather, heels of boots, buttons, the tin inside of pouches, are about in all directions and innumerable pieces of broken bottles. The monuments, frim long exposure to the Weather, are in many cases i legible. The sites of c.mpr are now great meadows with fair crops. The windmill has its roofs l decayed and'gone. Our roads are onr greatest and grandest monuments.' They are unused and useless, as the" Tartars neirer travel on macademited roads if they can go on The battlefield of Inkerman is 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 Plain of Ba’aolava are now under cultivation, and are covered with ’ enormous fields of corn, vineyards, arid orchard . The town has some pleasant new houses, recently built, and a good hotel. It is recreation ground for those who like to get away from the dust .and dirt of Sutastopol. There ha been 1 ’ a ; good ; deal of : property recovered from the wreck in the harbor—money, wine, beer, e:c—and hopes are entertained that some of the L 60,000 in gold known to be'd&'the captain’s cabin of the Prince may yet be recovered. 1 visited Alma then; it lies in solitary grandeur. The cattle and shgep avoid the deadly, slopes.

The few tombs covering the remains of 1 compattiots are ruinous and neglected. The monument over the officers of the 23rd is foiling to pieces. This is to be lamented, as it is a beautiful memorial of white marble, and conspicuous for many miles as you approach the battery whoro so many fell to rise no more. The field of battle is not more than fifteen miles frera the north side of Sebastopol, and the road, though hilly in places, can easily be got over in two hours, with three horses abreast.”