INVERCARGILL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 958, 4 March 1871, Page 2

INVERCARGILL.

Friday, March 3. The Storm Bird arrived in New River from Bligh Sqund at two this morning arriving at the jetty at high water, 10 a.m., with the Governor and Capt. Pitt on board, who were received on landing by the Superintendent and a crowd of persons from Southland. The Times reporter reports as follows :—The Storm Bird left Invercargill on Sunday morning, and arrived in Bligh Sound at 9 a.m. on Monday. Sounded the three reaches, for a distance of eleven miles. At leugth, in the middle of the second reach discovered Buchy rock, which caused the accident to the Clio. Proceeded to the head of the Sound, and found the Clio riding apparently all right, with sails unbeut. The leak had proved to be 12 feet under water, on the starboard bow. Two divers belonging to the Clio had been sent down. They patched the wounded part and nailed the leak over ; the carpeuters at the same time repaired the inside, and the leak was stopped. The Virago arrived on Wednesday forenoon. The Clio by that time was fit for sea, but was detained for survey before deciding whether she should go to Sydney or Port Chalmers. The Storm Bird left at noon on Wednesday, visiting Breaksea, Thomson's Sound, and arrived in luvercargill as above. She would have left on Tuesday but for a very heavy gale, which was- felt by the Virago outside. The Governor goes to the Bluff this afternoon.

RUSSIA. AND THE BLA.CK SEA. [FROM THE LONDON CORRESPONDENT Q2 THE , OXFORD CHRONICLE."] The topic of paramount importance this week i* the attitude suddenly asamned by Russia with respect to the neutralization of the Black Sea, The circular of Count Gortschakoff has ''fluttered the Volscians" most confoundedly, and even the Times, proPrussia a* it is, has suddenly woke up to the realities of the situation. I think I may afford myself the melancholy consolation of asserting that the tone T adopted at the commencement of the Franco-Prussian war has been justified by events. I pointed out long since to your readers that Bismarck that master of statescraft—was playing with the dijfferent powers of Europe like so many counters. He first led Austria into the unholy crusade again Denmark, thus estranging her from her ancient ally, England. He then, whilst de vouring Austria, dangled the prize of Belgium before vain, arrogant, and unreflecting France; and then, when he had marked out France for his victim, he commenced that series of manoeuvres for hoodwinking the Court, Government, and the people of England, whilst he poured his hordes into Alsace and Lorraine. There is a secret history attached to all these manoeuvres which has yes to be written, some ot the threads of which I, humble as I am, hold in my hand. But the time will Come when the roar of an angry nation will bring all the manoeuvres to the front, and then, perhans, we may see whether Tower Hill is only to remain famous lor its obsolete historic association. Tho present crisis is enough for present discussion. We see Russia seizing the opportunity—-putting- forth one hand to reclaim the sovereignty of the Black Sea and again to menace Constantinople, and with the other decorating all the veteran chiefs of the Prussian army. Any one but the blind mole who cannot, or the blind traitor who will not see, can tell what this means. 1 think even our Government is beginning to see it, as already the talk begins to rise of an alliance between Italy, Austria, England, and Turkey. Russia means to have Constantinople, and Prussia, for a consideration, will, at all events, promise to help her to the prize. Whether that promise will be kept, whether the hopes held out to the North em Bear will be as delusive as those which have crushed Austria and France, and which have paralysed England into an impotent spectator of events which may yet prove her ruin, remains to be seen. But the present aspect of affaiis is, I repeat, that Russia means to have Constantinople, and that Prussia means to help her to the long coveted prize. Once the former has established her legions—her horse, foot, and dragoons—her batteries and her diplomatists—on the shores of the Golden Horn, we are as completely cut off from our Indian possessions as Prussia would have been from North Germany had the French Emperor succeeded in carrying out his original plan of campaign. Russia would then have the Euphrates Valley route at her command, and would be about four weeks journey from Calcutta. With a railway she would not be two weeks, and then we might look across that silver, belt of salt water upon which we rely so much, and see the conquered of Sevastopol despoiling the British Crown of its brightest jewel. But I must tell you of another danger—nearer and greater —which is likely to result from the shameful apathy of our Government in delaving mediating between France and Prussia until it became too late. The Prussians hold as prisoners the Emperor of the French, three French marshals, 10,000 French officers, aud 300,000 French soldiers, all more or less devoted to Napoleon the Third. I have within the last week conversed with scores of correspondents whp have returned from the war, and who freely let out in conversation facts which they dared not put in print, or which, if they had written, would have been struck out of their letters before publication. They all tell me that this is Count Bismarck's game. Having first crushed the "gentlemen of the pavement," as he contemptuously calls the French Republicans, he mill, in conjunction with the Emperor of the French, who, it is sf>»id, has definitely

broken with the " old man," set up the young prince as Napoleon the Fourth, and send him at the head of the emancipated French army, which, it appears, is Imperialist to the backbone, to take possession of the country and Government by fqrce. Against such an* army, backed by the Prussian army of occupation, resistance by the unhappy French people would be hopeless, and then England would see Prussia paramount in Europe, with France, whom she (England) has irreparably offended, as her vassal, the Russian"eagle floating oyer the Seraglio, and, herself (England) relying for allies upon broken-down crushed Austria, bankrupt emasculated; Italy, and decrepid and worn-out Turkey. Such an alliance would be about as strong to resist Count Bismarck's combinations as a fortress made by a pastry-cook out of barley sugar would be to resist the blow of an oaken cudgel. No, no! "We shall have to pay all these gentry for running away every time they come in sight of their enemy, and we shall have to do the fighting ourselves. Heaven send us safe out of it ; but that we are in for it—unless some vigorous policy be at once initiated —is as certain as that the sun shines at noon day. We have a game yet to play by which we may beat Bismarck, if we play it vigorously and thoroughly. The Empire of France, which alone succeeded in bringing about this war, is no more. The people have set up the Government that they like, namely, a Republic ; and they are determined to have that Republic, or to die. Let us acknowledge that Government, and support it. We shall have America for our ally, and in conjunction with her, can give France all that she wants. She has men enough and to spare. What she wants is more arms, ammunition, food, and organisation. The. moment is propitious.