THE RISING IN THE CAUCASUS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 396, 4 August 1877, Page 4

THE RISING IN THE CAUCASUS.

(From the of the Times). Be-.U". J.-ic (». and oL!icr Caueai\ -i pof-ls oml 1 bo efTected by the Turkish in- -.it- rs ; the torpedoes sir k in t'/c !'-;uvi iir had t<> be removed by divers specially trained for the purpose. The divers entered the harbour in flat-bo^,-iued bi_.ats at daybreak, and easily succeeded in •-.•ui;tit*g tli.u cords and taking the in t->w. The Russian forts on the shore, beii'g deprived of their j al pror-jcu'or. by this simple device, one after anoiiier fell into the hands of the attacki" ; j>:rfcy. The Circassian r f;i e-.:s and ; nests landed by th'j Tuvks hav? sine - been spreading rebellion so effectually that the

entire s t r;"> of 3ia'n>niedan country between the? E;.:xuk> i.nd Caspian is either in arms "-r els.: kept down with diiliculty. The Mahomedans in and close to the Caucasus being estimated at about 2.000,000, this rebellion in the rear of the Russian army in Armenia would be very serious i '.deed were it not that the Russians, having absolute command of the Caspian, can dispense with the roads intersecting the hilts. As it is. tiienoperations in Armenia may be somewhat retarded by the Vladikaukas road being threatened by the insurgents; but as soon as the necessary number of ships have been assembled at Astrachan, and begin to ply between the mouth of the Volga and iJaku, the dnrculty created by the rebels will be greatly dimin shed. For this purpose the Russians have at their command the Caspian squadron, consisting of s-mie 12 steamers, aud half a dozen transports, together with the vessels of the Mercury Company and some others, showing a total of more than IGOO-horse i • wer. Ace <v lingly, there is little prospect that the Russian operations in Asia Minor will bo r-et-i -usiy atfect-.d by the audacity of tho Circassian rebels. The chief obstacles the Russians have hitherto encountered in Ar-ia Minor are the bad condition of the roads and the scarcity of pr >visions in t!»o country.