A TERRIBLE POSSIBILITY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 180, 8 September 1876, Page 9

A TERRIBLE POSSIBILITY.

— ++ — In my last communication I spoke of the insurgent leaders, and unfortunately omitted to mention the name of Golub, who has just gained a not unimportant victory over the Turks near Pebrovatz, on the Bosnian frontier, and thrown hack the Turkish line at that point considerably. Golub is not what is called a very popular leader, that is, he has not the dash and elan which some of his comrades have, and which is so much liked by the fierce warlike bands which follow them. His tactics are eminently Fabian. He keeps out of reach in the mountains, but always watching his enemy, and this enforced inaction often for six weeks or two months his men do not like, and desert to other bands. In fact, Golub will not fight till he sees his advantage is certain ; and his plans must be well laid, for whenever he does fight he wins, but he never attempts to follow up his victory, and is back into the mountains to renew bis old game. In fact, in our prize-ring his mode of fighting would be called the " getting down " system . He delivers his blow", and never waits for a return. If the telegrams are to be believed which say that some Turkish gun-boats are crujsing off Widdin, between that and Negotia, the struggle is entering on quite a new phase. From Widdin it is but a few houra' steaming distance to Belgrade, and the gun-boats, if they have come, either mean to menace that city or to cover the movement of the Turks across the river to invade Servia through Negotin. The latter is, beyond a doubt, Servia's weak point, but still the attempt on it would now be most hazardous, and, if not successful, would mean a fearful disaster for the assailants. The authorities at Belgrade, however, are by no means unaware of the danger to the city from a gunboat attack. When the Turks gave over the fortress they gave with it large stores of the very heaviest smooth-bore bronze cannon, all Bin. or lOin. calibre, some of them throwing shot of more than 2001 b. weight. When I left, about four weeks ago, all the arrangements were complete for mounting these on the river walls of the fortress overlooking the Danube, and the same will be done, or now most likely has been done, on the side which commands the Soane. Still it has not been forgotten that a gun-boat moving quickly is but a small mark, whereas the city, rising like a small mountain at the junction of the two rivers, is a very large one, and that with long-range shells the houses would get the worst of it, and it would be poor consolation for the forts to hold their own while the city was burning behind them. To guard against this eventuality, an extensive system of dynamite torpedoes is being arranged beneath the waters over which the gun-boats must come to do anything effectual. Against a land seige Ido not believe in the tenability of Belgrade for more than a fewdays. It has always been taken from the Karamark dan — once a Turkish cemetery — now a beautiful public gaTden, but always a steep bluff hill, looking down within a quarter of a mile into the very centre of Belgrade, and in rear of all its fortifications. This hill is to be cut across with breastworks and redoubts, -while the summit of Mount

Avolu, 2,500 ft. high, and commanding both the roads which lead into Belgrade, is to be heavily fortified. Still, with all these defences, if the Turks get a footing near it on the Servian side of the Danube, Belgrade must fall, as it has not a week's provisions in it, and no means of getting any. I hope, however, and quite believe that the war will never come to this. If it does' and the Servians are driven to the last extremities, they are said to meditate a vengeance which is too bad to speak of in temperate terms. Nevertheless, it is spoken of both by civil and military engineers, who discuss — guardedly, certainly — the means of doing it, the amount it would cost, the time it would require. To explain what I mean, I must digress for a few lines. Every one knows what a broad, deep, and rapid river the Danube is, but it concentrates all its force and fury below the cataracts at a pass called the Iron Gates. Here, opposite the small village of Ticheviztha, it narrows from a width of a mile to about 180 yards wide, and with a depth, as far as can be ascertained from the violence of the current, of from 800 to 1000 fathoms. The mountains on either side of this are very lofty — nearly 5000 ft. high — but that on the Austrian side is a thousand feet higher, and on the river side is nearly sheer for about 3000 ft. above the torrent. In fact, where it is not perpendicular it rather overhangs the water. When there is a very low Danube the sharp, craggy points of subaqueous rocks begin to show themselves above water, and between these the passage is most narrow, winding, and shallow, and, in fact, can only be passed by steamers specially built for the purpose, of light draught of water, four paddle-wheels, and immense power. At the break up of last winter the floating ice jammed among these crags, the waters backed up, laying all the Banatt and vast tracts of Hungary under -water. Such a deluge was never known ; and whether it was the hideous ruin which this caused put it into the heads of the insurgents Ido not know — all I do know is, that the blowing up of thj precipice of Mount Scrieber (the Austrian side) would bring down many million of tons of rock across the Iron Gates, and long before the obstruc- [ tion could be removed a vast part of Eastern Europe would be turned into an inland lake. I cannot, however, believe that such an atrocity will be attempted. I only say that I know it is thought of. How Austria can remain idle in the face of this stupendous danger is inexplicable. She might avert it by mooring two gunboats under the cliff ; but then they must be strongly moored ; and it will show how far the discussion of the plan has gone when even this eventuality has been considered, and how floating down torpedoes with the stream against them would at once get rid of their surveillance. Even the very extent of the T-shaped mine has been spoken of to me. I have told nearly all I know without excuse or exaggeration, and without any breach of confidence. lam sorry to see that Prince Karageorgevitch has appeared upon the scene of strife, for I have seen enough behind the scenes to know that his advent bodes no good to Prince Milan. — ' Bombay C. Examiner.'