CANAL OF TRAJAN. 295 



and sashes, and their dress, picturesque to an ex- 

 treme, shewed that they were mostly Greeks. 



From behig in possession of both banks at the 

 SuUna, the only navigable mouth of the Danube, 

 and for some distance up the river from that mouth, 

 Russia might easily offer obstacles or put an 

 entire stop to the navigation of the river whenever 

 she might find it convenient to do so. Russian 

 guard-boats are stationed at regular distances, and 

 chains of Russian sentries in hail of each other 

 line both banks. Russia, however, it is said, has 

 disclaimed having any idea of levying tolls, or 

 interfering with the navigation of the river, but 

 she has the power to do so any day she pleases, 

 and Great Britain and Austria, the two countries 

 interested in keeping open this high road of com- 

 munication with Central Europe, ought not to 

 rest until they have succeeded in establishing by 

 means of Trajan's Canal, which extends from 

 Rassova to Kostenji, a communication with the 

 Black Sea, independent of the Sulina mouth of 

 the Danube. 



This canal, which is now filled up with sand, it 

 is thought might be easily restored, and it is said, 

 that England and Austria have been seriously 



