THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY (PART II.) 467 
been reduced to about half its original strength. General Oklobjio had 
to remain purely on the defensive, and confine himself to repelling the 
badly concerted attacks of the enemy. He therefore remained in the 
fortified camp of Mukha Estate, secured by strong outposts. On the 
13th August the right flank of the outpost-line was attacked, but it 
succeeded in retaining its position with a loss of 61 men. On the 24th 
of the same month Dervish Pasha attacked the outposts all along the 
front; but the attacks of the infantry, covered by the fire of the artillery, 
all failed against the excellent position of the Russians, and he had to 
retire to his camp with considerable loss. On the 21st September, 
Dervish Pasha again tried to push on to Fort St. Nicholas, under cover 
of a combined bombardment of the camp of Mukha Estate from the 
fleet and from his artillery, but signally failed. 
The powerful blow which was dealt on the Turkish power at Kars in 
the middle of October made itself felt also in this quarter; Dervish 
Pasha retired to Erzeroum in the beginning of November with 
7000 men, but left sufficient troops in his advanced position on the 
Adkova to totally repulse an attack on it by the Russians on the 7th of 
November. The capture of Kars worked a change in the whole aspect 
of affairs; for as the main body of the Russian troops was thus set free, 
Dervish, fearing that a portion of them might advance down the Djorokh 
Valley, by Ardahan and Ardanutsch on Batoum, withdrew the main 
body of his troops from the Khotzubani position to Batoum on the 
27th November, leaving only a weak rear guard in it, which was attacked 
on the 28th by Colonel Kasbek. The Turks, after a very feeble resist¬ 
ance, fled to behind the Kintrischi, leaving the camp for 10,000 men 
with immense quantities of stores to fall into the hands of the Russians, 
who at once occupied it, and did not advance further in the whole 
course of the campaign. An unsuccessful attempt by the steamer 
“ Constantine ” to blow up a Turkish monitor by torpedoes in the 
roadstead of Batoum, on the 28th December, closed the hostilities of 
the campaign in this district. 
(6) Akhaltzikh Column. 
[See Note II.] 
(c) Alexandropol Column. 
[This will be treated of after (d) for reasons explained therein.] 
(d) Erivan Column. 
From the Surp Owhanes-Diadin-Bayazid road, three roads run north¬ 
wards over the Tchangil Mountains into the Karasu Valley, in the 
S.W. corner of which lies Kulpi on the Alexandropol road, and in the 
N.E., Erivan. The centre road ascends from Diadin via Misun and 
the Caravan Pass on the frontier to Osma, and turning to the east at 
Tcharutzi runs on 50 kils. farther to Erivan ; a branch leaves this 
road N.E. of Osma and runs by Alakogaski'and Chalfaly to Igdyr, and 
thence (40 kils.) to Erivan. The eastern road runs from Kurabulach, 
