Batum, a town of ca. 30,000 inhab., was the ancient Bathys, a place of little importance. In modern times, under the name of Bathumi, it was a Turkish frontier-fortress down to 1878. By the terms of the Berlin Congress of that year it passed to Russia (along with Kars), and it is now the strongly-fortified capital of the Russian province of its own name. The town, which has the most important harbour on the E. coast of the Black Sea, owes its present prosperity to the construction of the railway to Bakú, on the Caspian Sea. The staples of its trade are petroleum products (annual exports 1¼ million tons), manganese ore, liquorice, silk-cocoons, and wool. Along the beach runs the Boulevard, above which to the S. rises the Alexander Névsky Cathedral, built in 1903. About ¾ M. to the S. lies the Railway Station, and near by is a Roman Catholic Church. In the W. part of the town, on Lake Nurie, is the Alexander Park, with subtropical vegetation.
To the S.W. of the town, beyond Cape Batum, is the marshy and fever-stricken Delta of the Chorokh.
See also Baedeker’s Russland or Russie (no English edition).
85. From Batum to Constantinople.
726 M. Steamship Lines (agents at Batum, see p. [570]; at Constantinople, see pp. [538], 539). 1. North German Lloyd (Mediterranean & Levant Service; p. [563]), from Batum every alternate Sat., in 4 days, viâ Trebizond, Samsun, and (if required) Ineboli (fare 80 or 56 marks).—2. Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co. (Anatolian line), from Batum every other Thurs. night (from Constantinople Frid. aft.) viâ Rizeh, Trebizond, Kerasun, Ordu, Samsun, Sinope, and Ineboli, in 6½ days (fare 112 or 84 fr., food extra).—3. Austrian Lloyd, from Batum Frid. midnight (from Constantinople Sat. aft.) viâ Rizeh, Trebizond, Kerasun, Samsun, and Ineboli, in 5½ days (fare 130; 2nd class, food extra, 48 fr.).—4. Messageries Maritimes, from Batum every second Wed. evening (from Constantinople Mon.) viâ Trebizond and Samsun, in 5 days (fare 100 or 60 fr.).—5. N. Paquet & Co., from Batum every second Thurs. (from Constantinople Tues.) viâ Trebizond and Samsun, in 5 days (fare 100 or 60 fr.).—6. Società Nazionale (Line IX), from Batum every other Tues. even, (from Constantinople Thurs. aft.) viâ Trebizond, Kerasun, Samsun, and Ineboli, in 4½–5 days (fares 93 fr. 70, 62 fr. 50 c.).
Most of the Austrian, French, and Italian vessels are small old cargo-boats. The S. coast of the Black Sea is often visited by dangerous tempests, especially in winter.—For Turkish money, see p. [536].
Batum, see p. [570]. Long after starting we continue to enjoy, in clear weather, a grand *View of the snow-clad central chain of the Great Caucasus (p. [570]). The rugged mountains of the Lazistan, covered with snow in winter, become visible as far as the Kolat Dagh (about 7540 ft.) and are equally impressive. There are numerous small towns on the coast, but the only one called at by the steamers is Rizeh (the ancient Rhizūs), the first seaport beyond the Turkish frontier, which is almost hidden by a forest of fruit-trees.
We next pass the headland Erekli Burnu. As we near Trebizond we see the delta of the brook Piksit Su or Matshka (the ancient Pyxites), where, according to a vague tradition, the ten thousand Greeks under Xenophon encamped in 400 B.C. on their retreat from Persia (comp. pp. [574], 576).
Trebizond.—Arrival. The landing, which takes place at the pier adjoining the custom-house (Pl. C, 1), is often attended by vexatious delays and also, if there is a strong wind blowing from the sea, by considerable difficulty.