[Preliminary Bases of Peace.]

the belligerent armies, including those of Roumania, Servia, and Montenegro, during the whole time that the peace negotiations shall last. The Commanders-in-Chief of the two belligerent armies in Asia shall be forthwith informed of the conclusion of an Armistice, which shall also put a stop to military operations.

Turkish Evacuation of Fortresses in Turkey in Europe and Asia.

The Imperial Ottoman Government shall, so soon as the Armistice shall have been signed, give orders to the Ottoman troops to evacuate the Fortresses of Widdin, Rustchuk, and Silistria, in Europe, and that of Erzeroum, in Asia. Russian troops shall be empowered to occupy militarily during the whole of the Conferences certain strategical points specified in the Conventions of Armistice on both the theatres of war.

In witness whereof the present Protocol has been drawn up and signed in duplicate at Adrianople, the 31st January, 1878.

19th

NICOLAS.

SERVER.

NAMYK.

[Armistice.]

No. 515.-CONVENTION of Armistice between Russia, Servia and Roumania, and Turkey. Signed at Adrianople, 19th January, 1878.*

ART.

31st

TABLE.

Preamble. Reference to Bases of Peace (No. 514).

1. Armistice between the Armies of Russia, Servia, and Roumania, and Turkey. Russia to invite Montenegro to adhere to Armistice.

2. Armistice to begin from date of Signature. Restoration of Booty taken after Signature of Armistice.

3. Turkish Evacuation of Fortresses. Line of Demarcation between the Russian, Servian, and Roumanian, and Turkish Armies.

4. Troops of either Party not within Line of Demarcation to fall back within the Line in three days at latest.

5. Routes to be taken by Turkish Troops in evacuating Fortified Places, with their Arms, Ammunition, &c.

6. Ottoman Troops and Ships of War to leave Sulina within three days. Russia to open the Navigation of the Danube.

7. Ottoman Civil Authorities to remain and perform the Duties of their Office in Provinces occupied by Russian or Allied Troops.

8. Railway Traffic on the Lines occupied by Ottoman and Russian Troops. Military Supervision.

9. Raising of Turkish Blockade of the Black Sea during the Armistice. 10. Sick and Wounded of Ottoman Army within the Line occupied by Russian or Allied Troops. Armistice to commence from 31st January. Details of Armistice in Asia to be settled by Military Commissioners. Armistice to be telegraphed to Commander of Russian Army in Asia.

Reference to Bases of Peace.

(Translation from the "Journal de St. Pétersbourg.") IN consequence of the proposal of the Sublime Porte, and with the consent expressed by their Plenipotentiaries, their Excellencies Server Pasha and Namyk Pasha, to accept the Bases drawn up by Russia for the conclusion of Peace between the belligerent partics (No. 514), the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Russian army declared himself ready to cause the cessation of military operations.

Plenipotentiaries for the conclusion of an Armistice have been appointed: on the part of his Imperial Highness the Commander-in-Chief, his Excellency the Aide-de-Camp General Népokoïtchitski, chief of the staff of the army in the field and his adjutant, the major-general of the staff of His Majesty the Emperor, Lavitski; and on the part of the Plenipotentiaries * For French version, see State Papers," Vol. 69, page 727.

[Armistice.]

of the Sublime Porte, his Excellency the general of division of the staff, Nedjib Pasha, and the general of brigade of the staff, Osman Pasha.

These personages, in virtue of the full powers with which they are invested, have agreed to the following conditions:

Armistice between the Armies of Russia, Servia, and Roumania, and Turkey.

ART. I. An Armistice is concluded between the armed forces of Russia, Servia, and Roumania on the one side, and those of Turkey on the other, during the whole time of the negotiations of peace until a favourable issue of the latter or of their rupture. In the latter alternative, and before the resumption of hostilities, each of the belligerent parties will be bound to denounce the Armistice three days beforchand, indicating the date and the hour at which hostilities may be resumed. The delay of three days shall begin from the time at which one of the respective parties shall have signified to the other on the spot the superior order he may have received on the subject.

Russia to invite Montenegro to adhere to Armistice.

The Russian Imperial Government will propose to Montenegro to cease military operations and to adhere to the conditions of the Armistice agreed upon between Russia and Turkey; the Sublime Porte will on her part cease operations against Montenegro.

Armistice to begin from date of Signature. Restoration of Booty taken after Signature of Armistice.

ART. II. The Armistice shall take effect from the moment that its conditions shall have been accepted and signed. The troops of either the one or the other party which, after that time, shall have infringed the line of demarcation specified above, shall retrace their steps, restoring the booty taken on the occasion.

Turkish Evacuation of Fortresses.

ART. III. Besides the evacuation of the fortresses of Widdin, Rastchuk, and Silistria, stipulated for in the Bases of Peace (No. 514), the Imperial Ottoman troops will abandon Belgradjik, Razgrad, and Hadji-Oglou-Bazardjik.

[Armistice.]

Line of Demarcation between the Russian, Servian, and Roumanian, and Turkish Armies.

The line of demarcation to be established between the Russian, Servian, and Roumanian armies on the one side, and the Ottoman on the other, is traced as follows :—

The line of demarcation shall pass by Baltchik and HadjiOglou-Bazardjik in a straight line towards Razgrad, with a neutral zone of five kilomètres preceding that line. It shall continue from Razgrad in a straight line to Eski-Djouma; from Eski-Djouma to Osman-Bazar and Kotel (Kazan), which shall be occupied by Russian troops, and the neutral zone shall be traced beyond the line at five kilomètres distance.

Further on the line of demarcation shall run along the Medvan, Déli-Kamtchik, and Bogazdéré rivers, and through the villages of Oglanloukeui and Hadjidéré, as far as Misservi; the neutral zone, of five kilomètres wide, following the two banks of those rivers as far as the sea, and along the coast as far as Lake Derkos. Nevertheless, the Russian troops shall only occupy Bourgas and Midia, on the coast of the Black Sea, for the purpose of facilitating the revictualling of the troops and for the exclusion of contraband of war.

From Lake Derkos the line of demarcation shall proceed by Tchekmedjik and Kardjali in a direct line, crossing the railway on the right bank of the Kara-sou, whose course it shall follow as far as the Sea of Marmora.

The Turkish troops shall evacuate the line of fortifications, as well as Derkos, Hademkeui and Bouyouk-Tchekmedjé. The line of demarcation on their side shall start from KutchukTchekmedjé in a direct line by Saint-George and Akbounar, on the coast of the Black Sea. The intermediate lands between the Turkish and Russian lines shall form a neutral zone in which no fortifications shall either be constructed or increased, nor repaired during the whole of the armistice.

From the Sea of Marmora the line of demarcation shall pass by the isthmus of Gallipoli, from Charkeui to Ourcha, and further on, along the Egean Sea as far as Dédéagatch and Makri, the latter point included. From thence along the line where the tributary waters of the Maritsa (including the Arda) separate themselves, and of the rivers which flow into tho Egean Sea, as far as Djouma.

[Armistice.]·

It shall continue on a line traced towards Kustendil, Vrania, Planina Goliak, the village of Meslitza, Grapachnitza Planina; the village of Loubtché, as far as the frontier of the Sandjak of Novi-Bazar, and by that frontier joining Servia, at a point called Kopaonik Planina. Djouma, Kustendil, Vrania, are occupied by Russian or Servian troops; Prichtina by Ottoman troops.

The tracing of the line of demarcation between the Imperial Ottoman troops and those of Montenegro shall be executed by a Special Commission of Turkish and Montenegrin Plenipotentiaries, with the assistance of a Russian Delegate. The settling on the spot of the limits of the zone of demarcation of the belligerent Imperial armies must take place without delay, immediately after the signature of these conditions, by means of a Commission of officers of both armies being empowered thereto, and chosen from corps and detachments nearest to the places to be traced. Where there are no troops in the vicinity, the zone of demarcation shall follow the direction, and he described by the above neutral limits, and which are brought to the knowledge of the two armies.

The zone of demarcation from Djouma by Vrania, as far as the frontier of the Sandjak of Novi-Bazar, shall be settled on the spot by a Commission of Delegates of the Imperial Ottoman troops on the one part, and of Servian troops on the other, assisted by a Russian Delegate.

Troops not within Line of Demarcation to full back within

Three Days.

ART. IV. The troops of both belligerent parties which, at the time of the signature of the present Act, shall be outside of the line stated, shall immediately fall back, and that not later than three days' delay.

Routes to be taken by Turkish Troops in evacuating Fortified Places, with their Arms, Ammunition, &c.

ART. V. In evacuating the fortified places mentioned in Article III, the Imperial Ottoman troops shall withdraw with their arms and munitions of war and accoutrements, as well as the stores which can be carried away, in the following directions: