Part 23 (1/2)

The two admirals going up on board the _Slaney_. The _Cormorant_ leading, broke through a boom of great strength, pa.s.sed across the river, and various vessels quickly taking up their position, opened their fire on the forts, which, though defended for some time, at length yielded, their garrisons taking to flight. A squadron of gunboats, with the English and French admirals on board, then made their way up to Tientsin, a large city midway between Pekin and the sea. The emperor, now fearing that his capital itself would be attacked, came to terms.

The fleet, however, remained ready to compel him to keep to them, should he attempt to evade fulfilling his engagements. In the meantime a small squadron, consisting of the _Retribution_, Captain Barker, the _Furious_, Captain S. Osborn, the _Cruiser_, Commander Bythesea, the gunboat _Lee_, Lieutenant Jones, and surveying-vessel _Dove_, Commander Ward, made a voyage up the Yang'tse Kiang, 600 miles above Nankin, to a city of importance called Hang-keo. From the shallowness of the water the larger vessels frequently grounded, and on pa.s.sing Nankin, then in possession of a formidable army of rebels, which attacked them, they had to fight their onward way. At length the _Retribution_ could proceed no farther, but Osborn leading the rest reached Hang-keo in safety. On their way back the larger vessels again grounded, but being released by a flood, the whole succeeded in returning to Shanghai.

Sir Michael Seymour returning home, was succeeded by Admiral J. Hope, with his flag on board the _Chesapeake_. Besides six larger vessels, he had under his command a squadron of nine gunboats. Each boat was armed with two long guns and two howitzers, and before they went into action the admiral sent on board each from the _Chesapeake_ an additional 32-pounder and an organised crew to work it. Those who knew the Chinese best were very sure, as the result proved, that the emperor did not intend to keep the terms of the treaty. Admiral Hope arrived off the Peiho on the 8th of June, and as soon as he attempted to ascend it for the purpose of proceeding to Pekin to announce the arrival of the British amba.s.sador, he discovered that the forts had been greatly strengthened, and that obstructions of all sorts had been placed across the river. Strong booms had been carried from side to side, and iron stakes driven into the bottom at intervals, reaching within two feet of high-water mark. The Chinese having neglected to remove the obstructions, after the admirals had waited several days, Mr Bruce and the French amba.s.sador having arrived, the admiral sent in to say that unless his demands were immediately complied with he should force his way. A force of blue-jackets and marines 700 strong were told off to storm the forts, and the admiral, s.h.i.+fting his flag to the _Plover_, led his squadron of gunboats, accompanied by those of the French, towards the forts. During the night Captain Wills with three boats had broken the first boom with barrels of gunpowder, and pus.h.i.+ng on, was examining the inner one, when the moon rising revealed his position to the Chinese, who opened so warm a fire on him that he was compelled to retire. The plan proposed was to attack the works on the river side with the gunboats, and the batteries being silenced, to storm with the landing-party. The gunboats, as far as they were able, took up the position allotted to them, but from the shallowness of the water, the _Starling_ and _Banterer_ got aground. No sooner did they open fire than the Chinese began blazing away from a line of heavy guns, which, in a short time, played havoc among them. The _Plover_ was almost knocked to pieces, and her commander killed, 30 of her crew being killed or wounded, and the admiral himself severely hurt. He, however, s.h.i.+fted his flag on board the _Opossum_, whose commander was shortly afterwards wounded, and her screw becoming fouled, she drifted down the stream. On this Admiral Hope went on board the _Cormorant_, and on her deck, lying in his cot, issued his directions till overcome by loss of blood.

Captain Shadwell then took the command. The engagement continued with great fury on both sides, but the _Lee_ and _Haughty_ were both nearly destroyed. The tide having sunk several feet, the English guns produced less effect on the fort than at first. At the end of four hours, however, nearly all the Chinese guns on the left bank were silenced, though those on the right still continued their fire. It was determined, therefore, to storm the forts on that side, and late in the evening the force destined for that purpose was landed, led by Captains Shadwell and Vansittart and Colonel Lemon, of the marines, and supported by Commanders Commerell and Heath. The gallant Captain Tricault led a body of French, and the boats of an American man-of-war a.s.sisted in landing the men. Scarcely, however, had they jumped on sh.o.r.e, unable to obtain the slightest shelter, than the Chinese opened a tremendous fire on them with jingalls, rifles, and muskets, and every gun that could be brought to bear. In a few minutes numbers were hit, Captain Vansittart was mortally wounded, Captain Shadwell's foot was smashed, and Colonel Lemon fell, severely hurt. The command now devolved on Commerell, who gallantly led forward his men; but two ditches and a wide extent of mud intervened between them and the fort, and so thickly did the shot rain down on them that, before they got twenty yards, 300 were killed or wounded, and they were compelled to retreat--many unfortunate fellows being suffocated in the mud. Of the numerous vessels which had run on sh.o.r.e, all were got off with the exception of the _Cormorant, Plover_, and _Lee_, which were knocked to pieces to prevent them falling into the hands of the Chinese. In this disastrous affair above 80 men had been killed and 350 wounded, many of whom died from their hurts.

The Chinese were not allowed, however, for any length of time to boast of their victory. The Peiho was again entered, the town of Pehtang was occupied and the Taku Forts again attacked from the sea and land.

Though the army lost a good many men in the operations, not one on board the gunboats was killed. The booms across the river were broken through, the iron stakes drawn, and Admiral Hope pus.h.i.+ng on in the _Coromandel_ with a squadron of gunboats, arrived before Tientsin, which yielded to the first summons.

After this the duties of the steamers consisted chiefly in conveying the heavy siege trains of baggage and provisions for the supply of the army in the neighbourhood of Pekin, when after his army had been thoroughly defeated, and at the moment that his city was about to be stormed, the emperor yielded to all the demands of the allies. The emperor had acted with great treachery in the negotiations for peace, imprisoning and torturing the English envoys and escort, so as a lesson to him and his people, his celebrated Summer Palace was burnt to the ground, thus showing them that had they thought fit Pekin itself might have been treated in the same manner.

RUSSIAN WAR--1854-55.

Russia had shown her evident intention of laying violent hands on Turkey, by destroying with a treachery unworthy a civilised nation a Turkish squadron at Sinope, and England and France being bound by treaty to protect the Ottoman Empire, without delay each despatched a fleet into the Black Sea. That of England was under the command of Admiral Dundas, who had his flag on board the _Britannia_, of 120 guns, his second in command being Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, whose flag flew on board the _Agamemnon_, of 91 guns, a name known to fame. The other s.h.i.+ps were the _Trafalgar_, of 120 guns, the _Queen_, of 116, the _Albion_, 91, _Rodney_ and _London_, 90, _Vengeance_, 84, _Bellerophon_, 80, _Sanspareil_, 70, _Arethusa_ and _Leander_, 50, _Tribune_ and _Curacoa_, 31, _Retribution_, steam-frigate, 28, _Diamond_, 26, _Terrible_ and _Sidon_, steam-frigates, 22, _Highflyer_, steam-sloop, 21, _Furious_ and _Tiger_, 16, the former a steam-frigate, the _Niger_, 13, and nine steam-sloops. The French fleet consisted of 15 sail of the line, and 21 frigates and smaller vessels.

From the first Admiral Lyons contemplated an attack on Sebastopol, and in order to ascertain the strength of its fortifications, Captain Drummond, of the _Retribution_, before war was actually declared, was sent there with a despatch for the Russian governor. He ran in during a fog, and had brought up before even his presence was discovered. Having sent his despatch on sh.o.r.e, he waited for an answer, making good use of his time, and when it arrived, having exchanged salutes with the governor, he stood out again with the valuable information he had obtained. Peace not having been actually broken, the _Furious_, Captain Loring, was sent to Odessa to bring off the British consul, or any British subjects who might wish to leave it. As the frigate was receiving them on board, the garrison, notwithstanding the flag of truce she carried, fired on her. This treacherous conduct deserved a prompt punishment. A fleet accordingly on the 17th of April sailed for that port, off which they anch.o.r.ed on the 20th. The line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps could not get close enough to the walls, and a squadron of English and French steam-frigates under Captain Jones, of the _Sampson_, stood in and delivered their broadsides. Having done so, one after another in succession steamed rapidly round out of gunshot, to return again and fire as before. The Russian guns returned the compliment with red-hot shot, which set the _Vauban_ on fire. Captain Mends, of the ”gallant _Arethusa_,” remembering the fame of her name, though he had only his sails to depend on, ran in as close as the depth of water would allow, and opened a heavy fire from his 9-inch sh.e.l.l guns, and repeated his manoeuvres till recalled by a signal from the flag-s.h.i.+p. Ultimately some gunboats with rockets were directed to try their powers; at last flames burst forth from several parts of the works, and at one o'clock the magazine in the princ.i.p.al fort exploding cast destruction around.

The batteries having been now silenced, the squadron stood closer in and destroyed moat of the vessels which had taken shelter behind the mole.

Soon after the fleet retired from before Odessa, the _Tiger_, which had been stationed off the coast, ran on sh.o.r.e. While attempts were being made to get her off the Russians brought down a field battery, from which they opened so brisk a fire that Captain Gifford, being mortally wounded, and several of his men hit, he was compelled, in order to save their lives, to haul down his flag.

Another visit to ascertain the strength of Sebastopol was paid by Captain Tatham, of the _Fury_. Disguising her like an Austrian packet, which he knew was expected in the harbour, he boldly stood in on the 10th of May, running past two brigs of war, and having sufficiently looked about him steamed as calmly out again, hoisting the British colours as soon as he had got out of shot. While still in sight of the batteries he captured a Russian schooner, and was carrying her off, when some frigates getting under way, chased him and compelled him to abandon his prize. The fleets now proceeded off Sebastopol, sending away some of their s.h.i.+ps in order to induce the Russians to come out and fight them. All their efforts proved vain, and Sir Edmund Lyons scoured the Black Sea till not a Russian vessel of any size remained on its bosom.

Some months thus pa.s.sed, when the army having been collected at Varna, Sir Edmund Lyons, to whom the task was intrusted by the commander-in-chief, embarked them on board the transports destined for their reception. Admirably were the arrangements made, both for their embarkation and landing on the sh.o.r.es of the Crimea. Indeed, difficult as were both operations, they were carried out without the loss of a man, and with that only of one or two horses drowned. While the army marched towards the Alma, the fleet proceeded along the sh.o.r.e. Some of the steamers standing in, put to flight the few Russian troops their guns could reach. For some time it was hoped that the Russian s.h.i.+ps would come out of Sebastopol and give battle to the allied fleets; but all hopes of their doing so were lost when the Russians, having arranged some of their finest line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps across the harbour, scuttled them, and their masts were seen slowly descending beneath the surface.

No hopes remaining of a naval engagement, each s.h.i.+p supplied a contingent of men, who were formed into a naval brigade, under Captain Stephen Lus.h.i.+ngton, a body of the French seamen being employed in the same manner. None of the brave fellows employed in the siege performed a greater variety of duties, or behaved with more gallantry, than did the British blue-jackets on sh.o.r.e. They fought in the batteries, armed with some of their own heavy s.h.i.+p's guns dragged up by themselves from the sh.o.r.e, carried the scaling-ladders in many an a.s.sault, a.s.sisted to land the stores, and were for some time the princ.i.p.al labourers in forming a road between Balaclava and Sebastopol. Led by the gallant Captain Peel, they took an active part in the a.s.sault on the Redan, on which occasion they lost 14 killed and 47 wounded. They were ever-active in succouring those who had been left on the field of battle, whether blue-jackets or red-coats, and many who might have perished owed their lives to their courage and activity. During the engagement known as the Little Inkerman, on the 26th of October Mr Hewett, mate of the _Beagle_, while in command of a Lancaster gun, was greatly instrumental in the defeat of the Russians. Having received a message by a sergeant from an officer, who thought the battery would be taken in reverse, to spike his gun and retreat, he replying that he only received orders from his own captain, got his gun round to bear on the Russians, and blowing away the parapet, poured his fire down on them in a way which compelled them to abandon their object.

As soon as the troops on sh.o.r.e were ready to open with their batteries, the combined fleets prepared to perform their parts in attacking the sea faces of Sebastopol. By this time Admiral Dundas had given up the command of the fleet to Sir Edmund Lyons, who, as before, directed all the operations. The _Agamemnon_ and _Sanspareil_ were the only line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps fitted with screws, but there were steamers sufficient to tow all into action, or to a.s.sist them out again if necessary. The final arrangements were made on the 16th between the English and French admirals, when it was settled that the French and Turks should attack the forts on the south side of the harbour, and the English those on the north. Early on the morning of the 17th the order to weigh was given--the fleets having been collected in Kazatch Bay, some distance to the north of the city. The French and Turks, who formed one line, naturally led; the _Britannia_ followed, close to the _Charlemagne_, the rearmost of the French line. An insh.o.r.e squadron had been formed, consisting of the _Agamemnon, Sanspareil_, and _London_, which was afterwards joined by the _Albion_ and other s.h.i.+ps. The _Britannia_, the most southern of the British s.h.i.+ps, took up her position opposite Fort Constantine; next to her in succession were the _Trafalgar, Vengeance, Rodney_, and _Queen_. The _Agamemnon_, piloted by Mr Ball in the little steam-tender _Circa.s.sia_, glided on till she was about 750 yards from Fort Constantine, close to a shoal, which prevented her nearer approach. The _London, Sanspareil_, and _Albion_ followed her, but were unable to get quite as near the fort as she was.

The admiral had warned Mr Ball that his little vessel would probably be sunk, and promised to keep a boat ready to save him and his crew should she go down; but undaunted by the danger, he stood on amid a perfect shower of shot and sh.e.l.l, sounding as he went, till the line was cut from the leadsman's hand by a shot from the batteries; but another leadsman immediately took his place, and the _Circa.s.sia_, without a man killed, though frequently hulled, steamed out of harm's way.

Immediately the _Agamemnon's_ anchor was dropped, she opened her fire, as did the other s.h.i.+ps in succession. Fortunately, from being so close in, the Russian shot mostly pa.s.sed over her, as the guns had been trained for a longer range; but the s.h.i.+ps to the north of her suffered considerably. Happily, one of the first sh.e.l.ls she fired reached the powder-magazine in the fort, which, blowing up with a tremendous explosion, drove the Russians from their guns, and though they again returned, it was to find that a large number of them had been dismounted, while the upper part of their works were crumbling to pieces from the effects of the fire from the British s.h.i.+ps. From their lower batteries, however, and from various forts on the heights, so hot was the Russian fire, that the _Albion_ and _London_, terribly shattered, were compelled to haul off. The _Sanspareil_ also brought up so close to the _Agamemnon_ as to be unable to use her foremost guns, and had to get under way to take up a better berth, and for a time the _Agamemnon_ stood the brunt of the battle in her part of the line. The _Sanspareil_, however, again quickly came to her support, and the _Albion_, having repaired some of her damages, returned; but as the _London_ was unable to do so, the admiral signalled to the _Rodney_, the _Queen, Bellerophon_, and _Arethusa_, to come to his a.s.sistance. A short time afterwards the _Queen_, set on fire by a sh.e.l.l, was compelled to retreat, and the _Rodney_ got on sh.o.r.e at the end of the bank; but a large portion of her crew having joined the naval brigade, she had but few men on board, and therefore fought only her main-deck guns, and though in so exposed a position, escaped with comparatively little loss.

For five hours the whole fleet kept up perhaps the most tremendous cannonade that has ever been fired from British or any other s.h.i.+ps, when night coming on, the _Agamemnon_ made the signal for the fleet to retire, she herself being the last to leave her station. Though during that time the upper portions of some of the Russian batteries had been knocked away, and a large number of people killed and wounded in them, the furious cannonade which had been so long kept up produced no result to compensate the British for a loss sustained of 44 killed and 266 wounded, besides the damages received by many of the s.h.i.+ps, two of which, the _Albion_ and _Arethusa_, had to go to Malta to be repaired.

Though the French s.h.i.+ps suffered more than ours, they lost under 200 men killed and wounded. The steamers had gallantly performed their part in towing the s.h.i.+ps in and out of action, notwithstanding the showers of shot and sh.e.l.l directed at them. Altogether, the admirals came to the conclusion that it was useless attempting to batter down the stone walls of the fortifications, or to again expose their s.h.i.+ps to such a fire as they had that day endured.

A portion of the allied fleets still remained before Sebastopol, and hara.s.sed the garrison by sending into the harbour two fast, strongly-armed steamers night after night, which, always keeping in motion, fired their shot into the city, and rapidly steamed out again before the enemy could get their guns to bear on them. On one of these occasions the admiral's son, while directing the course of his vessel, was so severely wounded that he died shortly afterwards.

During the winter months of 1855 no operations were undertaken by the fleet, but as soon as the finer weather allowed the s.h.i.+ps to navigate the Black Sea, an expedition sailed for Kertch, a town of importance at the extreme eastern point of the Crimea, containing immense magazines of corn, with which from thence the beleaguered garrison was supplied.

Just as the expedition was sailing, however, Canrobert, who had supreme authority over the French naval forces, forbade Admiral Brueys from proceeding, and Sir Edmund magnanimously gave up the enterprise for a time at the earnest request of his colleague. A fortnight afterwards, however, General Pelissier succeeding Canrobert, authorised the French admiral to proceed in support of the English. An overpowering fleet accordingly sailed towards the entrance of the Sea of Azov. As soon as the s.h.i.+ps appeared off Kertch, the Russians blew up their fortifications without firing a shot, and evacuated the place. The only officer who had an opportunity of distinguis.h.i.+ng himself was Lieutenant McKillop, commanding the _Snake_, of 4 guns. Perceiving a Russian steamer in the offing, he obtained leave to chase her, which he did till she got under the forts of Yenikale, when both fort and steamer opened their guns on him. Undaunted, he returned the salute, throwing his sh.e.l.ls upon both his opponents, and in three-quarters of an hour set the steamer on fire.

He was still blazing away at the fort, when three other steamers were seen approaching, and they also, as he refused to run, began to attack him, the guns of each one of them being of heavier calibre than his. He continued engaging them till a.s.sistance sent by the admiral arrived, when the whole of the Russian vessels were captured.

While the larger s.h.i.+ps proceeded in various directions along the coast, a squadron consisting of the smaller vessels and gunboats were sent into the Sea of Azov, under Captain Lyons, of the _Miranda_, to attack the numerous stores of corn and other provisions acc.u.mulated at different spots along the sh.o.r.es. On the return of the _Miranda_ to Sebastopol, Captain Lyons was succeeded by Commander Sherard Osborn in the _Vesuvius_. Although the duties imposed on the squadron were not apparently of a very heroic character, they were attended with a considerable amount of risk, and were carried out in a most spirited and gallant manner. In several places the magazines and stores were protected by large bodies of the enemy, who fought courageously in their defence, but were invariably defeated by the determination and activity of the British seamen. Taganrog and other places were protected by heavy batteries, which, however, did not prevent the little squadron from attacking them and coming off victorious. For many months the steam-vessels were thus employed moving about from one place to another.

Wherever they were least expected, the officers landed with parties of men, and did not hesitate to proceed either up the rivers or some way inland wherever they gained intelligence that storehouses existed, and in no instance failed to set them on fire. Many hazardous and gallant acts were performed. In this way the squadron were of the most essential service to the allies, and by almost depriving the garrison of Sebastopol of their means of support, were mainly instrumental in the reduction of the great fortress. In a short time scarcely a Russian trading-vessel on those waters had escaped destruction or capture. The vessels of the squadron were everywhere, and often, when espied by troops of Cossack cavalry from the sh.o.r.e, there would be a race between them and the vessels who should first arrive at the store-houses, which the latter had destined to destruction, while the steamers' long guns played on the Cossacks, and generally sent them galloping away inland out of range of fire, so that when they reached the store-houses they found them burnt to the ground. One of the last places attacked was Gheisk, in the neighbourhood of which, extending for fully four miles along the sh.o.r.e, were collected in huge stacks quant.i.ties of corn and hay; while close to the town, under the protection of its batteries, were large piles of timber, cured fish, numerous boats, and naval stores of all descriptions. The place was protected by a strong force of infantry and cavalry. Notwithstanding, Captain Osborn proceeded to attack it with the gunboats _Grinder, Boxer, Cracker_, and _Clinker_; but the shallowness of the water would allow them to get only just within range of the batteries. The squadron was, however, supplied with a number of large boats which could carry heavy guns, and these he brought close in to the sh.o.r.e in order to cover the landing-parties, distributing them in four divisions, under Commander Kennedy and Lieutenants Ross, Day, and Strode, with directions to land at intervals of a mile from each other, and then driving the Russians before them to set fire to the stores. To protect the stores, the Russians had thrown up light breast-works along the whole of their front, but they were not such as to arrest British blue-jackets for a moment. Fortunately, the wind blew directly on sh.o.r.e, and thus as soon as the boats opened fire the smoke was driven in the faces of the enemy. The seamen quickly landing, notwithstanding the warm fire with which they were received, drove the Russians before them, and the stacks being at once ignited, the dense volumes of smoke which arose from them completely concealed the movements of the British, whose only object being to destroy the corn and hay, did not follow the enemy. Success attended every one of the operations; in a little more than six hours every stack was blazing, as were the piles of timber, the boats, naval stores, and dried fish, under the protection of the batteries at Gheisk--the whole work being accomplished with the loss only of five men wounded.

To prevent the escape of any of the Russian s.h.i.+ps on the fall of Sebastopol, the allied squadron brought up across the harbour, when the enemy having already sunk the remainder of their line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, set fire to all their steamers, thus with their own hands destroying the whole of their fleet. The English and French fleet then sailed for Kinburn, standing on the sh.o.r.e of a shallow bay full of shoals. On their way they appeared off Odessa, in order to mislead the Russians, and then proceeded direct for their destination. The troops, consisting of 5000 British, and a large number of French, were landed on the 15th, and some of the gunboats stood in, and began firing to distract the garrison. The roughness of the sea, however, prevented the s.h.i.+ps from commencing the grand attack till the 17th. The smaller steamers and gunboats then advanced, circling round and delivering their fire in rapid succession, silencing the Russian guns, killing the men, and forcing them to take refuge under ground. About noon the line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, English and French, entered into action in magnificent order close to the batteries, while a squadron of steamers, led by Sir Houston Stuart and the French rear-admiral, approached the forts on the northern side, and began pouring in their broadsides. Not for a moment was there a cessation of the thundering roar of the guns, while the whole fleet and doomed fortress became shrouded in dense wreaths of smoke, the gunboats on the other side keeping up their fire with fearful effect.

The fire from the French floating batteries, which had lately been sent out at the suggestion of Napoleon, was most effective, while their power of resistance was fully as great as had been expected, the heavy shot by which they were frequently struck falling harmless from their iron sides, while the sh.e.l.ls s.h.i.+vered against them like gla.s.s. The bombardment from the larger s.h.i.+ps had continued scarcely a quarter-of-an-hour when a white flag was seen flying from the ramparts as a token of submission, and as if by magic the firing ceased. In a short time afterwards the old Russian general appeared to deliver up his sword, and he and a large staff of officers, who were permitted to retain their swords, became prisoners.

The Russians themselves blew up Oczakov, which was to have been attacked, while Sir Houston Stuart led a squadron up the Boug, and destroyed a battery on its sh.o.r.e. Had not the Russians soon afterwards come to terms, not a place of importance on their southern coasts would have been left in their possession.

OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC.

While one British fleet was attacking the Russians on the southern sh.o.r.es of their empire, another of still greater power was sent up the Baltic to prove to them that no part of their coasts was safe. Great results were naturally expected from it, and, indeed, England had never before sent so really powerful a fleet to sea--not on account of the number of the s.h.i.+ps, but from their means of inflicting injury, most of them possessing steam power, while their guns were more effective than any which had before been used. The fleet consisted of the _Duke of Wellington_, of 131 guns, _Neptune, Saint George_, and _Royal George_, 120, _Saint Jean d'Arc_, 101, _Princess Royal, James Watt, Nile_, and _Majestic_, of 91, _Caesar_ and _Prince Regent_, of 90, _Monarch_, 84, _Cressy_, 80, _Boscawen_ and _c.u.mberland_, 70, _Edinburgh, Hogue, Blenheim_, and _Ajax_, of 60, _Imperieuse_ and _Euryalus_, of 51, and _Arrogant_, of 46, besides frigates, sloops, and numerous paddle-steamers, the whole under the command of Admiral Sir Charles Napier. Gallant and energetic as he had always proved himself, he was now sixty-eight years of age, and those who knew him best feared too truly that his energies had begun to fail him, and that he would have acted more wisely by remaining on sh.o.r.e. The French also sent a considerable fleet to take part in the operations. The first portion of the fleet entered the Great Belt on the 25th of March, and proceeding to the Gulf of Finland, established a rigorous blockade. Napier then, moving towards Helsingfors, prevented a junction of the two portions of the Russian fleet, while in the meantime Admiral Plumridge, scouring the Gulf of Bothnia, captured a large number of merchantmen.

One of the first exploits in the Baltic was performed by Captain Yelverton, of the _Arrogant_, and Captain W.H. Hall, of the _Hecla_, who, running up a narrow creek, made their way to the town of Ekness, eight miles from the sea, where, after a sharp engagement with some batteries, they carried off a large merchant-vessel under the noses of the enemy. The fleets then appeared off Cronstadt, the approaches to which had been carefully surveyed by the indefatigable Captain Sulivan, of the _Lightning_, but the strength of the fortifications induced the admirals to believe that it would be useless to attack it, and they in vain endeavoured to tempt the Russian fleet to come out and give them battle. Bomarsund was the first place of importance a.s.sailed. It was attacked on the land side by the English artillery and French troops, as well as by the English and French marines, with a brigade of seamen who were landed after a fort which was in their way had been blown to pieces, while thirteen s.h.i.+ps of the allied fleet a.s.sailed it from the sea. The s.h.i.+ps directed their fire against a large circular fort mounting nearly 100 guns, with a garrison of 2000 men, when the shot soon shattered the huge ma.s.ses of stone, which literally crumbled away before them, and in a short time the garrison, seeing that resistance was useless, yielded, and Bomarsund was taken possession of. It was, however, said that the works, though apparently strong, had been constructed by contract, and were therefore less able to withstand the shot hurled against them than the other fortresses which Russia possessed on her sea-board. Still, if such was the case, it does not detract from the praise due to those who had made the attack. The whole fortress was forthwith blown up, with the exception of one portion, which was allowed to stand for a few days to enable the _Edinburgh_ to try some of her heavy guns against it, and it was finally levelled with the rest of the works.