Michael D.Heath-Caldwell M.Arch.

Part 1



Letters from the Black Sea

During

The Crimean War – 1854-55

Letter No.1

H.M.S. “Niger”

Baljik, April 10^th, 1854

It is a bold thing to begin journal letters on such large paper but as I should like them all kept so that I may, if I return safe and sound, bind them up as a record of the Black Sea Campaign, it will be as well that they should be similar in form to Vol.1, of the ‘Adventures of Commander Heath.” I am the most lucky fellow possible, hitherto, for whilst others have been shivering, with ice on the decks, at Baljik, I have been comfortably idling at Therapia, with my ship next door to my wife; and here I am, having brought with me the declaration of war.

About a week ago a steamer passed at night through the Bosphorus, which for various reasons was generally supposed to be the “Banshee,” with the said declaration of war, and in consequence one senior officer after another left to join the Admiral until I alone remained. The “Highflyer” was the last to leave the Colden Horn, at 1 p.m., on the 8^th; and at 2 p.m. the real “Banshee,” with the real declaration arrived. Her Commander had to go to the Embassy first, and make a beginning with his coaling, and it was nearly six in the evening before he, with his despatches, reached me at Therapia. May and I had been sketching up a neighbouring valley, and were walking leisurely back (not having heard the gun that had been fired on the arrival of the despatches) when we met a midshipman running to give me the information. We got away before eight o’clock, and reached the Admiral at half-past three on the 9^th.

I meant to create great excitement by coming in with the whole signal flying at once, one word at each masthead, but the telegraphic announcement had been fully believed, and the effect was not therefore so great as it would otherwise have been. When the Admiral had read his despatches he too made the signal “War is declared.” The “Albion’s” crew manned the rigging and cheered, followed quickly by the other ships. I have made myself hoarse with my lo9yalty; I gave three cheers for the Queen, three for Old England, three for the French, three for the “Niger,” and one more for Old England.

The “Furious” returned from Odessa, having been sent there to bring away the Consul. She was off the port at half-past five in the morning showing a flag of truce, and sent a boat also with a flag of truce, to deliver the Consul’s letter. The boat was told it was too early and that at six o’clock the harbour master would come out; it therefore pulled back to the ship, which was lying-to, one and a-half or two miles off. The boat was about a mile from the shore, when six successive shots from cannon were fired at her, the last being a shell’ the direction of the shot was good, but they had not enough elevation, and neither the boat nor the “furious” was touched. Captain Loring having recovered his boat, went off as hard as he could after a Russian man-of-war ten miles down to leeward, but she escaped up the Dnieper, and the “Furious” returned here – it is a pity she did not wait out of gunshot to see if the harbour master would have come out. I have this account from Captain Loring himself, and so it would seem that Russian civilisation is that of a period beyond the days of the Trojan War, for I believe heralds were even then considered sacred.

The “Fury” (you must distinguish between her and the “Furious”) wen off early this morning to being work on our side by picking up anything she may find outside Sebastopol. The French steamer “Ajaccio,” bringing their despatches has not yet arrived; it is supposed her machinery has broken down, and our allies will not move without their official instructions. If the “Ajaccio” appears this afternoon we shall, I believe, all sail in the evening, but the programme of the campaign is kept secret.

Summer seems to have set in, it is almost oppressively hot to-day. We know nothing authentic about the position of the “Russians, but two of our line of battle ships, which have been detached at Varna are coming in, and may perhaps know something more. As to our own military operations, the works across the Isthmus at Gallipoli have already been begun.

When the French arrive their first proceedings astonished the Turks in general, as they named the streets and numbered the houses. The next astonished the Pasha in particular. Wood for the soldiers’ fires was not forthcoming, and the Pasha said the wind blew too hard for the boats to cross with it from the Asiatic coast. General Canrobert answered, “If none comes in six hours I shall take your houses.” And it came, but each chief has reported the conduct of the other to headquarters at Constantinople.

Our engineers are anxious to begin another Torres Vedras between Kara Bouroun on the Black Sea and Chekinyet on the Sea of Marmore; the line is twelve miles long. General Tylden, of the Engineers has had a fall from his horse, but is recovering.

Letter No.2

H.M.S. “Niger”

Finished off Fidonisi Island

April 18^th, 1854

I should have supposed the use of “Banshees” and “Caradocs” was to give us an advantage over our enemies by having earlier information, and that on the “Niger’s” arrival strong steam squadrons would immediately have left the combined fleet, one of which might have made the southern point of the Crimea, and sweeping round by Kaffa Bay and the Circassian coast have picked up a few stray men-of-war, while the others making for the same point might have gone westward towards Odessa, and would certainly have caught a few stray merchant ships. with the exception, however, of the “Fury” being detached to Sebastopol on the morning of the 9^th,no move was made until the afternoon of the 11^th, when “Retribution,” “Descartes,” and “Niger” were started off for Odessa, where we arrived in the forenoon of the 13^th. We took possession of a merchant brig lying outside, but left Russian colours flying as a decoy.

“Descartes” and “Niger” then went round the bay at a distance of something more than a mile to reconnoitre the newly-made batteries. Thousands of people were up on the cliff looking at us, and being all dressed in black or blue we at first thought they must be troops; but they were too mobbish for that.

The town seems handsomely built of stone, and is well supplied with brightly-painted domes and cupolas; the Cathedral has a tall spire. The position of the town is something like that of Brighton, but the plain on which it is built slopes rather more away from the sea. There is the same sort of cliff but a wider beach, on which are built store-houses, quarantine establishments, etc., etc., and all the new batteries are along it and on the piers, which are built our and form artificial harbours, containing some 200 sail of vessels, thirty or forty of them being English.

A brig lying about fifteen hundred yards from the beach unwisely showed Russian colours as we passed, and just as our reconnaissance was completed she began to think she had done a foolish thing and therefore slipped her chain and made sail towards the shore; the “Niger” was after her directly, and hooking her on en passent towed her out triumphantly, passing within twelve hundred yards of the batteries, which to our surprise did not fire. The moment the “Descartes” saw what we were up to she gallantly stood in, ready to support us had we been fired at. Modesty ought to compel me not to say that the “Retribution” made the signal “Very well done.”

Meanwhile a boat had gone out to the “Retribution” to know what we had come for’ Captain Drummond would give no direct answer, but asked if there was any explanation relative to the “Furious” having been fired at when her flag of truce was up’ and we suppose that the forbearance shown in not firing at us arose from the Governor’s knowledge that he was in a scrape for having on that occasion been too hasty with his guns. Having thus got two prizes, which were both empty, I went after a vessel coming down the Dnieper, which turned out to have about thirty tons of linseed on board.

It was arranged that the next morning the “Retribution” should remain to receive any communication that might arrive, and that we should go on towards the Dnieper, whilst “Descartes” went towards the Dniester. Having got as far as I had been told to go, I saw ahead a Russian transport in tow of a tug, and went on in hopes of bringing in the first pendant; but she was inside the river, where I could not with any safety follow without a pilot, so I contented myself with having verified the chart as far as the very mouth of the river and with capturing six more vessels, two of them being laden with coals, and then returned to the “Retribution,” which had herself taken two small craft. I showed Russian colours when chasing the transport, and was in hopes when I lowered them half-mast she would fancy me on shore and send the tug to assist me, but as she made some signal, which of course I could not answer, she naturally smelt a rat. And indeed, as there are telegraphs all along the coast our arrival had of course been reported. A fort called Kinbourn amused itself with firing at me, but as I was three and a-half miles from it they might as well have saved their powder.

The 15^th was employed in transhipping our linseed and two cargoes of oatmeal to the best of our empty brigs, and in putting the coal into the steamers. I took a fruitless cruise to Tendra, and the Frenchman picked up a fine brig laden with salt. Our orders obliged us to return to the rendezvous off the Island of Fidonisi. Whilst en route I descried a large schooner, which I chased on shore and sent the boats in to destroy, she was a fine, well-found vessel, laden wit salt. We helped ourselves to all sorts of little useful articles and then set her on fire. I walked off with her bell and intend setting it up at Moorhurst, also a little deal whatnot, the very image of the one Julia has there, and I intend it to take its place in the same corner.

It seems barbarous work capturing all these little vessels, but it is the only way of stopping the trade, which is what we want to do. I don’t suppose another vessel will show outside their harbours for some time, and the inhabitants of the coast from the Dnieper to the Dniester will bear no good will to their Emperor for the sufferings they will in consequence be subjected to.

April 17^th. – The “Sidon” has arrived and carries off the “Retribution” and “Descartes” to attack the batteries at the Sulina mouth of the Danube. I am to remain in case the Admiral should arrive at the rendezvous, however as they are specially ordered not to land or in any way to expose their ships to danger, I don’t much regret being left. The battery mounts only six guns, but there are some gunboats also. Even supposing they succeed to the utmost extent they will, in my opinion, have done nothing useful, for as soon as they are gone the Russians may begin and build doubly strong forts,andit seems to me a mere waste of coal, powder, and shot.

April 18^th – The steamers left last night but returned this morning, the weather being oo bad to make the attempt, smooth water being a necessary element for successful target practice at two thousand yards distance *[in those days the guns were smooth-bore.] the “Sidon” returns to her station and we despatch one of our full prizes to Constantinople, and I suppose await the arrival of the fleet. I am quite full of coal, thanks to the prizes. The “Fury” took a man-of-war schooner off Sebastopol, but was chased by a superior force and had to let go the prize; From prisoners she learnt that fourteen Russian line of battle ships were ready for us.

Letter No. 3

H.M.S. “Niger”

April, 1854

April 19^th – A fine calm day. “Sidon” came in again at eight o’clock, and Captain Goldsmith made arrangements with Captain Drummond that “Descartes” and “Retribution” were to go in with him to attack the forts and gunboats at the Sulina mouth of the Danube, and that I was to remain at the rendezvous. Now as the others are all post-captains it was clear that, supposing the expedition successful and considered wise at head quarters, I should lose my promotion by remaining, and that being the only Commander present I should not interfere with anyone else’s prospects by going. So I represented this to Goldsmith, and he at once acceded to my coming. I accordingly hurried off the prize brig which I was to send to Constantinople, and away we all went and arrived at Sulina at half-past two.

It had been arranged that Goldsmith should anchor first, and that we were to take positions in certain directions from him afterwards. When close in, “Retribution” boarded an Austrian and heard that the forts had been deserted two days before, and that the gunboats and troops had all gone up the river at the same time. This was signalised to the “Sidon,” which ship had, however, now got into her position; but she had gone in tooclose and was hard and fast aground within seventeen hundred yards of the forts. A pretty mess she would have been in if the Russians had not so opportunely left the coast clear; as it was she would have been awkwardly placed had the “Niger” not been there, for neither the “Retribution” nor “Descartes”could have got near enough to give any assistance, except with boats. However, drawing less water, we were able to anchor near enough and after three hour’ anxiety had the satisfaction to heave her off.

It is clear I am in the end to be promoted for helping my friends and not for hurint my enemies. Russian transports and Russian forts come near enough to make one’s mouth water, but no more; and this is the third time within six months that I have got my friends out of their difficulties.

Thursday, 20^th. – having returned to our rendezvous, I was doing some repairs to the engine when incomes the “Sidon” again, but accompanied this time by the “Furious.” Which had been sent from the squadron. Her orders were to send “Retribution” and “Descartes” to Odessa, whither the Admirals had gone, and poor “Niger was tojoin “Sidon” and “Firebrand” in their blockade of the coast between Danube and Varna. “One never knows whether one travels too fast or too slowly,” is an old saying. Had I remained at the rendezvous insteadof going to the Sulina forts I should have seen the Admiral as he passed, and should doubtless have been taken on with him to Odessa, as I had attained some local knowledge of its environs. They say there is nothing whatever to be done at my new station, whereas up there there was the Dnieper to be followed up, the Odesa batteries to be hammered down (if they did not first come to terms), and the Dniester lake to be scoured with boats – besides a little bullock hunt which might, I think, have been made with safety  and success, and perhaps a great heap of money in the shape of a ransom from the town of Odessa to save it from bombardment! On the other hand , the “Sidon” might now have been a wreck, and I should have been without what little credit I may have got for getting her off.

April 21^st  - Off the Sulina again, on my way to Kustendji; boarded a number of vessels – nothing new. They assure me three hundred thousand Russians have gone into Bulgaria but that they will not advance until May, as there is as yet no grass for the horses. They say they are fortifying the St. George mouth of the river; I cannot understand their reason for doing so, unless they are expecting some boat expedition of ours up there, or that we should attempt to land our army in that neighbourhood. I don’t know what our troops are about, but our navy certainly seems to me to be wasting its time. My plan would be to have taken the whole fleet to Sebastopol first, then to leave a large portion of it to blockade the Russians effectively, and from that point to start off steam squadrons right and left. I believe had we followed this plan we should by now have entirely stopped Russian commerce in the Black Sea and have destroyed almost every boat belonging to them. Our little squadron being ordered to remain only sixty hours from Odessa (for fear of a superior Russian force coming from Sebastopol), we had just begun to see our way when we had to leave the place, and not a vessel of ours has yet been sent east of Sebastopol.

However, you will think, and perhaps rightly, - “It is all very well for you to talk, who have not the responsibility of managing the fleet on your shoulders.” Still my bare narrative of facts without digressions and opinions would be stupid. We have fifty-one prisoners from our prizes, half on board “Retribution” and half on board “Descartes”; they are quite happy, and the only complaint made against them is their dirt. They are distributed amongst the sailor’s messes in the former ship, and the other day the first lieutenant heard in the morning one of the sailors call out “I say, Jack, have you seen my Rooshan messmate, I can’t find him nowhere and I wants to give him a wash.”

April 22^nd, Kustindji. – the “Firebrand” is here with nothing new; shooting at Cossacks is their daily amusement, but no personal damage has yet been done on either side.

April 26^th. – At Varna, but no time to describe it. The “Terrible” has arrived with news of the destruction of the Imperial Mole at Odessa, with next to no loss to us and little or no damage to the town.

Letter No.4.

H.M.S. “Niger”

April, 1854.

April 27^th. – Left Varna to return to Kustendji. Varna is situated at the mouth of a wife valley bounded to the north and south by ranges of high hills, but these hills being long beyond gun shot reach, the position seems to me well chosen for a good strong place. The town is entirely surrounded by a rampart and dry ditch, with redoubts at intervals armed with heavy cannon, and there are besides four strong outworks. The whole number of guns mounted is one hundred and ninety.

I had a sale by auction of the prizes, but only got about 600 for the whole six. Only two were at all sound, and there were no buyers for the other four. I had always said I should be quite contented with anything about 500, but the sanguine dispositions expected a great deal more. The sale was made by the Consul, and when it was all over he got into a great fright at what he had done, for there is no doubt in law that those vessels are not yet mine and that they should by rights have been kept until condemned and made lawful prizes by the proper Court. However, I believe there is no real risk as long as there is no doubt about the vessels, which there is not in this case. The only doubt is as to what amount of evidence may be required by the Vice-Admiral’s Court to condemn, upon. We have sent an officer with the papers to Malta, but they may require to see the vessels themselves.

We have just boarded an English vessel from Odessa; she and six others came out in the confusion of the attack. You will, of course, have all the details of the business in the newspapers long before this. It seems that the batteries on the Imperial Mole were entirely destroyed, and that sixteen Russian ships were burnt or sunk. According to our reconnaissance this is the plan of the batteries, but we could only count the embrasures, and cannot say whether there were guns in them. The smallness of our loss is swurprising, and shows what advantage there is in having long heavy guns to oppose to shorter and lighter ones. The Admiral most skilfully contrived that if there were to be any Commander promoted it should be his own, for he had all of us out of the way and sent Dickson in charge of the “Rocket” boats. This vessel saw the “fury” two hours ago; no doubt she is looking for us, and I am in great hopes  of getting a new station.

April 29^th. – Arrived at Kustendji, where I found orders to go on w2ithy the “Retribution” and “Firebrand” to join the squadron off Sebastopol. We only stopped an hour, and with a fair wind reached the squadron on the evening of the 30^th. The Russians are stillin harbour. Sir Edmund Lyons is waiting the return of the “Terrible,” with Circassian interpreters, to go with a squadron – of which “Niger” forms a part – to the Circassian Coast, but according to present arrangements I go only as far as Kaffa Bay. The squadron on the way down scoured the coast and took a few prizes as they came along. aRussian man0of-war steamer came out from Sebastopol yesterday evening and had a look at us at a distance, retreating when followed. I hope the Admiral will now bepersuaded to blockade this place more effectively. Ti seems every one gives the same advice to him. I did my small best in the same direction after breakfasting with him this morning. There are but fourteen line of battle ships at the outside in Sebastopol, and we might therefore easily detach two or three liners at a time for refreshing, provisioning, etc., whilst steamers might go east and west and scour the sea and its shores until not a fishing boat remained, and the Black Sea would certainly then no longer be a Russian lake.

The Admiral seems very pleased with the exertions of the “Retribution” squadron off Odessa, and actually wanted to reward me by a trip to Constantinople. Fortunately Sir Edmund Lyons was there to object, and to point out that it would be the worst thing he could do for me, and that he should, on the contrary, give me every opportunity of earning my promotion. Admiral Dundas tells me he has again written to the Admiralty in my favour, but did not say whether with reference to getting the “Sidon” off or only in general terms. However every little helps, and I shall be disappointed if I am many months more without the third stripe.

I shall leave this letter behind, as opportunities are more frequent from the flagship than from detached ships. I have nothing more to tell you in the public or historical line, and will turn to domestic affairs. Mary is now as safe at Therapia as she could be anywhere, for Greek revolutionists and English troops are not likely to co-exist there; she will therefore remain for the present and enjoy the delights of Bosphorus spring, and of our weekly, or at all events very frequent, correspondence. They have a very snug little coterie of naval ladies there, of whom Lady Emily is the centre, and they, barring their widowhood, are not so very much to be pitied; while, as one cannot expect always to make war pay for war by taking the enemy’s coals, we must sooner or later go back to replenish. I believe my share of prize-money up to this time is about 50

Finished

May 1^st 1854

Off Sebastopol.

Letter No. 5.

H.M.S. “Niger,”

Off Sebastopol

May, 1854

May 2^nd. – Hove to with the fleet twenty miles south-west of Sebastopol, waiting for the “Terrible” to return from Constantinople with the Circassian interpreters. How odd it seems that with railroads, electric telegraphs, Consuls, and free trade, you should be obliged to send a man-of-war to dig through the ice as far as Revel to know whether seven or eight line of battle ships were or were not wintering there. Sir Edmund Lyons is much pleased with his son’s performance, and well he may be, but I cannot help thinking an advertisement in The Times would have brought the3 requisite information without all that trouble. I don’t think you need be much excited on the subject of the Black Sea Fleet. We seem to me rather inclined to go to sleep , and I expect the principal part of our work will be carrying the troops about from point to point. Sir E. Lyons will, I daresay, do something when he gets to the eastward, but time is everything in naval wars, as in others, and every week spent here means, I suppose, another battery added by our enemies to their defences.

Personal communication with the combatants at Odessa has not given me anything new to add to the account I gave you in my last, except that from the position taken up by our steamers there were not more than five guns at the most – viz., those situated at the extremity of the Imperial Mole, which could be brought into play by the Russians, it shows how formidable even one or two guns in a well made battery may be to shipping at a long distance. If I remember rightly it was a small battery of four or five guns only which took the line of battle ship in the Schleswig-Holstein war –the tables might perhaps be turned if a great big line of battle ship were to get close alongside the battery.

May 4^th. – The “Terrible” arrived, bringing a mail, but no letter for me from England, and no newspaper less then five weeks old.

May 5^th. – Started with the “Agamemnon,” “Sampson,” “Retribution,” Highflyer,” and “Firebrand” for the east. The “Charlemagne,” “Mogadore,” and “Vauban” were to have been waiting for us at a certain rendezvour, but we had to wait there a day for them, for they had somehow or other got adrift. We all went to Sir Edmund Lyons on the 6^th and received our respective orders – “Highflyer,” “Firebrand,” and “Niger” were to sink, burn, and destroy in Kertch Bay, whilst a simultaneous process was to be carried on by the rest of the squadron in Kaffa Bay.

We parted company from Sir Edmund, and Moore’s squadron arrived at its destination on the morning of the 8^th, and on rounding Cape Takti saw two vessels beating out, one of which immediately on seeing us bore up, and of course made us think her a Russian. My signal was made to chase, and off I went, trusting to anew chart from a Russian survey just sent out to us; I had also a Turkish pilot on board, but nevertheless was very shortly hard and fast on a ledge of rocks, projecting considerably further from the shore than the chart marks. We were going eight knots and the rocks were cruelly hard, and our keel ground along from the mainmast to the stern. After five hours hard work, and with the cordial assistance of Moore and Parker, with their ships and ships’ companies, we hauled off, after nearly six hours’ detention. Some ugly pieces of wood floated up, one of which the carpenter take to be apiece of the stern, and the ship must be docked. Neither ourselves or the Kaffa Bay expedition found any prizes. Sir Edmund Lyons gave me all possible consolation and told me how often he had got on shore himself, and that in his opinion no small craft Captain could be worth much who did not get on shore occasionally; he also quoted a famous letter of Lord Nelson’s on the same subject.

May 11^th . – Back with the fleet and writing in a great hurry. The Admiral laughs at my misfortune, and I am to go to Odessa with “Tiger” and “Vesuvius” to look round and then to Constantinople to be docked. We coasted along the Crimea yesterday, from St. Theodosia to Aloupka, and I am clear for killing this sick man and taking his Crimea instead of the other sick man’s Candia. The country is beautiful, and there are numbers of noblemen’s houses all ready for Lord Dundas, Lord Heath etc. (I must keep of the rocks though) Sir Edmund has gone on to Circassia, but I believe only to open up a communication with Schamyl and not to take any active steps for the present.

I have had no letter from any of you for six weeks; I suppose it is the fault of the Post Office.

Letter No.6.

H.M.S. “Niger”

May, 1854

May 13^th. – One does not realise what war really is until one has either suffered oneself or seen its sad effects on one’s friend. “Tiger,” “Niger,” and “Vesuvius” left the fleet, as I told you in my last letter, to look in to Odessa and see if anything could be picked up in the way of prizes. We left about noon on the 11^th, and went on full speed. Captain Giffard, being senior officer, made us some signals as to what course he should steer during the night, and told us in case of parting company to rendezvous at Odessa. About six in the evening he was five or six miles ahead of me (for the “Niger” does not seem to go the faster for having her keel roughened and knocked about by the rocks), and we were obliged to stop half an hour to put something to rights in the machinery, so that when we were ready to proceed he must have been about ten miles ahead; and besides that a regular Black Sea fog had come on, so that one could not see the ship’s length. I therefore gave up all idea of keeping company, and steered my own course for Odessa, arriving there in the morning and stopping the engines until the fog should clear up. We had heard the firing of guns occasionally in the direction of the shore, but knowing there was a large garrison at Odessa we concluded it was their exercise day. The guns were not continuous enough for an engagement, and it was natural to suppose that if either of our companions was onshore the last thing they would do would be to fire guns, as their anxiety would be to avoid drawing attention to their state.

The fog cleared up at half-past eleven, and we found ourselves in the middle of Odessa Bay, not a mile from the Moles. I believe I have before mentioned finding a quantity of luggage belonging to Admiral Kornilaff on board one of the captured brigs; this luggage I had unfortunately turned over to the “Retribution,’ thinking she would be the first ship here, but I had written a note explaining all about it to the Governor at Odessa, and this note I put on board a Dutch brig which was close to me when the fog rose. Whilst the boat was away I discovered the “Tiger” on shore, five miles to the southward. I had to wait ten minutes for the boat, and then went on as hard as I could to her assistance. The “Vesuvius” came up from southward just before me. We saw the poor “Tiger” within thirty yards of the beach, over which rose cliffs a hundred and twenty feet high, crowned by no end of Russian field pieces and troops, the former shelling the “Tiger.” We opened our fire as soon as we had got within range, but it was clear the “Tiger” was in the enemy’s hands, for she had no colours up; she made no answer to my signal “How can I assist you?” and no return to the Russian guns, nor could we see anyone on board. The Russian fire was therefore probably intended tolure us to closer quarters, or perhaps to tempt our boats in to bring off the crew. However, Powell, the Commander of the “Vesuvius,” came on board and said he though he had seen the “Tiger’s” crew marching up the hill side, and so as nothing more was to be done and there was no object in merely exchanging shots with the filed pieces, we steamed out of range and ceased firing. Smoke then began to rise from the “Tiger,” and she was soon very soon in a blaze fore and aft; whether her own crew or the Russian shells had done it we don’t know. In any case it was the best thing that could have happened, for with a garrison at Odessa of thirty thousand men and the ship thirty yards from the beach it would have been absurd to attempt and impossible to succeed in getting her off. I then hoisted a flag of truce and sent in a note to the Russian Commander asking for information about the crew. My boat was met half way by one from the shore, whose officer promised an answer should be sent, and explained (as well as a man speaking in Italian could to one who only understood English) that one officer (who turned out to be Captain Giffard) and one sailor were killed and three wounded, and that the rest were all prisoners, that the guns were all thrown overboard and the ship full of water. I waited for three hours, but no answer came. In the meantime the fire was doing its work, the masts fell in succession, and the whole of the upper works were in flames.

The poor “Tigers” seem to have done their best to get off, their boats were out and they had laid out a stern anchor and thrown their guns overboard; but it is difficult to account for their being all made prisoners, unless it was that they were so hard at work that they did not observe the rising of the fog in time to get away. Doubtless the first thing they saw was an overwhelming force almost over their heads; still I should have thought they would have  taken to their boats and risked the chance of being shot in preference to the certainty of a prison.

The thick fog again came on at six, and I left to return to the Admiral. We had three men slightly wounded by shrapnel, but none of any consequence; several balls struck the ship’s side, but only those coming through the ports could do much hard at that distance. Poor Mrs Giffard is at Malta with her children. The first lieutenant and surgeon are lately married, but one’s sympathies are always more strong for those one knows than for strangers. It is altogether a most sad business, and I don’t know when I have passed a more unhappy evening than I did last night. The only consolation is that although we have lost a ship the Russians have not gained one. I suppose they will. In the course ot time be able to dive for the engine, but it will be none the better for having been in salt water. I suppose experience will make us careful; the “Sidon” and “Niger” but narrowly escaped the “Tiger’s” fate, they were neither of them so close to the shore, but both were well within range, and if guns had been brought down in any numbers they must probably have been abandoned. The fogs are wonderfully thick, but still we ought of course to be guided by the lead, and feel our way the more carefully.

I have been now all day at the rendezvous; I am with the “Vesuvius” in a sort of ring of clear water, with massive solid fog almost all round the horizon. Where the Admiral is I cannot guess. I am anxious to find him soon that he may send home the true account of this unhappy business before Russian exaggerations can reach England.

May 15^th. – I found the Admiral this morning, thick fogs have kept the fleet immovable for the last two days. He was much affected by the news I brought him, and the French Admiral, to whom he sent me, also showed much sympathy. In the course of the afternoon the Admiral sent off two steamers to Odessa with, I believe, a letter to the Governor about the prisoners. They returned this afternoon, the 16^th, and report that Captain Giffard lost his left leg, his nephew of the same name, a midshipman, was killed, and that the Captain and three or four of the men have since died of their wounds. They ran on shore at half-past five in the morning and were taken at half-past ten, but no further particulars could be gleaned; the Russians were very civil, and they suppose the prisoners will be well treated. It is a satisfaction to know the guns I heard were not the “Tiger’s,” although my conscience would under any circumstances be quite clear, for had I stood in towards them I should not have gone into shoaler water than six fathoms, which is more than half a mile from the shore, and as one could not see twenty yards on account of the fog I should not have seen the “Tiger.”

May 17^th. – I have now seen the first lieutenant’s official report. They were unmolested until nine o’clock, when musketry began at them but did no damage; then came field pieces, which at first fired only at the masts and rigging, but at ten o’clock began at the ship and set her on fire in a few minutes. Most of the crew were down trying to put the fire out when the shot was fired which took off Giffard’s leg and wounded the others, and it was clear that further resistance was useless. It was even then so foggy that the Russian ensign which they hoisted in token of submission could not be seen, and they had to send and officer in a boat with a white flag to state they had surrendered. Neither the official letter nor any of those from the prisoners which I have seen hint at the idea of getting away in the boats, and that part of the story is still a mystery. The soundings on this part of the coast are very regular, and the getting on shore was perfectly inexcusable, but it is known that when the “tiger” left the fleet Giffard was suffering from a bad attack of fever, and it is said that when they got into ten fathoms, and that when so called he said, “Call me when you get into eight fathoms,” and then “Call me when in six fathoms,” and before the officer who called him could get on deck again the ship was aground. So the “fever” lost the ship. But what was the navigating officer doing all this time? In the effort to get off there was a strange illustration of the truth of the proverb that “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” An anchor was laid out astern, but instead of bringing its cable straight through the stern port to the capstan it was taken round the bows and brought back to the capstan through the hawse pipe, under the extraordinary idea that by so doing the heaving off power of the capstan would be doubled. The officer who directed this arrangement had been to the Naval College, and I suppose had gone through a course of lectures showing that pulleys could be made to multiply power, but he had misread or forgotten the principle. The fleet went on to Baljik for water and provisions, and I kept company with them and left for Constantinople and Malta on the 22^nd.

Scurvy has shown itself in the fleet, and Baljik beef is so bad that it is not likely to cure it. A couple of ships at a time must be sent to the Bosphorus. Two forts, Poti and Redoubt Kale, have fallen to Sir Edmund Lyons, but as far as I can understand they made no resistance. I picked up Mary at Therapia and left with her on the 26^th for Malta to repair, and am still en route.

Letter No. 7.

H.M.S. “Niger,”

Ended August 18^th, 1854

Off the Danube.

You know by this time that I left Malta on the 23^rd July, 1854, towing the transport “Arthur the Great” full of bread, and that on nearing the Doro passage I saw the transport “Shooting Star” with a foul wind, and that knowing her to be laden with mules I dropped the bread and took the mules in tow. I arrived at Constantinople on the 309^th of July, remained coaling until the 2^nd of August, and then with the “Apollo” storeship in tow joined the Admiral at Baljik on the 3^rd of August. Whilst at Constantinople I took Richard Crofton (who is spending a month on board on leave from Malta) to see the lions , and first and foremost of course stood St. Sophia. You know that until quite recently a firman has been a necessary preliminary to getting in, but times are changed and we put a bold face on and walked straight to the door, took off our boots, and wandered about quite unmolested. I think Captain Eden’s prophecy will come to pass after all. He says that he expects in a few years people will be driving in hansom cabs to St. Sophia to hear a popular preacher. I discovered something new to buy in the bazaars this time – Turkish towels; you get them of a good size for two shillings each.

I found most of the fleet at Balchik, but a few vessels were at Varna assisting in the disembarkation of troops and stores. There is cholera amongst the troops at Varna, much worse with the French than the English; there have been a few cases amongst men-of-war, and there again the French are the worst off. The much-talked-of expedition to the Crimea does not seem in favour with the big-wigs, principally, I believe, from want of positive information as to the Russian forces likely to be opposed to us, but partly from uncertainty as to Austria’s intentions; and indeed I suppose it would be rash for sixty thousand men to land in an enemy’s country if there were a hundred thousand troops ready to oppose them, and a very strong fortress into the bargain. One thing is quite clear, that if they go at all no more time must be lost.

I landed on the evening of the 5^th for a walk. The watering place is the mouth of a fine stream of water which we trace dup to its source, the road passing though orchards and vineyards, the nearest whereof will, I suppose, as the fruit ripens be plucked by the boat’s crew of the watering parties. On returning I found the steam getting up, and that I was ordered to the blockade of the Danube, recalling the “Sidon” and “Highflyer.” I reached them on the 7^th, and as I had brought instructions for them to load their ships with timber  which is lying on the beach at the mouth of the river, their Captains, Goldsmith and Moore, with Crofton and myself went on shore to start the working parties and to look about us. The light-house, which has been respected hitherto, is a capital place on which to establish a look out; it is 70 feet high and from the gallery at the top you look out on a flat reedy plain, the delta of the river, too swampy for human creatures to walk on, and as therefore enemies could only come to the attack via the paths or the river, your working parties are quite secure when once your spy has got his glass and flag to the top of the lighthouse. We saw no enemy and carried off unmolested as much timber as the vessels could take. I got under weigh before dark, to avoid the clouds of mosquitoes which were reported to have attacked the other two ships the previous night; for whatever honour and glory there might be in awaiting the attack of a body of Russian cavalry I am sure I should not have got promotion for boldly awaiting the attack of Russian mosquitoes, and bad rest at night is weakening and harassing both for officers and men.

August 11^th. – I have been cruising under sail, sighting the three principal mouths as often as possible. On the 9^th I made sure I saw a brig sail down the Kilia and anchor near the mouth. I stood out to sea as if I had not seen her and stood in again the next day in hopes of finding her outside, but the weather being clearer I saw it was the parish church with two towers, each with a number of stories representing top-sails, top-gallant sails, and royals, which I had mistaken for a brig.

August 12^th. – There are signal posts at every two miles all along the coast between the Danube and Odessa; these posts we have always supposed to be for telegraphs, and as the carrying of stores from Odessa coastwise to the Danubian army, would, of course, be much facilitated by the notice which these telegraphs might communicate of the temporary absence of our blockading ships, I thought it would be a good thing to destroy a lot of them and thus break the continuity of the line. This morning being calm and suitable for landing I stood slowly in as far as five fathoms, which brought me fairly within range of one of them, and manned all the boats. Cossacks and foot soldiers were hovering about, and owing to the ridgy nature of the beach no satisfactory estimate of their number=s could be made; as therefore I think one should always in such cases make use of all the means at one’s command and risk as little as possible, I commenced operations by sending them as small number of sixty-eight and thirty-two pounder shot from the ship guns, and left directions for a broadside to be fired just before we landed. This was done accordingly, and we landed and chopped down our post without opposition. After we had returned on board I saw a Russian officer ride along the beach and tlak for a moment to every soldier he met; the result of the conference always was that the soldier’s musket was fired off, and I suppose the object must have been to enable the officer to make a grand report to his superior. Thus ended our grand “Battle of the Beacon.” (Do you remember the cartoon in Westminster Hall with that title?) The post, however, turned out not to be a telegraph, but only a rough spar with a tarred hay band wound round it, so that I could not send telegraphic messages , but could only make some one single signal; and as any bonfires made of rubbish, would answer the enemy’s purpose just as well as the posts we might have cut down, I have given up the notion of destroying any more.

August 14^th. – There was great excitement at four o’clock this morning, the officer of the watch rushing down to my cabin – “Three vessels close to us, Sir; two of them steamers.” “Beat to quarters and get steam up;” and as soon as I had dressed and had one look at them I hunted out the private signal and felt a good deal relieved when I saw one of the vessels with the proper flag up, for owing to too great a love for economy the fires had been allowed to burn down too low, and had our friends been Russians they would have been much too close to be pleasant before the engines could have been worked. “Experientia docet,” and I shall be less pennywise in future and always be ready for anything just before daylight. They turned out to be the “Sidon,” “Vesuvius,” and “Spitfire”; the first and last come for a cargo of timber, which is to be picked up in large rafts at the Sulina mouth – Wallachian property, I suppose. Poor inhabitants of the Principalities, they suffer from both sides!

The “Vesuvius” remains under my orders. They bring bad news, the cholera which has already committed great havoc amongst the troops has now broken out on board the fleets. They have all got under weigh and are cruising, which is the best thing they could do, but the outbreak seems to have been very sudden and very fatal. The “Montebello” lost forty men in twenty-four hours, one steamer, the “Furious” has lost eleven “Vesuvius” and “Sidon” had each lost one, and expected the death of two or three more. We have none attacked yet, and as soon as we have finished our job of helping to load these two vessels I shall get under weigh and never anchor unless when necessary; indeed, as the Danube has three principal mouths, which should all receive daily visits, anchoring off any one of the mouths could hardly be called blockading the river. Captain Goldsmith tells me that the Crimean expedition was decided on and the embarkation about to take place when the scourge broke out, and that it is now out of the question until next spring. How strange that it should have attacked all the fleets and armies engaged in this war both here and in the Baltic. I have not by-the-bye heard of it in Sebastopol, but Cronstadt is I see by the papers suffering from it.

August 16^th. – Too much swell for getting into the river as yet, and we have been cruising in the offing. This morning I saw some Russian fishermen warily plying their trade a good way off shore and sent my boats after them. After a long chase they caught two boats with five men, but such men none of you ever saw; they were dressed in trousers and frocks of the most coarse description, ragged and filthy to an extraordinary degree – the Chinese fishermen dress like princes in comparison – their faces were quite covered with hair, and I am sure the Russians (barbarous as they are) have no barbers! My object in sending for these gentlemen was to endeavour to find out if there was any communication going on between Odessa and the Kilia by sea and what had become of the eighty Russian gunboats said to be in the Danube, for if the army leaves the banks of the river I suppose they will try and smuggle these vessels to Odessa. But my friends seem to have been brought up amongst fish, to have lived amongst fish, and to be but little above them in intelligence, so I could get nothing out of them in that line and had to put up with two fine sturgeon, one weighing 309 lbs. I paid them what was supposed to be a fair price, rather against their will, for they said, “If you take the fish it is all very well, but if you buy it from us we shall get beaten when we land.” They enjoyed biscuit and pea soup amazingly, but whether it was a fast day or whether they had imbibed the prejudices of their Mussulmen neighbours I don’t know, for they would neither touch pork or biscuit which had been on the same plate with it. We flatter ourselves they left with a good opinion of the English character, at all events of the English pea soup, and I hope and think the poor fellows will, if they keep their own counsel, escape their  anticipated beating, for they could hardly have been seen from the shore.

August 18^th. – Yesterday was fine enough for us to work at our timber loading. The “Spitfire” went inside the river with our boats and came out in the evening with an immense collection. Whilst inside, the mast-head look-out reported some Cossacks, and the “Spitfire’s” officers went up and counted five dodging amongst the high reeds within half a mile of us. We thought this unsafe for our stragglers, and a gun was fired from the “Spitfire” in the direction they were supposed to be which by good fortune killed one of their horses, so we shall have instilled a salutary fear of our guns into the minds of these people without having killed anything but a horse. I have come to the end of my paper and the end of my news. We remain as yet free from all choleraic symptoms, and as I intend to keep at sea I think we have every chance of remaining clear. Richard Crofton is picking up strength. The thermometer has been down as low as 72 degrees and commonly averages 76 degrees, and the weather is very fine. We want our letters more than anything else; I suppose the next arrival will bring us some.