land' was reported. All glasses were instantly in requisition, and pointed towards the direction indicated. I see one-two-three,' murmured the experienced master; and as his telescope still bore on the bay, he added, 'Yes, there are four, five, and I think a sixth.' The excitement was intense, although subdued by discipline; and when in a few minutes the Russian ensigns were discovered floating in the breeze at a distance of seven or eight miles, the order and signal were given, Prepare for action.' Whilst the ships steadily pursued their course, they were cleared for action. Officers came on deck, armed with pistols, single, double, and Colt-barrelled. Shot and shell were handed up, and the doctor and the chaplain were quickly in the wellprepared cockpit, where medical instruments, bandages, and lint, were disposed in admirable order. On arriving within four or five miles of the enemy, the Hornet, which had previously received orders to get up steam, was directed by signal to enter the outer harbour and reconnoitre the position of the Russians. She went in, and signalled that there were six vessels, and was then recalled. After a short conference with the two commanders, the commodore went on board the Hornet, which again proceeded into the outer harbour, on entering which the three small islands forming the protection of the inner harbour were about two miles off. The Russian frigate Aurora (forty-four guns) was moored broadside on to the passage between the southern island and the shore; while the corvette Olivouska (sixteen guns?), and the armed transport Dwina (twelve guns ?), were similarly moored with respect to the other openings. Two other transports and a little steamer were moored further up the bay. The Hornet entered the outer harbour out of reach of the Aurora's guns, and steamed slowly on towards the passage, sounding her way in. The water shoaled to eight fathoms, and she was 'stopped' when within about two thousand yards of the Dwina, whose decks and tops were swarming with men. Had the Hornet held on towards the frigate, which was anchored in six fathoms, she would, as far as depth of water went, have found no difficulty in entering the inner harbour; and in fact, eight days later, when the Russians were gone, she steamed in without impediment. Had not the orders and plans of the Russian Government been overruled by a Higher Power, it is painful to contemplate the position in which our squadron would have been placed. But for the earthquake which destroyed the Diana, and the loss of the Pallas, owing to her unseaworthy condition, in spite of the repairs she underwent in Portsmouth dockyard, our ships would have found themselves in presence of two sixty-gun frigates, in addition to the squadron of Admiral Savoiko; and we will not insult the two Russian admirals by entertaining the idea that, with so superior a force, they would have been as peacefully disposed as the English commodore. Instead of having to describe the retreat of the latter, we should, in all human probability, have had to narrate his surrender. In that case, who would have been held responsible for his squadron having fallen into this trap which the Russian Government had so ably prepared? As there were still two hours of daylight when the Hornet was stopped, the commodore indulged her eager crew by allowing them to try the range of a long thirty-two pounder, the shot from which fell two hundred yards short. After the Russians had returned the compliment in a manner equally efficacious, the corvette steamed back again. On the following day the English vessels stood on and off, for the purpose of enticing the enemy from their strong position; but this device had not the desired effect, for the Russians, instead of coming out, made use of the time given them to strengthen themselves as much as possible. The resources of the commodore being now exhausted, as soon as it was dark, the three English vessels stood out to sea, and for two days sailed slowly to the south!' On the next day, the 23rd of May, the Bittern was despatched with information to the Admiral at Hakodadi, and on the 28th the Sibylle 1856.] Proceedings of Admiral Stirling. and Hornet again looked into De Castries' Bay, and found that the Russians were gone. The Sibylle now ventured into the outer harbour, and the Hornet sounded her way into the inner one. Two armed boats were sent ashore, and it was discovered that the Russians had not quitted the spot many hours, for the ovens were still hot; and clothes, books, vegetables, and even letters, were lying about in and near the roughly-hewn log buildings. Although it had not occurred to Captain Elliot before, that it was the duty of a naval officer never to lose sight of an enemy once found, we are surprised that it did not now occur to him, that although no longer in De Castries' Bay, the Russians were still afloat; and that, as England possesses undefended colonies, and unarmed merchantmen, it was incumbent on him to ascertain where the enemy were. It is quite clear that had Admiral Savoiko attempted to pass through our squadron, there would have been no great danger in the attempt, for two vessels-the William Penn, an American, with one hundred and fifty of the crew of the Diana, and the schooner Khida, built by the Russians in Japan, after their shipwreck, with Admiral Putiatin, seven officers, and forty men on board-actually accomplished that feat, and joined him off Cape Lazareff about this time. Admiral Putiatin's vessel had, it is true, a narrow escape of being captured by one of the English ships, which, passing within seven hundred yards of her at night, discovered and chased her, but she escaped, and continued her course to the northward. Not finding the Russians at their former anchorage, Commodore Elliot beat again to the south, in 243 order to meet the expected reinforcements. The Russians meanwhile were about thirty miles off, in a small bay near Cape Lazareff, at the head of the Gulf, anxiously waiting for a spring tide to carry them into the Amùr, and it was only after several weeks of great diffi culty, anxiety, and labour, that they finally effected their escape.* On the 29th of May, the day on which the commodore quitted De Castries' Bay for the second time, the Bittern, having made the run in six days against the prevailing southerly winds, reached Hakodadi, and informed the admiral that the Russians had been discovered, and that Commodore Elliot was waiting for reinforcements to attack them. have now done with the commodore, and must recount the proceedings of the admiral, whose conduct was still more extraordinary and unaccountable. We We entreat our readers to mark well the dates, which we repeat. On the 20th May the Russians were discovered; on the 23rd of May the Bittern was despatched for assistance; on the 29th of May the Bittern communicated with the admiral at Hakodadi. Favoured by the same southerly breezes against which the Bittern, unaided by steam power, had so successfully contended, the admiral reached La Baie de la Jonquière, some forty miles from De Castries' Bay, on the 25th of June! Our readers must judge for themselves of the possi bility of reconciling the conduct of the admiral with the statement made by Government, that he had the usual orders to take or destroy the Russians wherever he could find them. Are not our thoughts carried involuntarily from the Gulf of Tartary to Sinope and Archangel-to * The Morski Sbornik, a naval magazine published at St. Petersburg, gives the following narrative of the escape of the Russians in its January number:-'On the 20th May, a frigate, a corvette, and an English brig made their appearance off De Castries' Bay. The corvette approached and threw some shells against one of the Russian vessels, but the whole enemy's squadron soon went to sea again. As Admiral Savoiko had been informed that Cape Lazareff, situated further north, at the mouth of the Amoor, was now free from ice, he took advantage of the departure of the English, weighed anchor, and after a most perilous passage, his vessels reached their destination one by one, between the first and the sixth of June. Batteries were thrown up on the shore, and a few weeks later all the vessels were placed in shelter behind the bars of the Amoor. Thence he proceeded to the Nicholas station, the chief and well fortified point of that territory, and deposited there all the matériel which the squadron had brought from Petropaulovski.' Odessa and the Sea of Azof, with its imaginary barrier of sunken ships-to Cronstadt and Helsingfors? And can there be a doubt in any man's mind that the action of our navy during the Russian war was paralysed by some mysterious influence, which we do not yet dare to name or realise ? But it may be imagined that the admiral's delay was accidental, and that he now, eagerly but too late, sought the enemy. No; the British ships never again approached De Castries' Bay, or made any attempt to examine the head of the Gulf, where the Russians were still detained. After remaining two days at anchor in the Baie de la Jonquière, on the 27th of June the order was given to get under weigh; and untaught by past experience, the officers and crews were eagerly anticipating a brush with the enemy, as well as a speedy settlement of the much canvassed passage into the Amùr. But all these eager hopes were quickly turned into bitter dis appointment, for,' says Captain Whittingham, In a few minutes each vessel, with every sail set-an unknown spectacle in our progress to the north-was flying to the south before the pleasant breeze. We have since learnt from the Russian prisoners, that at that time-late as it was-only half their vessels had got through the passage never even reconnoitred by us! We ran back to Cape Crillon before a fresh-not very freshand rare northerly breeze in two days and a half; near which the squadron had cruised in our latest advance from the 7th to the 17th of June, and from which, before the constant southerly breeze, it had taken seven days to reach La Baie de la Jonquière! Hurry and haste seemed suddenly to have taken the place of 'caution' at the wheel, and even the sudden appearance of the two longexpected French frigates could only arrest this rapid flight for an hour: after which pause the noble white flag, with its chivalrous red cross, was again floating before the wind to the south. Hay cosas que se dicen Con pensarlas solamente.' F. M. THE DROUGHT AT GAZA. NOW about that time there was a great drought at Gaza, for there had been neither rain nor dew for many days, and there was great trouble in the city because of the drought. And when the gods, being often prayed to, sent neither rain nor dew, the people began to blame the Christians (for there were many at that time in the city), as though they had angered the gods and brought this evil upon them. And it fell on a day that the Christians went in procession to the church of St. Timothy without the walls. Then the guard at the gate refused to let them come in again till they should bring down rain by their prayers. So the bishop and those with him knelt down and prayed. And while they prayed there came up a great storm of wind and rain from the sea, and there was abundance of rain. So the Christians came into the city with great joy, and all the people were mightily amazed.' THERE are heavy hearts in Gaza, There are anxious prayers for rain, Ever upon the burning sand Pours down the sun's hot glare, There is no coolness in the breeze, Above the sea, like burnish'd steel, In vain the morning watch looks out With prayer and lamentation, 1856.] The Drought at Gaza. And all day long fresh victims Are slain before the shrine; On the marble floor the priests still pour But the gods are dull of hearing, Or they lie in a charmed sleep; They regard not the prayers of those who pray, 'The Christian dogs have vexed the gods, And made them loth to hear; To their church without the wall. The Bishop comes behind, With saddened brow and anxious eye, The long procession passes on, And the chanted song grows faint 'O let thine ears consider well The warder looks out from the walls, 'What meaneth this, sir warder? Why would you keep us from our homes? 'By all the gods of Gaza, Ye shall not come home again, There is no fear in the Bishop's look, As he kneels him down upon the ground, Around him all the Christians kneel, That God, who sits above the clouds, Will send them rain to-day. Afar away in the clear blue sky, You may see a little cloud, 245 No bigger than the outstretched hand And underneath the little cloud, One wave, with a snowy crest The white waves curl and leap- And still the Christians humbly kneel, The wind cuts keen against the walls, It lifts the sand in swirls of dust- The heavens are black with clouds and wind, While the lightning flashes overhead, And the rattling thunders peal; They kneel till the rain comes down in floods With a heavy plash upon the streets, Then in haste the gates are open'd, And the Christians come with speed, The city which shall ever stand |