. Reminiscences of the Baltic fleet of 1855 . ard at 2,300 yards. On the left the corvettes Cossack and Cruiser commanded some closely adjacentwooded islands ; and on the extreme right,opposite the entrance to the harbour, the Hast-ings, the Cornwallis, and the Amphion guarded against attack from that direction. Out-side the fighting line were anchored a few tradersand colliers, and some pleasure yachts, amongwhich I have preserved the names Pandora and » Wee Pet. Although the naval force threatening* Sweaborg-was both formidable and unique in the possessionof powerful mortars, yet the issue o
. Reminiscences of the Baltic fleet of 1855 . ard at 2,300 yards. On the left the corvettes Cossack and Cruiser commanded some closely adjacentwooded islands ; and on the extreme right,opposite the entrance to the harbour, the Hast-ings, the Cornwallis, and the Amphion guarded against attack from that direction. Out-side the fighting line were anchored a few tradersand colliers, and some pleasure yachts, amongwhich I have preserved the names Pandora and » Wee Pet. Although the naval force threatening* Sweaborg-was both formidable and unique in the possessionof powerful mortars, yet the issue of an attackwas very problematical ; and the experience ofships versus forts at Sebastopol not the Baltic Fleet to be ingloriously repulsed,and add defeat to the already unjust charge ofinactivity ? 94 BALTIC FLEET OF 1855. But uncertainties like these did not weighheavily on us ; for after supper we shouted con-fidence and defiance in Rule Britannia and God save the Queen, and then turned in, to bepiped up at a very early CHAPTER XII. BOMBARDME5TT OF SWEABORG. rf^l T dawn on the 9th August the ship was^AV aroused at Very soon after, we sawK> the sun rise in glory right over the statelyand unbroken fortress, which was so speedily tobecome a ruin and desolation. The morning lightbrightly gilded a peaceful scene, which beforenoon was to be darkened with the horrors of war ! At 5 the Duke hauled in a few hundredyards nearer the line of mortar boats, so as to-command better signalling distance : and at thesame time the Admiral and Commodore made acruise in the Merlin to inspect the fighting-line. By 7 all was ready for the opening- of thebombardment, and at Captain \Vemyss gavethe signal by firing a shell from the Pickle. As•every mortar Avas loaded, the response wasimmediate and terrific. With a simultaneous roarabout five and twenty hug-e shells sped away, andmounting up, until over Vargon and Gustafsvard,thundered straight down upon them
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnavalmedicine, bookye
