" I have the honour to inclose for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a letter which has been addressed to me by Captain Giffard, stating that, while making a reconnaissance near Soujah Kale, with Her Majesty's ship Leopard under his command, and accompanied by Her Majesty's ships Highflyer, Swallow, and Viper, and also by His Imperial Majesty's steam-ship of war Fulton, he was informed by the Circassians in the neighbourhood that the enemy had so reduced the strength of that fortress by the removal of men and guns to Anapa, that they were ready to attack it by land, if he would do so by sea; and that he, wishing to encourage the natives and to embarrass the Russians, had assented to the proposal, and moved the ships to within 1000 yards of the south face of the fort, where he performed his part; but that, on finding the Circassians did not perform theirs, he withdrew, after having driven all the garrison out of the place, with the exception of a few gunners in the earthen batteries, and having also dismounted several guns, and done considerable damage to the arsenal and public works, leaving the garrison
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about a mile from the place, surrounded by Circassians, who were collecting reinforcements.
" The ships appear to have been well placed, and to have fired with great effect; and Captain Giffard expressed his thanks to Captain Le Bris, his able coadjutor on former occasions, as well as to Captain Moore, Commander Crauford, and Lieutenant Armytage, and their respective officers and ships' companies, for their support. Of Captain Giffard himself I may perhaps be permitted to observe, that this is not the first time that his zeal and gallantry have been conspicuous since he has been under my command."
The casualties caused in the performance of this service were as usual slight, amounting, in all the vessels employed, to only one man killed and four wounded.
It is now time that we should revert to the renewal of the bombardment: before doing so it may not be superfluous to observe that the aspect of the works of offence had undergone a considerable change since the memorable 17th of October: the principal batteries of the right and left attacks were the same as before, but they were now augmented, strengthened, and extended.
" The works of the besiegers," says Colonel Hamley, " though extraordinarily diffuse and extensive, had now assumed the appearance of regular scientific attacks. The batteries, no longer isolated nor confined to one line, were connected by parallels; and those in advance were approached by regularly constructed boyaux or zigzag trenches." The fire which could therefore be concentrated on the town was at once heavier in weight of metal and wider in circumference in proportion to its radius; and sanguine anticipations were again formed as to the decisive advantages which this enlargement of the means of offence would involve.
In accordance with an arrangement previously made between Lord Raglan and General Canrobert, the batteries of the Allies once more opened upon Sebastopol, soon after daylight on Easter Monday the 9th of April. The rain, which had fallen in torrents during the night, continued through the day, accompanied by a tempestuous wind, which drove the thick vapours from the earth in the direction of the town, and, obscuring the enemy's works, rendered it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for our artillerymen to fire with any degree of accuracy or to test the results of their practice. They speedily however succeeded in establishing a decided superiority of fire over the enemy, who, evidently taken by surprise, scarcely replied at all during the first half-hour, and after that with a feebleness which astonished, while it encouraged, their antagonists.
In truth the elements, however unfavourable they might appear to our own gunners, were doubly so to the Russians, who, blinded by the rain and scud, could scarcely stand to their guns. In spite of the direction of the wind, the low sullen booming of the guns reached the town of Balaklava and the camps above it, announcing the long-desired intelligence; and camps and town were plunged into a still more feverish excitement by the flying reports which each succeeding hour brought down from the front.