landed, destroyed, without being molested in the task, all the shipping in the harbour, and government stores of corn valued at 50,000/. Here the Allies also found, run on shore, burnt to the water's edge and abandoned, four steamers of war which had escaped from Kertch, on one of which the flag of RearAdmiral WolfF was flying. An 8-inch 62 cwt. gun was recovered from one of these wrecks. On the 28th the squadrons arrived otF Arabat, which they bombarded for an hour and a half, at the end of which time a shell blew up the enemy's magazine: and, the large garrison at this place rendering any attempt at landing out of the question. Captain Lyons and his squadron sailed for Genitchi, a town situated on the northern shore of the straits of that name, and which commands the entrance of the Putrid Sea. Here he bade a reluctant farewell to his active, energetic, and esteemed colleague, who with his squadron now bore up for Kertch. All the vessels outside the Straits of Genitchi had already been destroyed or captured by the Swallow and Wrangler, which were sent on in advance; and Captain Lyons now sent a flag of truce to demand the immediate surrender of a large quantity of shipping which had passed the straits, at this point only fifty yards in width, and which were moored inside under the shelter of the cliff on which the town is built. He also intimated that all government property of every description, including the vast stores of corn accumulated for the supply of the Eussian army in the Ci'imea, should be given up; adding that, if these terms were complied with, private property would be respected, and the town spared; but that in case of refusal all the inhabitants must leave the town. Commander Craufurd, who was the bearer of these terms, was met by an ofiicer, apparently of high rank, who refused to entertain them, and declared that any attempt to land or to destroy the vessels would be resisted. The force on which he relied to carry out this threat consisted of six fieldpieces in position, with about 200 men in support, and a party of Cossacks and a battalion of infantry drawn up behind the town. A certain time having been allowed for deliberation, and no overture being made by the enemy, our ships commenced shelling the town severely, so as to prevent the enemy from taking up such a position as would command the channel, and prevent the passage of the boats charged with the task of destroying the shipping and stores. Protected by the iron shower, the boats of the Miranda, Vesuvius, Stromboli, Ardent, and Swallow, under the command of Lieutenant Mackenzie, passed safely through, succeeded in firing 73 ships and the stores of corn, and returned without any accident. In consequence of a shift in the wind, some of the corn-sheds did not catch fire,
and the boats were once more despatched through the straits, under cover of a renewed fire from the ships. Lieutenant Buckley of the Miranda, Lieutenant Burgoyne of the Swallow, and Mr. John Roberts, gunner of the Ardent, who had gallantly volunteered for the service, landed alone and fired the stores, narrowly escaping being cut off by the Cossacks on their return. At the same time Lieutenant Mackenzie pushed on and burned the remaining vessels, under a heavy fire almost within pointblank range from field-guns and musketry; and every object of the expedition having been efiectually accomplished, with only one man on our side wounded, the boats finally regained their respective ships. On this occasion ninety vessels and corn to the value of 100,000^. were destroyed.
The results which had been obtained in the five days which had elapsed from the entrance of the Allied fleets into the Straits of Kertch, independent of the capture of Kertch and Yenikale, are thus enumerated by Sir Edmund Lyons in his despatch of the 2d June: — "More than 100 guns, many of them of heavy calibre and remarkably well cast, have fallen into our hands in the different sea-defences. It has been ascertained from the Custom-house returns, that the enemy, on evacuating Kertch, on the 24th ult., destroyed four million one hundred and sixty-six thousand pounds of corn, and five hundred and eight thousand pounds of flour. This quantity, taken together with what has been destroyed by the Allied squadrons in the Sea of Azofl", comprises nearly four months' rations for an army of 100,000 men."
Any comment on statistics such as these would only lessen their tremendous import; but those who had accomplished so much in so short a space of time were not the men to leave their work half finished; and much still remained to do.