Thbrsdat, Seirtemher 13. As the Russian steamers were still intact, notwithstanding the efforts of the French battery at the head of the roads near Inkermann to touch them, it was resolved to construct a battery on the ruins of Fort Paul, within 700 yards of the northern shore, under which they had taken refuge. The steamers lay in three irregular lines to the eastward of Fort Catherine, where the deep creeks in the high (ilifts gave them some sort of shelter against the fire of the French. There they were agents of much mischief and injury to the allies from the battle of Inkermann down to this time. There was the famous " Vladimir," with her two large funnels and elegant clipper hull; the " Elbceuf," the steamer which made the celebrated dash into the Black Sea througli all our fleet last j'ear, and burnt some Turkish vessels near Heraclea, just as the " Vladimir" was seen in Odessa harbour in tlie mouth of July, 1854; there was the " Gromonossctz," which had caused such an annoyance from the Dockyard Creek; and tliere were five others with hard, and to me unknown names, as calmly floating on the water as though no eager eyes were watching from every battery to lay a gun upon them.
A number of very capacious dockyard Inmps and rowboats were also secured in these creeks or hung on by the steamers. In the course of the afternoon of the 11th (Tuesday) some of the Kussian guns in the ruined battery below the Redan were turned on these steamers, and in a few rounds, not more than twelve, I think, succeeded in hulling them eight times. The range was, however, rather long, and it became expedient to move a little nearer, in order to afford them the full advantage of our shot and shell. On Tuesday evening, when Lieutenant Gough, of the " London," who commanded in the Naval Batteries on the left attack, came down with his men, he was ordered to take his relief over to the right attack, and to accomjtany Lieutenant Anderson, R.E., down to the town, in order to erect a battery for two ninety-five cwt. guns on the right of St.
Paul's Battery. The site of this batterj' was about 700 j'arcls from Fort Catherine, on the opposite side. The men, although deprived of the quiet night and undistui'bed repose they anticipated, set to work with a will, and began throwing up the parapet, and filling gabions, and, as it was possible that some interruption of the work might take place from the other side, a covering party of 120 men was ordered down from the trenches. There were French sentries in charge of this portion of the place, and the little party found that their allies were on the qui vive, and were keeping a sharp look-out on all sides. The men had been working some time, when it was observed that one of the enemy's steamers had left the north side, and was slowly and noiselessly dropping down on the very spot where the sailors and the covering party were at their labours.
The night was dark, but they could clearly make out tlie steamer edging down upon them, and coming closer and closer. Every moment they expected her guns to open on them with griipc and canister. The men therefore lay down upon their faces, and kept as near to the ground as they could, and the steamer came over gently till she was within about 100 yards of the very spot where they had been worldng. They heai'd her anchor splash into the water, and then the rattle of her cahle as it ran throiig]i the hawsehole. Now, certainly, they were " going to catch it;" but, no, the Russian opened no port and showed no light, hut seemed to be making himself comfortable in his new quarters.
Captain Villiers, of the 47th, who commanded the covering party, ordered his men to observe the utmost silence, and the same injunction Avas given to the seamen. About 2*30 in the morning, when she had been an hour or so in her novel berth, a broad light was perceived in her fore hatchway. The leading steamer on the opposite side in a second afterwards exhibited gleams of equal brightness, and then one! two! three! four! five! — as though from signal guns, the remaining steamers, with one exception, emitted jets of fire from their bows. The jets soon became columns of fiame and smoke— the wind blew fresh and strong, and the night was dark-, so that the fire spread with rapidity along the vessels, and soon lighted up the whole of the northern heavens.