At a mile from Kinbui-n the water begins to shoal rapidly from thi-ee fathoms in depth to a few feet. The entrance to Cherson Bay is guai'ded, as it were, by the island of Beresne, and numerous beacons and lights were formerly used to guide the mariner to the channel, which is difficult and tortuous. The coast is well provided with telegi-aphs. A number of poor fishermen live on the sandy spits about the Bug, and there are some large curing establishments near Kinburn, and on the banks of the river up towards Nicholaieff. This city (the name of which is spelt by us in six diiferent ways) lies on the east bank of the Bug, at the distance of thirty-five miles from the forts.
Cherson Bay, which is formed by the confluence of the Bug and Dnieper before they flow through the channel between Oczakofl" and Kinburn, is very shallow, the navigation of which is extremely dangerous and intricate, and the mouths of the Dnieper, which resemble on a small scale the debouchments of the Danube, are almost unknown to us. The Bug varies from three miles and a half to two miles iu breadth as far upwards as Nicholaiefi", below which a sudden narrow bend contracts its com'se, the passage of which is defended by formidable works. Its depth is about three fathoms, but there are many sandbanks in the channel, which winds from one side to the other of the river, and a vessel would in any position be under easy rifle range from both sides of the stream at the same time.
It is more than thirty miles from Kmburn to the entrance of the Dnieper, and Cherson is fifteen miles above the Ul-defined boundary where the extensive marais through which the Dnieper, with many muddy mouths, eats its way to tlie sea, ceases to become part of the mainland, and is resolved into water. Persons who are endeavouring at home to connect this expedition with a demonstration against Perekop will be puzzled when they see that it is upwards of fifty miles from Cherson to the Isthmus, and that the crow's flight between Kinburn and Perekop, as he passes over the desolate Taurida — blealc, waterless, and lifeless — exceeds ninety miles. Kinburn Fort is a regular casemated stone-built work, mounting about forty gunsaccording to the most extreme calculation, some giving only twenty and others thirty-two guns — but north of the fort on the spit running towards OczakofF the Russians have very recently built two sand-batteries, the exact strength of which has not yet been ascertained.
Oczakofi" Fort is supposed not to be very strong, but on the coast between it and the ferry, across the arm of the sea which runs up to Kesandria, the enemy have thrown up three small batteries, with heavy guns, one near the feiTy of three guns, and two of five and three guns respectively to the west of Oczakofi", which will bear upon the channel between that place and Kinburn. There is a good road along the spit between Kinburn and Cherson, which, according to the best charts, are about fortyeight or fifty miles apart by this route, and the retreating garrison will, no doubt, try to escape by that road; but in all probability they will be cut off by the fire of the gun-boats across it, and at the same time our troops will be landed four miles S.E. of the fort, in its rear, so as to bar the escape of the fugitives, and to prevent any reinforcement arriving from Cherson.
The vast importance of retaining possession of this place, even thouglyDur men must suffer considerably dui'ing the winter months, cannot be overrated, and Russia wiU speedily find not only the Crimean ainny reduced to surrender or to die from starvation, but that a basis of operations against Nicholaieff and Cherson has been secured in her own territory by the arms of the conquering allies. The following is my journal of events:— Off SEBASTOPOii, October 7. All the troops, both French and English, having been on board for several days, and everything being in readiness for the departure of the expedition, the Admiral made signal at eleven to-day for the steamers to weigh anchor and proceed to sea. The allied squadrons, with a large flotilla of gun-boats, bombvessels, and small steamers, stretching in two linos in front of Kazatch and Kamiesch, must have displayed to the garrisons of the north side of Sebastopol a spectacle of portentous grandeur.