The sky was of a dark leaden grey, and seemed surcharged with rain and storm. Now and then a solitary ray broke through this veil, and lighted up a patch of houses in the stately city, or illuminated bits of the sea-board, displaying for a moment the Cossack pickets and videttes on the cliffs, and snug farmhouses, surrounded by numerous stacks of hay and corn; small detachments of troops on the march over the stei^pes, and eilwarjen, or lumbering Germanesque-lcoking diligences, traversing the coast-road, a few stray horsemen riding at full speed across country, and herds dotting the wide-spread plains. The fleet must present a spectacle full of grandeur and menace to the Odessans. It extends for the space of five miles in front of their town, — a dense array of hulls and masts, yards and rigging, which, seen from shore, looks, no doubt, as if it were one unbroken network of ships restmg on the water.
The nine line-of-battle ships tower aloft in the centre, and the heavy steamers, gun-boats, bomb-vessels, and transports, to the number of sixty, fill up the intervals, and extend along the flanks of the flotilla. The esplanade in front of a magnificent pile of public buildings is covered with a crowd of people, among whom are many oSicers and soldiers and well-dressed women, and the gunners can be seen all ready for action, inside the parapets of the long low batteries which guard this Queen of the Euxine. These glimpses of the city were, however, infrequent, and were soon denied to us altogether, for down came the Black Sea fog, and wrapped us all in his clammy, unctuous, and chill embrace so closely that we could not see much beyond the limits of our own ship.
The ever active and indefatigable little " Spitfire" joined the fleet this morning. She had been away somewhere or other taking soundings and bearings as usual, and her appearance is a sure sign that some place on the enemy's coast is to be favoured by a visit before long. Caj)tain Spratt no doubt had a useful little budget of information for Sir Edmund Lyons when he went on board the " Royal Albert," and it was probably in anticipation of his return that the " Viper" did not proceed northwards this morning. The Admiral sent a boat to countermand the " Viper's" sailing orders attiu'ce o'clock a.m., and it is understood that to-day will be occupied ill council and in the arrangements for the execution of our plans.
The " Colombo" came to anchor with the fleet early this morning, and the " Vulcan" troop-ship arrived about ten o'clock in the forenoon. The only change in position which took place was, that the " Valorous" and " Furious," which were l3'iug inshore of all the fleet opposite Odessa, signalled to the Admiral, one after the other, for permission to close nearer to the flagship, and on receiving the necessary order weighed anchor and moored in line with the other larger vessels of the steam squadron. In the forenoon Sir Edmund Lyons left the flagship in his barge, and was towed by the " Danube" to the French Admiral's ship, where he remained for some time. I believe Sir Houston Stewart accompanied him. Subsequently to the Admiral's return, he signalled to each ship to notify her draught of water.
This was done accordingly by signal, and the people of Odessa must have seen dimly a brave show of bunting in our armada, as it required many flags to express the various draughts forward and aft of each ship. In the afternoon the wind freshened and the sea rose a little, causing that peculiar gi'ound swell which distinguishes this part of the Euxine. The fog settled down on the water about three o'clock, slowly descending from the sky above, and distilled itself into drops of rain, Avhich ran down the masts and fell from spars and rigging. Before it became so very thick, our only amusement had been watching the manoeuvres of a considerable force of cavalry and horse artillery, drawn up on the cliffs, about six miles from Odessa and three miles from our anchorage.