The steppe on the other side presents a uniform face of clifl", varying from fitly to 150 feet in height towards the sea. In some places it is precipitous, but it frequently slopes away abruptly or is seamed by ravines and water-courses. The water is very shallow at the base of the clili's, and occasionally there is an extensive beach of sand and sand spits beneath them, which are inhabited by a few fishermen, and are covered with wild fowl, swans, geese, ducks, and cormorants. The most prominent objects on the edge of this steppe, of which little can be seen from the deck of a ship, are the telegraph stations, farm-houses, of great extent, herds grazing, Cossacks, and windmills. On ascending to the mast-head the steppe is seen extending in vast sheets to the horizon, its monotonous level being little diversified by the few tumuli and deep water-courses visible for many leagues.
The quantity of cattle, of poultry, and of corn and hay in stack, is prodigious, but the farm-houses are wide apart. At intervals of four miles or so a village, consisting of whitewashed houses, may be seen each with a church so like the other that it is hard to believe they are not built of pasteboard by some ingenious Nuremburger. The telegraphs are all alike, and are built substantially of stone. It is strange that we have not destroyed them, as our vessels ranged along the coast. They enable the enemy to anticipate our movements, report every change of station, every appearance, every event, and to prepare in some measure at least for our operations. Captain Inglefield, of the " Firebrand," asked permission to knock them over, but for some reason or other the admirals did not consider it politic or advisable to grant this, and the telegraphs remain intact.
Perhaps as they stand on lofty clifis, it would not be very easy to hit them from the sea, but the expenditure of ammunition might possibly be ju.stified on the plea of putting an end to rapid comnmnication along the seaboard of Southern Russia, and of making the Cossack henceforth their quickest intelligencer. We noticed nothing remarkable on the coast, beyond the features I have already indicated, excepting a strong corps of cavalry on the beach watering their horses, and a cohunn of infantry advancing from behind Oczakoff towards Nicholaieff. Considerable numbers of cattle were grazing all over the plains, which the Cossacks or the owners were collecting into great herds, and driving off from the vicinity of the shore. As we approached the mouth of the Bug the water became of a gTeen colour, tmd was covered with a scum of spawn and vegetable matter like a duck pond.
The mouth is about five miles wide, the banks steep and high, and studded with farm-houses. In entering we observed a portion of the French squadron coming down the river, and the smoke of the light vessels, which were hull down, rose up ii'om the horizon towards the Dnieper. The French Admiral assured Sir Houston Stewart that he had been up to the spit in the river, which extends from the western bank for some distance into the stream, at about seven miles from Ajiojhiol point on its western entrance, and that he had not seen anything there. As there was nothing else to be done, the Admiral resolved to have a look for himself, and accordingly weighed in the " Stromboli," which was followed by the " Spitfii-e," the " Grinder," and "Cracker," small gun-boats.
The expedition proceeded slowly up the river. The banks are high on both sides, and the brown steppe, studded with herds, farmhouses, and Cossacks, presents no object of interest. About three miles up, on the left-hand bank, we came upon a small village, and one of the largest farms I ever saw. Five miles up, on the right-hand bank, there is another village with two pretty churches. There are guard stations and lookout posts on both sides, as usual. The river is tliree or four miles broad up to the spit, where it narrows considerably. On both sides the cliff is upwards of 100 feet high, and can scarcely be commanded by the guns of a ship. However, it was advisable to ascertain what defences existed on the lower part of the river till it contracted into within range from both banks.