The " Cracker" and " Grinder" went on ahead, the " Stromboli" followed with the Admiral's flag flying, and the " Spitfire" came along slowly, busily engaged in her indefatigable labour of sounding, and probing, and angling every bit of the earth's face and of the waters under the earth. We glided merrily along, examining bearings and farmyards at our leisure. Above the Spit there is a high bank, ascending to the steppe behind it, and at the distance of some hundred yards from the edge there is a tumulus on the steppe, behind which I saw some Russian artillery at a considerable distance as we were running along the coast. The "Cracker" had run on ahead, and the "Grinder" was just drawing on parallel with this high bank — we were all examining it — one officer was saying to the other, " Well!
I wonder the Russians have not got a battery on that cliff" — when from a seam in its side, parallel with the watei-, a puff of white smoke spirted out, and the rush of a shot followed, and was terminated hy a splash in the water close to the side of the " Grinder." " Tell the ' Grmder' he majgive him a shot in reply," cried Admiral Stewart, and little " Grinder," with more valoiuthan discretion, at once put down his helm and ran in to land, di-awing across the " Stromholi," at which the enemy had opened another gun at the moment, hut this shot also fell short. As the drum heat to quarters the men rushed on deck in a high state of delight; the berthings were removed, and the guns got readj' for action in a few moments; but " Grinder" being intent on doing his devoir got in our way, throwing dust and smoke in our faces, so that at last the fatal edict went forth and "Grinder's" I'ecal was hoisted.
And now the guns on the top of the cliffs, which Avere only light field-pieces, opened; none of the shot from the Russians had yet fallen closer than twenty yards to us, so that all on board were in a meriy mood as the " Stromholi" slowly craned over towards the bank. The work fi'om which the Russians fired their heavier guns was a trench in the cliff, almost half-way up its side, and looked very insignificant, but when you came to squint along a gun, and could only see four little black eyes staring out at you over a line of earth which did not seem three inches high to your sight, you began to understand the difficulty of striking such objects at the distance of a mile. " Try 2500 yards!" The gun was trained.
At the words " Well! Fire!" out spouted the flame and smoke, and the iron globe, whose cui-ve you could trace through the air, hurtled with the peculiar and nerve-shaking hiss of its race, right over the earthwork, knocking up a pillar of black earth from the crest of the hill, and bounding far away to the reai*. The enemy replied. We heard the shot coming right at us, and, as it flew over Captain Spratt's head, who was stationed at the foretop, looking out for shoals, and plunged into the water 500 or 600 yards beyond us, it became evident that the Muscov had been playing the deep game of firing shot to entice us well under his battery. Now he was trying extreme range, and had heavier guns than we thought.
The " Spitfire," " Cracker," and "Grinder," were coming into play, and the former two made some excellent practice, and struck the earth right and left of the battery. " Stromholi" kept edging down nearer, and the captains of the guns were all with eye intently gazing along their guns. " Try two thousand yards." Away flew the iron messenger again, but he only told the Eussians to bob theii' heads and keep out of his way, and passed behind them. The field-pieces now took to firing shell, and studded the air above us with smoke-clouds, and the angry hum of the splinters was heard once more, but for the most part they were too light to reach us. Whiz! — right across our crowded deck comes another round shot, and plashes into the water over our counters.