es of Sebastopol. By this time Admiral Dundas had given up the
command of the fleet to Sir Edmund Lyons, who, as before, directed all
the operations. The _Agamemnon_ and _Sanspareil_ were the only
line-of-battle ships fitted with screws, but there were steamers
sufficient to tow all into action, or to assist them out again if
necessary. The final arrangements were made on the 16th between the
English and French admirals, when it was settled that the French and
Turks should attack the forts on the south side of the harbour, and the
English those on the north. Early on the morning of the 17th the order
to weigh was given--the fleets having been collected in Kazatch Bay,
some distance to the north of the city. The French and Turks, who
formed one line, naturally led; the _Britannia_ followed, close to the
_Charlemagne_, the rearmost of the French line. An inshore squadron had
been formed, consisting of the _Agamemnon, Sanspareil_, and _London_,
which was afterwards joined by the _Albion_ and other ships. The
_Britannia_, the most southern of the British ships, took up her
position opposite Fort Constantine; next to her in succession were the
_Trafalgar, Vengeance, Rodney_, and _Queen_. The _Agamemnon_, piloted
by Mr Ball in the little steam-tender _Circassia_, glided on till she
was about 750 yards from Fort Constantine, close to a shoal, which
prevented her nearer approach. The _London, Sanspareil_, and _Albion_
followed her, but were unable to get quite as near the fort as she was.
The admiral had warned Mr Ball that his little vessel would probably be
sunk, and promised to keep a boat ready to save him and his crew should
she go down; but undaunted by the danger, he stood on amid a perfect
shower of shot and shell, sounding as he went, till the line was cut
from the leadsman's hand by a shot from the batteries; but another
leadsman immediately took his place, and the _Circassia_, without a man
killed, though frequently hulled, steamed out of harm's way.
Immediately the _Agamemnon's_ anchor was dropped, she opened her fire,
as did the other ships in succession. Fortunately, from being so close
in, the Russian shot mostly passed over her, as the guns had been
trained for a longer range; but the ships to the north of her suffered
considerably. Happily, one of the first shells she fired reached the
powder-magazine in the fort, which, blowing up with a tremendous
explosion, drove the Russians from their guns, and th