, addressed a note to the
Russian governor, General Osten-Sacken, pointing out the outrage which
had been committed, and demanding "that all the British, French, and
Russian vessels now at anchor near the citadel or the batteries of
Odessa be forthwith delivered up to the combined squadron; and that if
at sunset no answer or a negative be received, they will be compelled by
force to avenge the insult offered, though, for humanity's sake, they
adopt the alternative with regret, and cast the responsibility of the
act upon those to whom it belongs."

No satisfactory answer having been received, the combined fleet opened
fire on the fortifications of Odessa on the 22nd of April. The
bombardment lasted for ten hours, during which the Russian batteries
were considerably injured, two batteries blown up, vast quantities of
military stores were destroyed, and several ships-of-war were sunk.

On the 12th of May, during a thick fog, the steam-sloop _Tiger_, sixteen
guns, Commander Gifford, went on shore on the rocks near Odessa. While
she was thus utterly helpless, the Russians, as soon as she was
observed, opened fire on her, and Captain Gifford, being desperately
wounded (mortally, as it proved), was at length compelled to strike his
flag. The Russians, having removed her guns and stores, set fire to the
vessel, and forwarded the flag as a trophy to Saint Petersburg. It was
one of the very few, either from redcoats or bluejackets, they got
during the war.

OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC.

Sir Charles Napier's squadron reached Wingo Sound on the 15th March, and
on the 25th it entered the Great Belt, and anchored in Kiel Bay. Soon
afterwards, Sir Charles was reinforced by Admiral Corry, with the second
division of the fleet. On the 12th of April Sir Charles sailed for the
Gulf of Finland, where he established a rigorous blockade. As, even at
this season of the year, there is a considerable amount of ice in the
Baltic, the navigation of the ships demanded all the vigilance of the
officer in charge. Sir Charles, hearing that a Russian squadron,
consisting of seven line-of-battle ships and one frigate, was shut up at
Helsingfors, made sail in that direction for the purpose of preventing a
junction between the two portions of the Russian fleet. In this very
important object, in which the enemy's plan of naval operations was
completely defeated, he was entirely successful.

Admiral Plumridge meantime was scouring the Gulf of Bo