ips under the batteries, and
forward. Thus ended the first day. With the morrow a swell set in from
seaward, which caused us to bump heavily, though it did not alter our
position. On this day the expected assistance arrived from Hakodadi.
Close on each other's heels the following ships bore down upon us:--the
"Modeste," with lighters in tow, the "Kerguelen," "Champlain," and
"Themis," Frenchmen, the latter the admiral's ship; and the Russian
corvette "Naezdnik," with the admiral's flag at the mizen.

These five ships at once anchored in the best positions consistent with
their own safety to help us; the "Kerguelen" a little on our starboard
quarter, and the "Champlain" right astern with our steel hawsers on
board and two anchors down.

With the second night came a chapter of accidents.

At sunset a rolling sea again set in, heavier than that of the morning.
The swell and the weight of our hawsers acting on the necessarily short
cables of the "Champlain" caused that vessel to drag and take the ground
on our port quarter. In her attempts to extricate herself, our steel
hawser got foul of her propeller and wound itself around it in such a
confused mass, that the vessel's machinery became practically useless.
Thus, side by side, the two companions in distress kept the watches of
that night. But this was not all; the "Modeste" coming to the rescue of
the "Champlain," ran into the "Kerguelen," but fortunately without any
serious result.

Sunday, August 1st.--At daylight the "Modeste" succeeded in towing the
"Champlain" out of her perilous position. As she did so a large piece of
the Frenchman's false keel floated to the surface, whilst she was found
to be making two and a half tons of water per hour. A turn of her
propeller the other way caused the now useless hawser to fall off. When
recovered by the divers, this mass of steel wire was a gordian knot of
utter confusion.

The swell of last night, though it did our ship and the "Champlain" some
harm, rendered us at least one service, by causing a higher influx of
water than usual, which resulted in lifting us off our pinnacled and
dangerous resting place into deep soundings again. And now it was
discovered that we too were taking in water in one of our compartments
which, however, thanks to our double bottom system, we were enabled to
confine to the one space.

As we passed slowly by the anchored ships, cheer after cheer rent the
still air, whilst the bands played our n