held by the Turks, I found telegrams from headquarters at
Rustchuk (the place I had left), inquiring if Hobart Pasha had passed
Ibraila and Galatz, and ordering that if he had done so he was
immediately to leave the Danube.

I cannot express my annoyance, as even at that moment I could have
brought a couple of small iron-clads that were lying at Sulina into the
river and played 'old Harry' with the Russian army, then advancing into
Roumania, _via_ Galatz. The bridge near Galatz could certainly have been
destroyed. It was hard on the gallant Turks, hard on the Sultan and his
government, and hard on me, to see such magnificent chances thrown away.
From that moment I trembled for the result of the war. I felt that,
although the Turks had a splendid army, and a fleet even for a
first-class European Power to be proud of, the obstinacy and stupidity
of the commanders of the Danube were sure to cause disaster.

Unhappily my prognostications came true. In war the first blow is half
the battle, and it was sad to see such glorious troops out-manoeuvred at
the very outset. His Majesty the Sultan in his wisdom has justly
punished by banishment and disgrace these men who, instead of covering
the Turkish nation with glory through the deeds of its army, were the
cause of the defeat of the finest troops in the world. That the
Russians might and would have been beaten, had the means in the hands of
those commanding the Turkish army being properly utilised, is as clear
as day. However, it is not my business to comment on such matters.

I now return to my own element, and will endeavour to describe some of
the occurrences of the war in the Black Sea. The Russians had three
lines of action in those waters. First, to capture Sulina, and to
destroy the squadron lying at anchor in its roadstead; second, to
capture Batoum and its much-envied harbour; third, the somewhat
undignified action of sending out fast vessels, mostly mail-boats, armed
with a couple of guns, their object being to destroy the Turkish
coasting trade. These vessels were most difficult to catch, as they
always watched their opportunity to slip out of their strongholds when
the Turkish ships were employed carrying troops, or otherwise engaged.
There was, I venture to think, some illegality in this conduct of the
Russian mail-boats.

These vessels were not regular men-of-war, and they did not take their
prizes into port for adjudication, as is usual in war, always burning