s, at a port some few miles to the north of Varna,
taking in coals, when the look-out man reported that he saw on the
horizon a column of smoke. I knew that this was not a Russian cruiser,
because these vessels always burnt smokeless coal. I guessed, however,
what it was, namely, that one of the Russian cruisers was burning an
unfortunate coasting vessel. On looking more closely from the mast-head
of the flag-ship, I saw the masts and two funnels of a steamer very near
to the burning ship. The cruiser was somewhat in shore of the place
where I was lying. He seems to have made my squadron out about the same
time I had seen him, and at once made tracks, as the Americans say, to
get out to sea. In doing so he had to near us considerably, so much so
that before steam was ready in the flag-ship I could pretty well discern
what the enemy was. Some persons may be surprised to hear that the
marauding vessel was no less a craft than the magnificent yacht of the
Emperor of All the Russias, called the 'Livadia,' which had condescended
to the somewhat undignified work of capturing small Turkish coasting
craft. Who can fancy the 'Victoria and Albert' being sent to sea, during
a war between England and France, to capture and destroy small coasting
craft on the French shores! However, there was the fact; it was the
'Livadia,' and no mistake. And now commenced one of the most interesting
chases I have ever seen. On our starting the yacht was about four miles
ahead of us, steering a course that would take her straight to
Sebastopol. She had got through all the necessary dangerous manoeuvres of
crossing our bows, from her having been inshore of us, before we moved.

The weather was lovely, not a ripple on the water, dead calm.

We commenced the chase at 4.30 p.m. Unfortunately our decks were loaded
with coal; however, we made a clean thirteen knots. At first it seemed
as if we were coming up with the chase, so much so that I felt inclined
to fire the long bow gun at her. But I always think and I say from
blockade-running experience that firing more or less injures a vessel's
speed; so I refrained from doing so. As night closed in a beautiful moon
rose and made everything as clear as day. The equality of our speed was
most remarkable, inasmuch as the distance between us did not vary a
hundred yards in an hour. All night we were watching, measuring
distances with nautical instruments, &c., hoping at moments that we were
nearer, despairing