and thus got
away safely to Gaeta.

CHAPTER IX.

IN THE BALTIC.

In 1854 the war (commonly called the Crimean war) broke out, and I was
appointed first lieutenant of H.M.S.---- for service in the Baltic.

I shall never forget the excitement among us all when, after so many
years of inactivity, we were called upon to defend the honour of our
country. Unfortunately for old England the Baltic fleet was put under
the command of Sir C. N----, 'fighting old Charley' as he was called,
though it was not long before we discovered that there was not much
fight left in him. It might well be said by those generously inclined
towards him, in the words of the old song, that the

'Bullets and the gout
Had so knocked his hull about,
That he'd never more be fit for sea.'

A finer fleet never sailed or steamed from Spithead than that destined
for the Baltic in 1854. The signal from its commander, 'Lads, war is
declared! Sharpen your cutlasses and the day's your own,' sent a thrill
of joy through every breast. After following the melting ice up the
Baltic Sea to within almost reach of the guns of Cronstadt, we waited
till the ice had disappeared, and then went in as we thought for the
attack.

The ship to which I belonged being a steamer, and drawing much less
water than the line-of-battle ships, led the way. A grander sight could
not be conceived than that of twenty splendid line-of-battle ships,
formed in two lines, steaming straight up to the frowning batteries of
Cronstadt. On our approaching the batteries a shot was fired, and fell
alongside the ship I was in, which, as I said, was leading for the
purpose of sounding, when, to our astonishment and disgust, the signal
was made from the flag-ship to the fleet 'Stop!' and immediately
afterwards to 'anchor.'

It is not for me to say the reason 'why.' All that I can vouch for is
that, in the general opinion of competent judges, had we gone on we
could have taken or destroyed Cronstadt, instead of which--what was
done? They sent to England for special boats to be made ready for the
next summer, when the attack would be made on Cronstadt.

We remained a few days at anchor off that place, when some half of the
fleet were detached to the Aland Islands, where an insignificant fort
called Bomarsund was to be attacked--not by the English and French
fleets, who were fit to do any mortal thing, but by an army fetched from
France. When the army came, the poor little fort attac