e north side is
the Crimea, something like a shoulder of mutton in shape, hanging on by
the Isthmus of Perekop to the mainland. Sebastopol, the fortress we
hear so much of, is at the southern end of a broad bay on its western
side. Going back to the mainland, we find on the southern side of the
Danube, which as it approaches the sea runs north, and then again to the
east, at a considerable distance from the sea, the fortress of
Silistria, where the Turks are bravely holding out against a numerous
Russian army. South of Silistria are Varna and Schumla, between which
places our troops are encamped, to be ready to intercept the Russians
whenever they have captured Silistria, and thus to prevent them from
getting to Constantinople. Some way north of the Danube, on the
seashore, is Odessa, not far from the mouth of the Dnieper. To the
north-east of the Crimea, with a narrow passage between it and the
mainland, is the Sea of Azov. Near the entrance to that sea is the
mouth of the river Kouban, where the gallant Circassians have long held
out against the Russians. Here we have the Bosphorus at the south-west
corner of the Black Sea, with Constantinople on the one side, and
Scutari on the other; and rather more than half-way along the southern
coast is Sinope, where the Russians so barbarously massacred the
unfortunate Turks. Thus Russia possesses the northern shore of the sea,
Turkey the western and southern, and Circassia the eastern. Still, with
a tremendously strong place like Sebastopol almost in its centre, Russia
may be said to command the whole of its waters; and that's the reason, I
suppose, that we shall try to destroy Sebastopol and the fleet, which at
present lies snugly under the batteries."

All hands agreed that they understood Archie's account. He forgot to
mention that several fortresses had been erected by the Russians on the
Circassian coast. Their garrisons were, however, seldom able to venture
far beyond their walls, the brave mountaineers being continually on the
watch to attack them. Among other pieces of news that Archie had heard,
was that the _Furious_, Captain Loring, had been sent to Odessa with a
flag of truce, to bring off the British consul and any British residents
who might be in the town. The day after Jack had joined the fleet, the
_Furious_ was seen coming in from the northward, and, soon after she
anchored, it was reported that, notwithstanding her flag of truce, the
Russians ha