ell-made earthworks, each
furnished with ten guns more, was attacked by the combined fleets. Its
best defence, however, existed in the shallowness of the surrounding
water and the intricacy of the navigation, so that ships of the line
could not approach it; while the smaller vessels ran the risk of getting
on shore when attempting to do so.

The fleet consisted of between thirty and forty steam-vessels, and
numerous transports conveying four thousand troops. The French had as
many troops, but fewer ships of war; among them, however, were three
newly-invented floating batteries, from which the Emperor Napoleon
expected, it was said, great things. Difficult as was the navigation,
every inch of ground was well known to the commanders of the fleets, it
having been thoroughly surveyed by Captain Spratt of the _Spitfire_.

Early on the morning of the 15th the troops were thrown on shore, to the
south of the principal fort, when they immediately entrenched their
position, to cut off the retreat of the garrison. The next day proving
too rough for the ships to co-operate with the troops, the attack was
postponed; but on the 17th the work was begun in earnest by the English
mortar-boats, which first opened fire on the devoted fort. The French
floating batteries followed suit, throwing their shot and shell with
effective precision, while the enemy's round-shot dropped harmless from
their iron sides, their shells shivering against them like glass. After
this game had been carried on for about a couple of hours, the ships of
the line stood in on the southern side of the forts, till they got
within twelve hundred yards.

"Now comes our turn!" exclaimed Jack Rogers to Adair, who was serving as
a volunteer on board the _Tornado_, which ship, following close astern
of the _Giaour_, formed one of a large squadron of steamers which had
been directed to approach the forts on the northern side.

The two squadrons reached their destined positions at the same time,
when they both opened a tremendous fire, literally raining down shot and
shell upon the hapless garrison. Stubborn as were the Russians, human
endurance could not long withstand such a fire.

"Faith, I'm very glad I'm not inside those walls," said Gerald to Tom,
as they watched the effects of their shot, hundreds of shells bursting
in the air together, and raining down fragments of iron on the heads of
the unfortunate garrison; "if each round-shot and shell only kills a