CHAPTER V.

The Media expedition-Description of the town-Cannonaded by two line-of-battle ships-A force is landed to take the town in reverse-. —An inadequate commandantThe force retreats-Gallantry of two midshipmen-The commandant is censured and superseded-The town occupied by the crew of the gun-boats-Services rendered by Admiral Greig in the last campaign-The fleet anchors at Sizeopoli and Misemvria—Improvement in the fuzes of shells-Machine for driving them-The sights of the guns of the Black Sea fleet-Experiments with detonating caps-General Wilson's mountain artillery-The code of signals of the Black Sea fleet-Description of the day and night signals-The charts of the coast of the Black Sea-The Emperor Nicholas on board the ParisAnecdote of His Imperial Majesty whilst in the Crimea -The Emperor's bravery, and kind treatment of the prisoners-The sufferings of the Russians in the campaign of 1828-The cause of the plague breaking out at Varna

The disease described-Infatuation of the inhabitants of Bucharest-Dreadful ravages by pestilence-The pest appears at Sizeopoli-The fatal treasure-Folly of the fumigators - The nature of the service in Turkey Movements of Field-marshal Diebitch-He advances towards Adrianople-The city defenceless-The country round it favourable for the movement of troops-Fancied security of the inhabitants-The terms of surrenderFlight of the regulars-The Russian army, how disposed -Hostile demonstration of the Pacha of Scutari-Expectation of important events on the plains of Roumelia.

MEDIA was the last town on the shores of the Black Sea that was successfully attacked by the

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN.

93

Russian fleet last campaign. It is on a peninsula, and defended with high stone walls and towers of Genoese architecture, with a few white mosques altogether it is a superior town, and the houses are good, and surrounded by large courts. The population may have been about six or seven thousand.

Round the walls there were distributed about nine pieces of artillery; and two line-ofbattle ships anchoring at long range, on the morning of the 27th of August, commenced a cannonade: this was necessarily distant, as the land batteries were high, and the embrasures could not have been seen if the ships had closed under the rocky promontory.

Under cover of the smoke, the ships' boats were lowered, and manned with seven hundred men, under the command of a Colonel, or Captain of the fleet, of the second class: they pulled for a high bank considerably to the north of the town, and the men landed in a sheltered bay; those who were first on shore formed on the beach, and scrambled up the steep ascent. No sooner were they on the top of it, than two guns opened on them from the town; but, passing some deserted redoubts, they got into a hollow, and were then screened from the fire: advancing thus under cover, they

approached so near the batteries as to hear the Turks conversing. Suddenly, however, they found themselves brought up by a deep ravine, with water at the bottom, which ran into the sea; and at the same time, on a hill to the right, a strong body of cavalry, under a Pacha, was observed, from which single horsemen occasionally dashed down the descent and communicated with the town.

The Colonel in command now thought it advisable to retreat, and, without trying whether the ravine was fordable or not, retired to the boats; but still a sharp firing was kept up at the ravine. On an officer going to investigate the cause of this, two young midshipmen* were found in a hollow with about six men, and these were loading and firing away with their pistols and fusils at a party of Turks on the other side of the ravine. The combatants seemed to think it excellent amusement: for they were laughing and joking between the rounds, and it was some time before they could be persuaded to retire like the rest. The Turks then set up loud shouts of "Ullah!" and redoubled their fire to exterminate the Gioürs

* Veregin was the name of the elder of the two: he was a very smart youth, and a page of the Emperor.

THE COLONEL CENSURED, &c.
And one enormous shout of " Ullah !" rose

In the same moment, loud as even the roar
Of war's most mortal engines, to their foes

Hurling defiance.

The Colonel then shoved off and returned to the ships, which still kept up an incessant fire on the town; without, however, silencing the batteries. The Admiral was naturally much annoyed at the failure of the land attack, and immediately sent for several of the officers to learn the particulars; and it was the general impression on board that the Colonel had not done his duty, nor used the exertions he ought to have done to assault the town. Admiral Belingshausen, the second. in authority, had recommended him to the chief, which was the reason of his having gotten the command of the party for the descent; but his Excellency now gave to another that office.

The gun-boats then went in and took up a position under the steep bank where the party had before landed: but, for the next two days, no further descent could be attempted, as it was blowing a close-reefed topsail breeze, and the ships were tacking about in the offing with a heavy swell running. On the third day, as the gun-boats were steering towards the town, some Greeks pulled off in a skiff, and reported that the Turks, dreading another attack, had fled.

96 VALUABLE SERVICES OF ADMIRAL GREIG.

The crews of the gun-boats, to the number of fifty, accordingly landed, and hoisted the Russian flag on the walls of the town. This of course was rather annoying to those who had before failed, for they anxiously desired another opportunity to make a more successful essay.

Thus then his Excellency, Admiral Greig, had swept the whole coast of the Black Sea to the entrance of the Bosphorus,* and, by his skilful measures, had most effectually co-operated with the army of Diebitch, and produced a most powerful diversion in his favour; indeed it is impossible that the army could have crossed the Balkan at all, and have kept up its supplies, without the assistance of the Admiral; to him then the greatest credit is due. His zeal and activity in the cause of his Sovereign were boundless; and though in bad health, he remained afloat, and refused to return to Nicholaef, (there to enjoy the repose he so much wanted after his arduous labours,) until the peace of Adrianople was ratified in the month of October.

After the reduction of Media the fleet stood towards Sizeopoli; and a squadron having been left there, the Admiral, with the remainder of his

* A small fort, called Kara Bournou, or the Black Cape, near the Bosphorus, was not attempted, as it was on a hill, and could not have been carried without a very strong land force.