-
Articles/Ads
Article Untitled Article ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
that promontory to the south—more south , Lady C- ! Tes ! it must be Eort Constantine—it is Sebastopol ! " " Sebastopol ! " exclaimed his auditors , with one voice , as , in our anxiety to behold that world-renowned fortress , we all crowded
" forrard " and mingled with the men , who were equally on the gui vive . Scarce a word was spoken for the next hour—it was one of intense excitement . We were going at a spanking rate : the sails distended till the sheets were drawn tight , and the dashing Imp heeled over till her lee scuppers were under water . Gradually the mighty fortifications became visible , then the wide harbour , with its noble arms of blue water running up amid churchspires , domes , lofty buildings , and forts of every size .
" There ! " cries one , " I see the line of masts—the sunken vessels across the mouth of the harbour ! '• And now we could descry jets , and clouds of smoke , some hanging permanently , others shooting up at intervals ; the work of destruction was proceeding . A hand was laid on my arm : I turned—it was Lady C—— , she was gazing intently on the town , her soft blue eyes suffused with tears .
" Ah ! " she exclaimed , " those terrible waves of airy-looking smoke ! perhaps at each of them some life ceases , round which the hopes and happiness of many hearts are centred ! " We fancied we could make out the puffs of white smoke on our own side , and on gathering this from our talk , the sailors could not refrain from giving a lusty cheer whenever an unwontedly large cloud
rose from the south . But we now stood somewhat more out to sea , to give Cape Chersonese a sufficiently wide berth . We then came up with two warsteamers , standing closer in . shore than ourselves ; they , I suppose , saw what and who we were , and made no attempt to stop us . Kamiesch Bay , with some of our leviathan steam-ships , was uext passed . We fancied w e distinguished the Albion .
The wind was now less directly favourable , and the high land to the left , after we had doubled Cape Chersonese , sheltered us considerably . Eor a couple of hours we coasted a lofty ridge of curved limestone rocks ; and before the light failed us , we had steered straight into a narrow opening , more like a fissure , or the estuary of a third-class river , so narrow , indeed , that there would not be sufficient room for two large-sized vessels to pass abreast . Thence the
harbour of Balaklava opens gradually into a large lake , or rather a lovely broad river , winding for upwards of a mile through the mountains , the entrance being imperceptible from the interior . Its steep rocky sides rise like walls of limestone from the water , and a few feet ' from them he our men-of-war , in perfect security , as though in dock .
To seaward , the projecting promontory is crowned by a picturesque old fort , built by the Genoese . We made our way slowly up the harbour , amid the crowd of steamers , transports , men-of-war , and merchant-vessels , which filled it . We could do no more than give a glance at the surrounding pro-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
that promontory to the south—more south , Lady C- ! Tes ! it must be Eort Constantine—it is Sebastopol ! " " Sebastopol ! " exclaimed his auditors , with one voice , as , in our anxiety to behold that world-renowned fortress , we all crowded
" forrard " and mingled with the men , who were equally on the gui vive . Scarce a word was spoken for the next hour—it was one of intense excitement . We were going at a spanking rate : the sails distended till the sheets were drawn tight , and the dashing Imp heeled over till her lee scuppers were under water . Gradually the mighty fortifications became visible , then the wide harbour , with its noble arms of blue water running up amid churchspires , domes , lofty buildings , and forts of every size .
" There ! " cries one , " I see the line of masts—the sunken vessels across the mouth of the harbour ! '• And now we could descry jets , and clouds of smoke , some hanging permanently , others shooting up at intervals ; the work of destruction was proceeding . A hand was laid on my arm : I turned—it was Lady C—— , she was gazing intently on the town , her soft blue eyes suffused with tears .
" Ah ! " she exclaimed , " those terrible waves of airy-looking smoke ! perhaps at each of them some life ceases , round which the hopes and happiness of many hearts are centred ! " We fancied we could make out the puffs of white smoke on our own side , and on gathering this from our talk , the sailors could not refrain from giving a lusty cheer whenever an unwontedly large cloud
rose from the south . But we now stood somewhat more out to sea , to give Cape Chersonese a sufficiently wide berth . We then came up with two warsteamers , standing closer in . shore than ourselves ; they , I suppose , saw what and who we were , and made no attempt to stop us . Kamiesch Bay , with some of our leviathan steam-ships , was uext passed . We fancied w e distinguished the Albion .
The wind was now less directly favourable , and the high land to the left , after we had doubled Cape Chersonese , sheltered us considerably . Eor a couple of hours we coasted a lofty ridge of curved limestone rocks ; and before the light failed us , we had steered straight into a narrow opening , more like a fissure , or the estuary of a third-class river , so narrow , indeed , that there would not be sufficient room for two large-sized vessels to pass abreast . Thence the
harbour of Balaklava opens gradually into a large lake , or rather a lovely broad river , winding for upwards of a mile through the mountains , the entrance being imperceptible from the interior . Its steep rocky sides rise like walls of limestone from the water , and a few feet ' from them he our men-of-war , in perfect security , as though in dock .
To seaward , the projecting promontory is crowned by a picturesque old fort , built by the Genoese . We made our way slowly up the harbour , amid the crowd of steamers , transports , men-of-war , and merchant-vessels , which filled it . We could do no more than give a glance at the surrounding pro-