shore. In the evening the Amphion moored in front
of the battery that had heen destroyed to prevent
the enemy reinstating their guns. In the evening
the troops encamped. The main body rested upon
the village of Skarpans, built on an eminence, about
four miles inland, and distant about a mile and a
half from the first round tower. Between this and
the enemy's tower stretched a narrow valley, with a
long sheet of water, and beyond there rose an extended
ridge of rocks and high land to the height of 200 feet,
and under shelter of which the advanced body were
encamped. It consisted of three regiments—a battalion
of 600 Royal Marines, the same number of l'lnfanterie
de la Marine (French), and the 12th battalion of
Chasseurs. These were under the command of Brigadier-
General Jones, of the Royal Engineers, the other
appointments being as follows:—Colonel Graham,
commanding Royal Marines; Captain Elliot, brigade major;
Lieutenant Poore, R.M.A., in command of a battery of
four 12lb. howitzers; Lieutenant Cudlippe, R.N., in
charge of the rocket party; Lieutenant Nugent, R.E.,
commanding Sappers and Miners; Lieutenant Lennox,
aide-de-camp to the General. The Royal Marines and
Artillery occupied the centre of the advance, and had
pitched their tents in a ravine, in the midst of a young
plantation of fir and juniper. They were distant only
800 yards from the round fort. Behind their position
was the main road leading into Bomarsund, and the
field-pieces, howitzers, and some long 32-pounders from
the men-of-war, were ranged along it. General
Baraguay d'Hilliers took up his quarters in the village.
The French encampment was a picturesque object
The tents of the soldiers were scattered around the
village in every direction and position, upon rocks and
mounds, in fields and gardens, in the copse and on the
heath, and on the village green. Troops of men
were marching about to the relief of the guards and
outposts, and foraging parties were going out in
search of cattle. A good bakehouse and slaughter-
house were established, and the vivandierès had
opened their tents, with a guard to protect them,
for the sale of little luxuries for the soldiers. The
following were the English and French ships
moored off the Gerts:—English. Bulldog (flag Sir
C. Napier), Edinburgh (flag Admiral Chads), Hogue,
Ajax, Blenheim, Amphion, Termagant, Belleisle
(hospital  ship), Penelope, Sphinx, Gladiator, Valorous,
Vulture, Pigmy, Lightning. Troop transports: Prince,
Julia, Columba, Cornelius Fox. Yachts: Mavis,
Foam, Esmeralda. Cutter: Sparrowhawk.—French.
Inflexible (flagship), Breslau, Trident, Tage, Duperré,
St. Louis, Algerine (hospital ship). Steamships:
Phlegethon, Darien, Soufleur, Asmodée, Dain,
Imperial yacht. Of the above English ships all were
steam, with the exception of the Belleisle. On the
north side of the island were the Leopard, Arrogant,
Odin, Hecla, Locust, Porcupine, Otter, Alban, Cuckoo.
— On the 10th, the Penelope in attempting to cut
between the islands from the south to the north side,
got on shore off the Island of Prasto, within the range
of the long forts, whereupon they opened fire, and
continued it for two hours and half. The Admiral had at
once ordered all boats to her assistance, and the Hecla
and Pigmy came through the passage as well as to
attempt to tow her off. A signal to the Edinburgh and
Valorous caused them immediately to commence
throwing shells into the fort from their 10-inch guns,
which they did with impunity, being without the range
of the forts. A little after twelve the Penelope
fortunately was removed from her critical position, the
Admiral having ordered all her guns to be thrown over-
board, when the Hecla at once towed her away. The
battery fired some red-hot shot, by which two men were
killed and three wounded. One shot passed
completely through the ship, killed a man, and then falling
into a French boat, killing another. The men
killed were George Privet, petty officer, and
Thomas Barber; and three wounded, Robinson, a
marine, and two men of the Termagant and Belleisle.
On the following day, the 11th, there was some
skirmishing between the outposts, and several Russians
were captured. A Russian spy was taken in the camp,
in female attire. Another spy, a Russian officer in the
garb of a priest, ventured through in a carriage with a
lady by his side. They observed his face newly shorn,
and on putting questions he appeared confused, and
drove away, taking a turn in the road leading to the
forts. Two French soldiers rushed after him, but without
avail, so they levelled their rifles, and either killed
or wounded him, the horses going at full speed into the
fort. On the 13th, the French began the bombardment of
the first round fort, and kept up all day a tremendous
fire; the shells bursting in the embrasures and over the
roof, and the shot destroying the facings of the embrasures
at every round. By four in the afternoon they had silenced
three of the guns, and a flag of truce was put out from a
port-hole. General Baraguay d'Hilliers proceeded up to
with ten yards of the fort, together with a company of
Chasseurs as his guard. The enemy demanded two
hours respite to bury their dead. The General gave
them one hour only, and the use they made of this was
to gain reinforcements from the fort below, and to
obtain a further supply of ammunition. The fire now
recommenced with redoubled fury, the shells being most
effective in their descent, and the riflemen on the rocks
pouring into the embrasures a deadly shower of bullets.
The second tower, to the east of the first, was now
compelled to come to its assistance, and sent shells
completely over the besieged fort into the camp of the
allies. At eight in the evening another flag of truce
was offered, and the Commandant of Artillery of
Chasseurs rushed in breathless haste to the quarters of
the Commander-in-Chief to inquire if the battery was
to cease firing. He found the General in the village,
leaning against some palings, conversing with a knot of
officers. "Cease firing?" he exclaimed with much
gesticulation; "certainly not, sir. These men have
not respected the object of their truce, and they shall
not receive the slightest consideration. Continue your
bombardment the whole night long." Next morning,
the 14th, the first round tower was captured, and
fifty-four men made prisoners. The loss of the
Russians was found to be very considerable, and they
were much dispirited. There were only a few found in
the fort, the rest of the garrison having effected their
escape to the large forts. Its interior was much wrecked.
Several shells had gone right through the embrasures,
and burst in the galleries. The number of killed
amounted to about fifty. An officer of aristocratic
appearance lay dead in one of the rooms. There was a
bullet wound in his forehead, and another in the
back of his head. Those who had been killed were
put into casks with lime, and then headed down.
The stench was dreadful in one place. The place
was loaded with provisions, and everything proved
that the soldiers had not been on short allowance.
On the morning of the 15th the English battery on
shore began to bombard the second or eastern round
tower. The battery was manned by seamen and marine
artillery from the Edinburgh, Hogue, Ajax, and Blenheim,
under the direction of Captain Ramsay, of the
Hogue, assisted by the officers of the above vessels.
At six in the evening, one side was knocked in, and the
tower surrendered. Three officers and 115 men were
taken prisoners. The Hon. Mr.Wrottesley, of the Royal
Engineers, and one marine, were killed, and seven or
eight men wounded. The main fort surrendered on the
16th. This fort had been bombarded all the previous
day by a large battery under Captain Pelham, of the
Blenheim, and several of the ships. When the firing
recommenced in the morning, the fort showed a flag of
truce. Captain Hall, of the Bulldog, and the Interpreter-
General, were sent in, in a boat with a white pocket-
handkerchief flying on a boat-hook. They landed, and
were soon after joined by a parlamentar from the
French admiral, and in junction proceeded to the fort.
After some conversation with the General (Bodisco),
the fort surrendered to the allied representatives
"unconditionally," and soon afterwards upwards of 2,000
Russian and Finland troops laid down their arms in the
courtyard. The French soldiery then moved in and
took possession. A line was formed from the fort to the
embarkation place, by means of the Royal Marines and
French troops, through which the Russian prisoners
marched with their baggage. Sir Charles Napier thus
concludes his dispatch containing the official account of