d to the
quarantine ground was occupied, and, for the purpose of examining it,
entered the river on the 6th with the boats of the two ships. Nothing
was discovered until Captain Parker's galley arrived opposite the gabion
battery, when a single rifle-shot was fired, which passed through the
boat, and this was followed by a volley, piercing the boat, grazing the
captain's elbow, and severely wounding one man. Captain Parker on this
ordered the boat to pull round, and, as she retreated, with the greatest
coolness he discharged his rifle at the enemy, who were now pouring in a
galling and heavy fire on all the boats. The pinnace, being in advance,
was especially exposed, and unhappily grounded within fifty yards of the
battery.

On seeing this, Captain Parker leaped on shore from his galley,
exclaiming, "We must storm--follow me, my men!" and gallantly rushed
forward, followed by all who had then come up. Parallel with the river,
and at about fifteen yards from it, ran a line of high canes growing in
a marsh. He advanced along this, and having fired and knocked down a
Cossack, he was reloading, when a volley of bullets came flying round
him, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead into the arms of
his coxswain, Mr Everard, a naval cadet, being at the moment by his
side.

Commander Powell, who succeeded to the command, ordered a heavy fire of
shell and congreve rockets to be opened on the battery, under cover of
which the marines and seamen stormed the place, and drove out the
Russians, who took shelter in the marsh, where they could not be
followed.

Captain Parker was a most gallant officer, and his loss caused deep
regret among all his brother officers.

On the 13th, the _Spitfire_, Lieutenant Johnstone, towing the boats of
the _Vesuvius_, crossed the bar at the Sulineh mouth of the Danube, and,
having driven off the enemy, the marines and bluejackets landed and
totally destroyed the town of Sulineh, by setting it on fire in every
direction.

BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL--17TH OCTOBER 1854.

We have now to give an account of the chief naval exploits of the war,
when the wooden walls of Old England were to try their strength with the
stone ramparts of Russia. While the heavy artillery of the Allies
opened fire on the city from the newly-erected batteries on the
neighbouring heights, it was arranged that the fleets should attack from
the sea. The fleet was to form a semicircle before the harbour's mout