with the remainder, which we hope to get over by the end of the
month. I do not anticipate any movement of the army until March,
when I suppose we shall go to Asia to relieve Kars, and make the
Russians retire from the Turkish territory.... _February 3,
1856._--We all of us have been extremely busy in loading and
firing our mines in the docks, which required all our time, as we
were so very short of officers, having only three, while the
French had twelve. Our force of sappers was only 150 and the
French had 600. We have now finished the demolition, which is
satisfactory as far as the effects produced are concerned; but
having used the voltaic battery instead of the old-fashioned
hose, we have found that electricity will not succeed in large
operations like this, and I do not think that anyone will use it
if there is a possibility of using hose. I am now engaged in
making plans of the docks, and have not much time to myself. The
French have done their work very well, using more powder than we,
and firing all their mines with hose. I will try and get you a
photograph of the docks as they _were_ and as they _are_, which
will tell you more than a dozen letters would. We had an alarm
down here the other night about twelve o'clock. The Russians on
the north side opened a tremendous fire throughout the whole line
on us and on the French. We were all out under arms, expecting an
attack by boats, but after being well shelled for an hour, the
Russians left off, and all was again silent; but for the time it
lasted the fire was terrific. I heard afterwards that it was
caused by a French navy captain, who pulled over to the other
side of the harbour, and tried to burn a steamer which was lying
on its side. He and his companions arrived unperceived, found the
steamer quite new, and were getting into it, when the Russian
sentinel challenged. They answered 'Russe,' but the sentry called
'To arms,' and the Russians fired into the boat, and then
continued the fire from all their guns, I suppose expecting a
grand attack. Only one man, however, was hurt by a splinter on
the arm. The French will blow up Fort Nicholas on Monday. They
only got their order the night before last, and are obliged to
make a hasty demolition of it. They will use 105,000 lbs. of
powder