Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/113

 THE SINKING OF Till', SHIPS. 83 ' ships in a state to excite the envy of the world, chap. ' But we must submit to stern necessity. ^los- ! — ' cow was burned, but Eussia was not ruined by ' it. On the contrary, she only grew the strongei". ' sian people. Let us, then, offer up our prayers ' to the Lord, and not suffer a mighty enemy to ' conquer us ' ' In the niu'lit, the orders fur the scuttling ofThedomnrd " ships scul- the ships were obeyed, and at dawn on the morn- tied. inff of the 23d there were only to be seen some Mon.incof O •' ^ the 2a<l : bare masts in the places where the Sizopol, the Varna, and the Silistria had been lying the day before. Soon afterwards, the Ouryil and the Sel- al'troil went down, and at eight o'clock the waves passed over the Flora, but the Three Holy Fathers, a 130-gun ship, was still erect. The water rushed in through the openings which had been made in her sides, near the water-line, but, despite the un- natural wounds, she did not yet sink. Her stead- fastness caused men to think how faithfully she would have served in honest fight with the enemy. In the minds of the seamen of the fleet, the sight the sinking sliips. of the grand old ship thus clinging to life added liorror to grief Amongst such of the officers as were free from superstitions, the pain, it would seem, was akin to that which men feel when they force themselves to see the blow given to one of the brute creation who is an old and faithful ser- vant, condemned to have his days ended ; and the commander of the steam-frigate the Thunder-
 * God is merciful. No doubt lie is even now
 * preparing a similar destiny for His faithful Pais-