Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/96

 6(3 OPERATIONS IN THE SEA OF AZOF. H A P. IV. I mil Kertch. 27th May. Off the town nt' Berdiansk. 23th May. Lyons en- gaging the port of -Vrabat. Plan of sum- moning the authorities. The rejec- tions they elicited. which had escaped — for a while — from Kertch with their leader 1 tear- Admiral Wulff. It is dis- mal, after all, to be seeing the very, very end, and last obsequies of even an enemy's squadron. The unhappy Rear-Admiral's flag was still flying from the wreck of the Moloditz. From a position commanding the town and also the beach some small-armed men and marines from both of the squadrons were landed under Commander Lambert, and they destroyed many vessels as well as some Government corn- stores. Steamers also meanwhile intercepted the craft that were seeking to escape by flying for the mouths of the Don. From a position off Arabat, Captain Lyons en- gaged the fort and blew up a caisson of ammuni- tion. The vessels caught outside the Straits were all destroyed. In so far as they could without derogating from the performance of their duty, Captain Lyons and M. Sddaiges were intent on the avoidance of meas- ures that might harm the peaceful inhabitants in either person or property ; and, before undertak- ing to execute the works of destruction ordained at Genitchi, at Taganrog, at Marion pol, and at Gheisk, they summoned the authorities in each place to surrender the vessels and the Govern- ment property which they meant to destroy, but in every instance (except that of Gheisk) they were met by what, judged from its words, was a thoroughly decisive refusal, and driven therefore to execute the forcible measures re-