nelles, and at the same time Sir W. Sidney Smith, with the rear division, destroyed a Turkish squadron off Point Nagara Burun[1] (or Pesquies); and on the evening of the 20th, the armament came to an anchor near the Prince’s Islands, about eight miles S.E. from Constantinople.
Notwithstanding this auspicious commencement of proceedings, the time was unfortunately frittered away in an unsuccessful negotiation, till the 27th Feb.; at which period, according to Sir John Duckworth’s despatches, the whole line of coast presented a continued chain of batteries; twelve Turkish line-of-battle ships, two of them three-deckers, with nine frigates, were, with their sails bent, and apparently in readiness, filled with troops; added to this, near 100,000[errata 1] military were said to be in Constantinople, ready to march against the Russians; besides, there were an innumerable quantity of small craft, with boats; and fire-vessels had been prepared to act against the British, whose whole force consisted of eight ships of the line, two frigates, and two brigs[errata 2].
Feeling himself altogether incompetent to contend with such a powerful adversary, the Vice-Admiral came to a determination of repassing the Dardanelles; on the morning of the 1st Mar. he weighed, and stood off and on during the day; at dusk, the squadron bore up, and towards the evening of the 2d, anchored off Abydos. In the morning of the 3d, he again weighed; and about noon, every ship was in safety outside the passage. “The Turks,” said the Vice-Admiral, “had been occupied unceasingly in adding to the number of their forts; some had been already completed, and others were in a forward state. The fire of the two inner castles (Sultanieh and Kelidbahadar) had, on our going up, been severe; but I am sorry to say, the effects they had on our ships returning, has proved them to be doubly formidable; in short, had they been allowed another week to complete their defences throughout the Channel, it would have been a very
- ↑ The Turkish force anchored to dispute the passage of the Dardanelles, consisted of one 64-gun ship, four frigates mounting 144 guns, five corvettes and brigs, mounting 68 guns, and two gun-boats; of these, one corvette and one gun-boat were taken, and all the others destroyed, together with the guns of a redoubt. The number of guns in favour of the Turks was 53.
