482     THE BATTLE OF NAVARIN     1827

space between their admiral and the Asia, but owing to some unforeseen circumstance they were prevented taking their proper station. The Scipion, on coming to her berth, was obliged to anchor, owing to a fire-ship being nearly athwart her hawse. The boats of the Dartmouth and Rose went instantly to her assistance, and towed the fire-ship from her position. The Breslaw ran towards the end of the bay, near the Russian division, and there most gallantly took her share in the fight. The Sirène having set fire to her opponent was in imminent danger of sharing the same fate ; it is mentioned that a man from the French admiral's ship swam with a rope to the Dartmouth, and by this means the Sirène was warped from her perilous situation. The gallant conduct of Captain Hugon, of the Armide, we have before mentioned ; his determination to place his ship in the hottest of the action rather blinded him to the disadvantageous position he took up. The Rose, Captain Davies, immediately went to his assistance, and this equally gallant conduct was acknowledged by Admiral de Rigny in a letter to the vice-admiral, bearing date the 23d of October.

It is impossible to convey to the reader an accurate idea of the services of each ship when the names and force of their opponents are unknown; it must therefore be sufficient to state, that the Russian division took up their appointed station, and that by their gallant conduct, and unflinching bravery, they added their share to the ruin and devastation around.

About 5 o'clock the firing along the whole line ceased. All further resistance would have been unavailing; but the destruction did not end with the firing. The Turks, apprehensive that the vessels would become prizes to their victors, set fire to and blew up many which were still in a state of efficiency, and this wanton act of egregious folly was not confined to a few instances. We have before remarked the passage in the vice-admiral's letter relative to the almost total destruction of the Turco-Egyptian squadron, which letter was written whilst the devastation was before his eyes; he was, however, in error when he asserted that only " one frigate and fifteen smaller vessels were all that remained of this large fleet which ever again could put to sea," for the Pelican sloop reconnoitred Navarin on the 14th of December following, and 29 sail were at anchor, amongst which was one line-of-battle ship and four frigates; two frigates fit for service, one of the Egyptian rasées in tolerable condition, five corvettes, 11 brigs, and five schooners; all, with the exception of the five first, which were reported much shattered, in a fit state for immediate service.*

We have given this report of the Pelican's reconnoitre from Marshall's excellent work, but it is well known that several vessels joined the remains of the Turkish fleet at Navarin from Modon ; so that the exact number of vessels left in a state " ever again to put to sea" remains uncertain, but by all accounts the destruction was not quite equal to the report.

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