I was obliged to clear out of that pretty sharply or we should have been sunk.
An ironclad corvette that accompanied me, though some miles astern at the finish, ran so close in that she had her rudder shot away, and we had the unpleasant task of towing her out under a fire more like a hailstorm of shot and shell than anything I can compare it to.

I am told the 'Livadia' would have shown fight.

I have no doubt she would; Russians always fight well: but I think the result would not have been doubtful, and the Emperor's crockery and glass, to say nothing of the magnificent gettings-up in the cabins, would have lost much of their lustre during an engagement.

So the glory of taking the Emperor's yacht into the Bosphorus was not to be mine.

I cannot express my disappointment at losing such a chance.