File:Kinburn, The 'Curacoa' and 'Tribune' steam-frigates, and 'Beagle' gun-boat, in the ice - ILN 1856.jpg

THE LAST OF KINBURN IN 1855. OUR gallant allies in the Sketch are left to withstand the assaults of General December as best they may, for one mass of ice extends from the liman of the Dnilper to Nicolaieff and Kherson. The French withdrew their gun-boats early in December, and on the 7th the whole waters became congealed; which, being reported to Captain Hastings, the senior British naval officer, he most judiciously at once ordered all our gunboats to return to Kinburn. It was fortunate he did so, for the day after nothing could have moved them. At Kinburn the ships were all fast, one mass of ice extending to the shores. On the 9th, the wind changing to the southward, the ice broke up from the rivers, and came suddenly down in such masses as to sweep everything before them. The French floating batteries, moored with two line-of-battle lships' anchors, were all driven on shore-the ice accumulating against their biuff bows till it reached nearly the hause-holes, when away they went as if anchored by straws. No ship stood the pressure, except an old French store-ship aground. The English men-of-war, by force of steam and regularly pounding at the icy barrier, forced their way out, and anchored off Fort Kinburn in the outer roads. The next day all again became fast, under the intluence of a strong N.W. wind - the thermometer being at 6-. To show the vicissitudes of this delightful winter quarter--every rope is like an iron bar, our decks and ships are one mass of ice, and boiling water is obliged to be poured on them to let anything go. As to telling how many fingers you have, or what your nasal organ is made of, is an impossibility. Our meat has even to be sawed up. On the 14th the sun shone brightly, and the morning was delicious in spite of ice all round. The Captain went on shore to shoot some ducks, which are here In large quantities; swans and geese likewise abound, only one cannot show his head outside the lines or a little gentle recreation for fear of those rascally Cossacks, who have no feeling for sportsmen, they having captured six French ollicers one morning. After getting some teal the Captain walked off on the ice to the French Commodore, inside, to say adieu The whole ice was alive with skaters, sliders, and troop, carrying stores to the shore - our allies being most prudent in this respect. The galley was ordered at two o'clock, and on the way off the day became dark and gloomy; half a gale sprang up from the N.W. a slight fog enveloped the ships, and a most intense cold arose, the ships Curacoa and Tribune looked strange to their eyes, and, on getting within a mile, they found them surrounded with ice. Several times they tried to force the galley through, but found it useless, the ice being too firm-it seeming to stretch for miles to sea ward. To bivouac on the bleak shores of Kinburn, even with our good allies, was no joke, and ai the ice appeared to be travelling at about two miles an hour, eventually, by pulling ahead, they got bet keen the floes, and floated with the ice under the bows, which they were most delighted to make, being firmly persuaded that shooting at Kinburn had better be left alone. The fort is now well secured against surprise; the men have received their new clothing, with plenty of provisions; the Commodore has no fear es the Russians getting hold of it again. The French have three floating batteries, two steamers, three gunboats, and a hospital ship; and are in good spirits. We have a steam frigate and paddle-steamer between Kinburn and Odessa. The Curacoa and Tribune left for the Bosphorus on the 17th Dec., delighted to bid adieu to Kinburn. The first Illustration represents Kinburn inside the Spit, as we left it on the 18th: ships covered with ice, all fast; soldiers and sailors shooting and skating, carrying hay on shore at the first pier - other stores on the second. The spars of the raft, which have been hauled up by the Sidon, Curacoa, and Tribune, covered with ice-fast on shore. French ships all housed in; the brig-steamer with a Commodores pennant. A small channel was then open, which prevents an attack from Otchakoff. The second Illustration shows the Curacoa and Tribune steam frigates, and Beagle gun boat, beset with an immense floe of ice, with the Captain in his galley trying to get on board. Behind the Isle of Berezan there is an extensive lake from whence the new gale most likely brought the ice out. The small Sketch is a view of Serpents' Isle, off the mouth of the Danube (20 miles)-the first rendezvous or the fleet to Sebastopol. It seems placed there by Providence to mark the entrance of the great river, whose shores are low and dangerous of approach. It is uninhabited at present. They say it abounds with game, and has a small lake on the highest part.