IV.] THE AFFAIR OF AUGUST 185^. 79 



town so insignificant, we could hope to gain no s}inpathy at the 

 hands of other nations. Tlie whole story was related to us by 

 Captain Hunter, who was himself an eye-witness of the occurrence, 

 but the details have been so clearly and concisely given by Mr. 

 '\\niiymper in his "Travel and Adventure in the Territory of 

 Alaska," that I make no apology for quoting his account. 



"In the autiunn of 1854 (28tli August i) six vessels of war — French and 

 English, comprising the President, Virago, Pique, La Forte, L'Furydice, and 

 Obligado — arrived off Avatcha Bay : a gun, placed near the lighthouse at 

 the entrance, was fired by the Russians, and gave the inhabitants of Petro- 

 jDaulovsky notice to be on the alert. Admiral Price immediately reconnoitred 

 the harbour and town, and placed the Virago in position at a range of 

 two thousand yards. 



'• The Russians were by no means unprepared. Two of their vessels, the 

 Aurora and Dwina, defended the harbour, and a chain crossing the narrow 

 entrance shut it in. There were seven batteries and earthworks, mounting 

 about fifty guns of fair calibre. 



" The Virago commenced the action with a well-directed fire, and several of 

 the batteries were either temporarily or entirely disabled. The one farthest 

 from the town on the western side was taken by a body of marines landed 

 for the purpose. The guns were sj)iked. There were three batteries outside 

 and on the spit, two at the termination of the promontory on the western 

 side of the harbour, and one in a gorge of the same which opens on Avatcha 

 Bay. It is in this little valley that the monument to La Perouse stands. 



" The town was well defended both by nature and art. The hills shut 

 it in so completely that it was apparently only vulnerable at the rear. 

 There a small valley opened out into a fiat strip of land immediately 

 bordering the bay, and, although there was a battery on it, it seemed an 

 excellent spot to land troops. 



" Our vessels ha\ing taken up a new position, and silenced the batteries 

 commanding it, seven hundred marines and sailors were put ashore. Half 

 of them were English, half French ; a large number of officers accomj^anied 

 them, while they had for guides two Americans, said to know the 

 ground. They aj^pear to have expected a very easy victory, and hurried in 

 a detached and straggling style in the direction of the towTi, instead of 

 proceeding in compact form, in military order. A number of bushes and 



^ This date does not agree with that on the monument, where it is given as the 

 20th-24th August. 



