THE "HUASCAR" AND "SHAH." 27 



The recent story of the saucy Russian merchantman,* which not merely dared 

 the Turkish ironclad, but fought her for five hours, and inflicted quite as much 

 damage as she received, will also be remembered, although it may be taken just for what 

 it is worth. One Captain Baranoff, of the Imperial Russian Navy, . had, in an article 

 published in the Golos, of St. Petersburg, recommended his Government to abandon iron- 

 clads, avoid naval battles, and confine operations at sea to the letting loose of a number 

 of cruisers against the enemy's merchantmen. Where a naval engagement was inevitable, 

 he " preferred fighting with small craft, making up by agility and speed what they lacked 

 in cuirass, and if the worst came to the worst, easily replaced by other specimens of the 

 same type." The article created much notice; and at the beginning of the present war, 

 the author was given to understand by the Russian Admiralty that he should have an 

 opportunity of proving his theories by deeds. The Vesta, an ordinary iron steamer of 

 light build, was selected; she had been employed previously in no more warlike functions 

 than the conveyance of corn and tallow from Russia to foreign ports. She was equipped 

 immediately with a few 6-in. mortars, her decks being strengthened to receive them, but 

 no other changes were made. On the morning of the 23rd of July, cruising in the Black 

 Sea, Captain Baranoff encountered the Turkish ironclad Assari Tefvik, a formidable vessel 

 armoured with twelve inches of iron, and carrying 12-ton guns, and nothing daunted by 

 the disproportion in size and strength, immediately engaged her. Both vessels were skil- 

 fully manoeuvred, the ironclad moving about with extraordinary alertness and speed. She 

 was only hit three times with large balls; the second went through her deck, " kindling a 

 fire which was quickly extinguished ; " the third was believed to have injured the turret. 

 Meantime, the Vesta was herself badly injured, a grenade hitting her close to the powder- 

 magazine, which would have soon blown up but for the rapid measures taken by her 

 commander. Her rudder was struck and partially disabled, but still she was not sunk, 

 as she should have been, according to all theoretical considerations. She eventually 

 steamed back again to Sebastopol after two other vessels had come to the ironclad's 

 assistance covered with glory, having for five hours worried, and somewhat injured, a 

 giant vessel to which, in proportion, she was but a weak and miserable dwarf. 



It will be obvious that from neither of the above cases can any positive inferences 

 be safely drawn. In the former case, the weaker vessel had the stronger guns, and so matters 

 were partially balanced; in the second example, the ironclad ought to have easily sunk 

 the merchantman by means of her heavy guns, even from a great distance but she didn't. 

 The ironclad question will engage our attention again, as it will, we fear, that of the 

 nation, for a very long time to come. 



* Berlin correspondence of the Times, 31st July, 1877. 



