[Gratis. 
Vol. III. — No. 71.] 
Saturday, May 6, 1854. 
the fie l d_ of war. 
LETTER FROM ODESSA.— BY THE MASTER OF A 
MERCHANT SCHOONER. 
To the Editor of The Field. 
gm — "The Field ” 13 much read by tho British mer- 
chants at Constantinople, and as my consignee bus favoured 
me with a file of it for perusal during my stay in the Golden 
Horn (Constantinople), where I have been some littlo time 
at anchor, seeking a return freight to England, I think I 
cannot do better than send you a rough plan of Odessa, where 
I recently spent a quarantine, and from which Mole-harbour 
I escaped just before war was declared. On a Saturday at 8 
a.m.. I weighed from Constantinople for Odessa with winds 
variable, N. to W., followed by a stiff southerly breeze, 
which enabled me, at 3 p.m., after having landed my fir- 
man at the castle of Asia, in the Bosphorus, to enter the 
Korn Deniz, or Black Sea. At 4 p.m., still a stiff breeze 
and fine weather, the Asiatic Castle bore S.W. by S., distant 
five leagues, and outside us, though hull down, were some 
inen-of-war, which, though under plain sail, we lost sight of 
in a few hours. At 2 a.m. we set topmast stunsails, and 
at 8 a.m. lower stunsails, the wind west, and our course, 
which had been north, being now N. by E. At noon we 
had 6till a fine breeze and fair weather, and our latitude 
by observation was 43 deg. 34 min. N. We had got out of the 
schooner hitherto 6, 7, 5, and 7 knots, which last we carried 
from 10 a.m. on Sunday (log-book time) to 2 h. 30 m. 
p.m. (Monday), when we brought up in Odessa Roads in 
four fathoms, and were boarded by the quarantine-boat. 
The last winds had been W.S.W. and S.W., and our course 
N.E. by N., N.E., and N. by E. We had sighted Odessa 
Lighthouse, on Cape Fontano, about three hours before we 
brought up. When anchored, we economically unbent sails, 
struck maintopmast, and sent down foretop-gallant yard and 
mast. Our passage was considered a very good one indeed. 
At 10 a.m. next day all hands went to the southernmost 
Mole (below tho Jetty and Crown Mole) to be examined by 
the doctor, and, although in ballast, to report to the Com- 
missioner the quantity of provisions, spirits, &c., we had in 
the vessel. We got on board again at 1 p.m., and were 
ordered to remain in quarantine in tbc Roads for a fortnight, 
dating from our departure from the Bosphorus, whither, 
however (guardiano and all) I ultimately took the liberty 
of returning "under French leave” rather than fall 
into the hands of the Russian Bear. M e had run up 
from the Bosphorus to Odessa in about 50 hours, but 
in coming back, with a light north-west breeze, we 
were 20 hours in reaching the mouths of the Danube, off 
which we saw a French and English man-of-war steamer; 
and on the 5th day we were off Varna. Well, here again 
wo are at Constantinople, and hence 1 send you a pen and 
ink plan of Odessa harbour. The town stunds on cliffs, 
very much like Brighton, though tho tops only of its houses 
are visible from tho sea, and, like Brighton, it has very few 
trees indeed. While in quarantine, a Russian gunrdiano 
was put on board us, to prevent our infringing the quarantine 
regulations; and while the schooner displayed a yellow 
flag at the fore (which the fellows made us pay for), no boat 
could leave the side without a yellow flag also in its bow; 
so, to keep yellow jack in good company, we always made 
the guardiano squat in the bow, instead of aft in the stern- 
sheets, and this did not please tho Muscovite official at all. 
Occasionally we went to the Parlatorio to grin and talk to 
our friends through the bars, — they wore inside (where they 
still are), and we out; and I think, since Dundas's visit, we 
are decidedly on the better side of tho hedge. Wo had a 
heavy gale, while we lay at Odessa, from E.S.E., when we 
let go the best bower and veered away to 55 fathoms, veering 
away also on our small bower to 95 fathoms, its utmost 
length. Both were chain cables, und the best was shackled 
to the small. Several of our fleet outside made signals of 
distress, and a Russian lifeboat, pulling 24 oars went off to 
them. After three days the gale blew itself out, and the 
high and chopping sea went down. When the time came 
for heaving up and hauling into the mole-head, where you 
havo to make fast head and stern — (how different to tho snug 
docks in England !) — and the hour approached to bo aguin 
examined by the doctor before being admitted to pratique, 
and our berth being pointed ouf to us as in the second tier of 
merchantmen, a dangerous one being ahead of the Brnnvacht 
or guardship, near the Gavano of tho quarantine, a thought 
struck me that I had better make myself scarce, which I 
did in the night, as no doubt the English papers have already 
informed the public. And thus I found my owner’s ship. 
And now for my rough sketch. On the right are the 
Crown Mole and the Jetty. The house on tho hill above 
them is at the commencement of the town, and here stands 
the theatre, which we poor fellows could not visit without 
passing a second quarantine of 14 days in the Lazaret. The 
shore at the base of the high ground is allotted to quarantine 
buildings, whieh cut off the “ insiders" from the " outsiders.” 
So that Odessa is anything but a nice place to stop at. It 
is said to be very gay on shore, and civilised ; but I rather 
doubt it, especially the latter; for it is difficult to connect 
civilisation with firing on a flag of truce, See. In my plan 
you will find a spot marked 10— another proof of civilisa- 
tion. It is the “ Ballast Hill,” and all foreign vessels 
nriving in ballast are compelled, with tholr own crows, to 
heave it on this spot ; so that the mole, week uftor wook, 
rises higher and higher above high-water mark (if I may 
use that phraso where there is apparently no riso und fall) ; 
and thus gradually will, at uo cost to the Muscovites, form 
a high hill that will protoet this artificial mole-harbour 
from winds and waves, and liy-und-by be surmounted pro- 
bably by a battery, again to fire on a flag oftruce, about a. d. 
1880 ; tho year I look forward to ns that fixed upon nt St. 
Petersburg for another grand attack upon Turkey, if— but 
I shall not trouble you with tho why and the wherefore, or 
how I lmvo become to he a boliovor in tho old, and con- 
tinuing, slow, systematic pre-arrangements for tho south- 
ward march of Russia, which Franco and England alone, 
seriously united, can either now or by-nnd-by prevent. 
One picks up a good deal of politics in these oriental regions, 
and daily changos the opinions sucked in with his mother's 
milk nt homo in England. But to return to my plan. 
Inside tho mole on the loft lie tho morchant shipping ; at 
the back of the mole, at tho foot of tho high land, Is the 
inner or second range of qunrnntino buildings, tho mole 
being considered as tho first or outer quarantine. The 
pooplo iu the one cannot pass to those in tho other, and 
those In tho inner cannot communicate with the town. So 
there Is a quarantine nt anchor, u quarantine on tho mole, 
and a quarantine behind the molo. What an accumulation 
of blessings ! — Yours, &c., Z. 
OUR WOODEN WALLS. 
THE BALTIC FLEET. 
Elpsnabiien Harbour, April 27th.— A very nice 
young fellow in the Royal George, Freeland, of tho Marinos, 
was found dead In his bed on Tuesday morning. Ho was 
buried with military honours in a small chnrcliyard on tho 
Island of Musca yesterday. 
Stockholm, April 24.— Tho English fleet is at anchor 
in a spacious and well-protected hay, that of Elfsnabben, 
about 55 English miles from this city, and ono or two from 
the Baltic, — the ships 18 in number, amongst which I 
recognised, says a correspondent of tho Daily News , besides 
the admiral’s one, the Neptune, with Admiral Corry’a flag 
at tho fore, the St. Jean d’Acre, tho Royal George, tho 
Ctesar, the Cressy, tho Princess Iloyal, tho Boscawen, the 
Blenheim, the Iloguo, the Edinburgh, tho Ainphion, tho 
Arrogant, and the Drngon. Tho squadron was moored in a 
semicircle, in a circumference of about a milo and a half. 
As soon as it was known on board the Duke of Woffington, 
that the British Consul, Major Priugle, had come down In 
1. Spenditore’s. 
2. Butcher’s. 
3. Coffee-house and BUllard- 
room. 
4 . Tavern and Outhouses. 
5. Lazaretto. 
G. Parlatorio. 
7. Quarantine Parlatorio. 
8 . Spendltore's. 
9 . Examining Doctor’s. 
10. Watering-place. 
11. Slaugliterlng-gTound for 
Cattle. 
12. Captain of the Port. 
13. Ounrd-honse. 
14. Coffee-house. QW between Lazaretto and 
16. Labourer's Residence. tho Water. 
17 andllf^xSiunlng Doctor’s A. Commencement of tho Town 
nnd rAmmissloner's. of Odessa. 
B. Governor’s Residence. 
C. Jetty. 
D. Crown Mole. 
E. Storehouses. 
