A GUNBOAT ADVENTURE IN THE PUTRID BEA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 377, 18 June 1856, Page 4

A GUNBOAT ADVENTURE IN THE PUTRID BEA.

(Correspondent of thu " Morning Herald. ") On the lOlh we welched at. daylight, and came down to the entrance of the Kainsou river, whicl) is on the oilier side of ilie spit of Arabat, in the Putrid Sea, where we see lanre stores of corn and hay wiiicli we are going i» try and burn to-night. They start at two in. the morning if the weather continues (me; hut the worst part is that they do not know the ground. Five are going in the small boat well armed with combustibles. 11th—Well, the expedition succeeded .splendidly, and burnt about 400 tons of corn and forage. Twenty men lauded to transport the boat across ithe Sj.it for them, and lunched her in the Putrid Sea, about two a.in ,in about as dark a night as you could wish. I, as usual, was left to take charge of the ship, and cover their retreat. They got on very well for four miles by compass, when the boat (reminded. The commander and two men then got out vvi h the combustibles leaving the ■male and the other man to lookout for the boat.1 They found they had to walk-up to .their knees. for about 100 yards in mud and water, and. then found themselves on dry land. They went ou in the direction by my pocket compass, and after crossing two small rivers, and walking, as near as could be judged, just hit the staeksv at five o'cli<ck as day just began to dawn, iii\Wi found themselves close to a large square building which proved to be a guard h.m-e. They lighted their long- lights and lived, away the stacks as hard as they could ; hut long before it could be finished there was a tremendous.row, and the place was all in.an uproar, cavalry galloping all around. Biit tlig party crawled out in a line with the smoke, atid commenced runuingin the direction nfthe b<>:it,atidg><>tuearlv a mile without being seen, when the ' View hallo' was given, and on came the Cossacksat full gallop, being now broad day light. They had crossed ihe second river and the boat was in sight, when one of the men said he could go no further and begged them to leave him—>the bullets flying pretty thick—but they cheered him. on a little further, when he stumbled and fell, which was followed by a yell of delight from the pursuers, who thought they bad hit him, which was not the case. The commander then took him- by one arm, and the man by the other, when off they started again, the horseman gaining rapidly. They had now got so near, the boat that the two men in her.were able to knock over six of the Cossacks with their rifles. When they got to the mud the nearest were twenty yards off, and they thought it was all up with them ; having to drag the third man was very hard work., The two rifles were making very pretty practice from the boat ; but it would h.ive been no go, only when the horses got into the mud, they began to plunge, and sunk to their bellies. At last the party got their hands on the gunwhale of the boat; put in the lame one, turned and gavp them the contents of their revolvers, while they look breath, then walked her out clear of the mud, jumped, pulled our of range, and after a little stood up, gave a cheer of defiance—not having breath to do so before, ami pulled away like fury to prevent being cut off on the Spii. Directly, J saw the boat f.om the mast-head —having previously laid the guns, loaded with grape and canister, for the Spit—l left the engineers and stokers to fire them if necessary, and landed wilh every soul that could handle a rifle; so the enemy seeing us so strong, drew oft, and we got our parly on board without a scratch.