1827	The Battle of Navarin	479

in readiness, to use other persuasions than the speaking-trumpet, should Ibrahim continue to violate the treaty. On the 20th of October, the weather being fine, the combined squadrons stood towards Navarin. The Turco-Egyptian fleet were at anchor, moored in the form of a crescent with springs on their cables, the larger ones presenting their broadsides towards the centre, the smaller ones in succession within them, filling up the intervals." *

The printed instructions issued to all officers in His Majesty's navy, particularly desire that every ship approaching any ship of a different nation in time of peace or war, should be prepared for action, and it would be doing Sir Edward Codrington an injustice to state that he went into the anchorage unprepared ; he was clear for action, but his lowerdeck ports, were not hauled flat against the ship's sides, but kept square as at sea in fine weather, and the ships were ordered not to anchor by the stern, which might imply a hostile intention, but to anchor with springs to their anchors. These little events we think proper to lay some stress upon, because they all prove to a certain extent a readiness to engage, but a determination not to become the assailants.

When three nations combine their squadrons, there must be, more or less, a jealousy ; in regard to the English there could be none, because Sir Edward was a vice-admiral, and both De Rigny and Count de Heiden, were rear-admirals: but with the two latter, there might have existed some slight feelings of annoyance in regard to the post of honour, order of sailing, and so forth ; to obviate this as much as possible, the vice-admiral determined that the order of sailing should be the order of battle ; the English and French forming the weather or starboard line, and the Russian division forming the lee line. In this order they entered the bay of Navarin. " The Asia led in, followed by the Genoa and Albion, and anchored close alongside a ship of the line ; " she was instantly moored with 30 fathoms on each cable. The Genoa came next, and was about to place her bow towards the bow of the Asia, when she was hailed by the vice-admiral and desired to take up her position with her head in the same direction as the Asia's ; this was done in good style, the Genoa passing very close to the vice-admiral, and taking up her appointed station. The Albion followed. The Asia's opponent was the flag-ship of the capitan bey ; the Genoa anchored close to another ship of the line, and the Albion close to a double-banked frigate. " The four ships to windward, part of the Egyptian squadron, were allotted to the squadron of Rear-admiral de Rigny ; and those to leeward, in the bight of the crescent, were to mark the stations of the whole Russian squadron ; the ships of the line closing those of the English line, and being followed up by their own frigates. The French frigate Armide, was directed to place herself alongside the outermost

* Sir Edward Codrington's official despatch.

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