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ships. Though
cannonaded for several days, the place still held out. However, on the
2nd of October an Egyptian gunner, who had deserted, came on board
the Hastings at Beyrout, and gave information that a train had been laid
along the bridge to the eastern castle, where a large quantity of powder
was concealed; and he undertook to guide a party to cut the train and
seize the powder.
Commander Worth at once offered to perform this dangerous service,
and numbers volunteered to follow him. He embarked in one of the
boats of the Hastings, protected by the launch and pinnace of the
Edinburgh, and covered by the fire of the ships. Dashing on in the face
of a heavy fire of musketry, he landed on the bridge, cut off the train,
and then forced his way into the castle, over the walls of which he
threw some sixty or seventy barrels of powder, and succeeded in
bringing off thirty-one barrels more.
Unfortunately, in this service, Mr Luscomb, a midshipman of the
Hastings, was killed; the Egyptian, and two seamen of the Hastings and
one of the Edinburgh, were wounded.
CAPTURE OF SIDON.

While the fleet lay off Beyrout, it was considered important to drive the
Egyptians out of Sidon, a strong and important place. Commodore
Napier undertook to perform the work, and be back off Beyrout in three
days. With two steamers and five other ships, having on board 750
English and 800 Turkish marines, he appeared off the place on the 26th
September. The town having been summoned to surrender, and no
answer being given, was cannonaded for half an hour. Captain Austin,
at the head of the Turkish battalion, landed, but was very warmly
received, and several of his followers were killed. The fleet again
accordingly opened fire, and battered down a number of houses, after
which the commodore, at the head of the main body of the British
marines, and Captain Henderson at the head of another, in the most
spirited manner broke open the gates, fought their way in, and took
possession of the castle. Numberless acts of gallantry were displayed.
Among others, there was a complete race from the spot where they
landed between Mr James Hunt, a midshipman of the Stromboli, and
Signor Dominica Chinca, a midshipman of the Austrian frigate
Guerriera, who should first plant their colours on the walls of the town.
All now appearing quiet in the town, the commodore left a guard in the
castle, and descended into it. No town was ever taken where less blood
was unnecessarily spilt, or disorders more speedily put a stop to.
ATTACK ON THE CASTLE OF D'JEBEL.
A strong body of Albanian troops being posted in the Castle of D'Jebel,
Captain Martin was despatched in the Carysfort, with the Dido and
Cyclops, having on board 220 marines and 150 armed mountaineers, to
turn them out.
As soon as the marines were prepared for landing, the ships opened
their fire on the castle, which was returned by musket-shots.
After the fire had been continued for an hour, the marines, commanded
by Captain Robinson, accompanied by a large party of armed
mountaineers, pushed off from the Cyclops, and formed on the beach to
the south of the town, their landing being covered by the ships, which
again opened on the castle. The fire from the ships and the launch's
carronades having cleared the gardens in front of the castle, the signal

was made to push on. The marines on this advanced with their
invariable gallantry to the assault; but when they got within thirty yards
of the towers, a destructive fire was opened on them from a crenelated
outwork, having a deep ditch in front, which was completely masked
from the fire of the ships, and numbers fell killed and wounded. In vain
Captain Robinson and the other officers looked for some part of the
castle wall which might prove practicable. No gate was accessible, and
they were therefore compelled to abandon the enterprise. The ships
again started firing on the castle, but it was so stoutly built that no
impression could be made on it, and at half-past five the firing ceased
and the landing party re-embarked.
As the force was retiring it was discovered that an English flag, which
had been planted on a garden wall by the pilot of the Cyclops as a
signal to the ships, had been accidentally left there; it could not be
suffered to fall into the hands of the enemy, and therefore had to be
recovered, whatever the cost. It was a dangerous undertaking to run the
gauntlet of the enemy's guns and bring it back, but Lieutenant Grenfell
and a seaman from the Cyclops volunteered to attempt it. Their
progress was watched with much anxiety. They crept