In August, Elliott was joined by the French China Sea Squadron under Commander Tardy de Montravel, and they sailed many a mile north through the Bering Strait into the East Siberian Sea to the island of Ajon. Expecting to take on Russian warships there, they were met and entertained by the Archbishop of Yakoutsk and two agents of the Russo-American Fur Company, the only inhabitants.
Finding no trace of Russian naval activity in these remote corners of the globe, unsurprisingly really, because there was precious little to defend - the allied Pacific Squadrons retired to warmer climes more readily associated with their title, to winter in Peru. Although they probably missed their opium, or whatever else had generated their midsummer madness.
In Paris, Queen Victoria was returning Louis Napoleon's state visit when the news of the bombardment of Sveaborg broke. Reminding me that we should maybe have a look at what was happening at home during all the front line activity.
Sources:
J Duncan & J Walton (1991) Heroes for Victoria Spellmount Ltd
Trevor Royle (1999) Crimea Little, Brown and Company
A Lambert & S Badsey (1994) The War Correspondents - The Crimean War Sutton Publishing Ltd
R L V Ffrench Blake (1971) The Crimean War Leo Cooper London
Leon Guérin (1859) Histoire de la Dernière Guerre de Russie Dufour, Mulat & Boulanger Paris
E H Nolan (1857) The History of the War against Russia James S Virtue London
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