St.
Petersburg, 28 December. The Black Sea fleet lying
ready at Sebastopol consisted of 1-80 gun ship, 4-74 gun ships, 2-64 gun ships
and 9-54 gun ships totally 16 ships with 990 guns. There were also frigates and
brigs prepared namely 1-44 gun ship, 3-36 gun ships, 2-24 gun ships, 5-16 gun
ships totally 11 ships with 280 guns. Further more were a bomb galliot and some
fire ships and privateers available. At Nicolas was 1-80 gun ship and 2-24 gun
frigates standing on stocks and at Cherson 1-64 ship of the line and some
smaller vessels of which all ready five prepared and each armed with 16 guns.
At Tagenrock were also some ships of the line standing on stocks of which the
names and number of guns are unknown. Men were also busy with repairing some
older ships lying in the harbor
of Sebastopol.
