their superiority in ships of the line, of which they possessed ten, while the Turks had but three; if the battle had been fought in the open sea, it would have been of brief duration, but this advantage was very much lost in the Bay of Navarino, where the Turkish ships were crowded together under the batteries in the form of a semicircle, with their broadsides turned to the centre of the bay. The Bay of Navarino is four miles long and two miles wide. It is shaped like a horseshoe, and forms a good-sized harbor. At the narrowing ends, about a mile apart, were batteries, placed to sweep the entire plain in front. The united Egyptian and Turkish fleet was anchored in this bay, disposed in the shape of a crescent, the Egyptian portion being stationed in the centre.
The allied fleet entered the Bay of Navarino about two o'clock on the afternoon of October 20, 1827. The advance was in two columns, the British and French forming the starboard column and the Russians the port. Every man was at his post, the decks were clear for action, the gunners were ready with the implements of their occupation, and everybody waited the first shot from the Turks. The batteries were silent as the fleet filed past them, and not a shot was heard as the various vessels took up their positions.
Admiral Codrington moored his flag-ship, the Asia, directly opposite and between the Capitan Bey and the Moharem Bey, the two largest ships of the Ottoman fleet. Admiral Rigny took up a position to the windward of the Egyptian ships, and the Russians moved to the leeward in the bend of the crescent. The admiral ordered that the allies should not fire a shot until they were fired upon by the Turks. This order was rigidly obeyed. There was every indication that the Turks meant to fight. While the rear portion of the allied fleets was getting into position, a boat containing Lieut. Fitz-Roy and some men was sent from the Dartmouth to reconnoitre a Turkish fire-ship.
