Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/378

 the Bclbec. 352 ADVANCE TO THE RKLP.EG. CHAP. The Euglisli at tlii.s time received a small ac- ' cession to the strength of their cavalry from the landing of the Scots Grey p. i.TdRa-- ]>ut M'hilst Ihe whole of the French, and the 1 ai's cavalrv .,, i>i-r-elbec. lie had ordered Lord Lncan with the hnlk of the cavalry and his troop of horse-artillery to push forward, and take possession of the village of Duvankoi, a village lying close to the Belbec, but so far up the stream as to be upon the high road which connected Sebastopol with Baktchi Serai. Lord Lucan had to approacli the village by pass- ing through a long defile which might have been easily defended against cavalry ; but, although watched by Cossacks, he was not opposed. The village, when reached, was found to be in a nook shut in between the bank of the river on one side and precipitous heights on the other. Finding the place unoccupied, Lord Lucan not only took possession of it — that might have been done by means of a picket — but kept liis troops down in the nook for some hours. As far as was possible in such a situation, he strove to prepare against the event of an attack by placing three guns at each entrance to the village, and some scouts on the commanding hills ; but he did not conceal from himself that his cavalry thus cooped down must be powerless, and ex]-)oscd to destruction