Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/198

 168 THK COUNSELS OF TIIH ALLIES. CHAP, this day's reconnaissance was conn)lele, the VII ' Allies, though unacquainted in detail with the condition and resouices of the place, still knew the main facts which were needed as a basis for their next resolve. The evasion from the town of the force led out by Prince jMentschikoff they had seen with their own eyes ; and although there was a surmise amongst the English that the column which our Headquarters had touched at Mackenzie's Farm was no more than 16,000 strong, the concurring testimony of the Eussian prisoners, together with the known fact that Prince Mentschikoff was present in person with the evading force, went far to disclose the full truth. Upon this it would seem the French were in no state of doubt, for in their reasonings they justly assumed that the force which the Prince had with him on the road to Baktchi Serai was nothing less than an army. The Allies had good means of computing approximately the strength Avhich must remain for the defence of Sebastopol after the withdrawal of Prince JMentschikoff's army, and their estimates were not wide of the case ; for whovoas the front of defence was in reality a semicir- cular arc of four miles, Sir John Bnrgoyne regarded the enemy's general line as 'virtually a straight one,' and only 'about 2500 goyne of the 20th November 18.')4). But his apparent misap prehension can be explained. Sir John lUirgoyne regarded both the flanks of the line of defence as virtually impregnable, and applied his words to that part of the line with which alone, in his judgment, the Allies could have any practical concern. He spoke, in short, only of that part of the arc which fronted to- wards the south and the south-east.
 * or 3000 yards in total extent' (Memorandum by Sir John Bur-