Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/255

 THE ALLIES BLFOKE SEBASTOPOL. 225 position of the frarrison was so stron" as to leave CHAP. VIII no more than a belt some 3000 yards long as the 1_ space really likely to be fouglit for. Of course, it is no more than the common lot of a besieger to find himself thus confined in his choice of the ground he can attack; but, in general, he com- Thepre- pensates this evil by subjecting the garrison to into winch „ ., . 1 1 i_ 1 ii the Allies the stress oi an investment ; and what made the had brought tJiom selves. plight of the Allies such a hard one was, the double impediment which hindered them from operating aggressively in the open field, and also stood in the way of an effective siege. It will be observed, however, that great as these obstacles were, and much as they would be sure to embarrass the invader in a lengthened siege, not one of them was of a kind to hinder the Allies, whilst still on the Belbec, from attack- ing the north of Sebastopol, or even to deter them iVom assaulting the place on its south front as soon as they had made their flank march. In truth, the condition of things in the Crimea, after the battle of the Alma, was such as might well have contented the Allies if they had looked upon the expedition as one to be carried through swiftly in the first week after the victory ; and yet would be likely to tell hard against them from the mo- ment when, setting themselves against the judg- ment of Lord Raglan, and Lyons, and Cathcart, they reasoned away their first boldness, and wil- fully suffered the enterprise to degenerate into a siege. VOL. IV. P