Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/261

 BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. 231 forward strong outposts to occupy the spurs which chap. project iuto the Inkernian valley and the ground !__ at the liead of the bay, the Allies should take care to enforce their dominion in the north - eastern angle of the Chersonese. This he desired, not only for the sake of securing the Allies in their position, but also because he perceived that their power of pushing the siege against the Karabel suburb would be grievously straitened by the presence of the enemy on that part of the ridge Avliich flanked the approaches to the ]lalakoff. But he urged in vain ; and the enemy ^vas suffered to retain his dominion over all the northern part of Mount Inkerman. The French, it would seem, had resolved that the bulk of their corps of obser- vation should remain concentrated along that part of the Sapouu^ Ridge which lay south of the Woronzoff road ; whilst, so far as concerned the English, no force could be spared for the desired object without taking troops from the immediate business of the siege, and that was a sacrifice which Lord Eaglan would not make ; for he felt the importance — the growing importance — of time, and conceived that the actual attack on the place which the Allies were preparing should be made with their full might. It is obvious that a single general, having charge of the whole Allied army, would not have been at all likely to com- mit the error of accumulating a needless amount of force along the stiffest part of the Sapoun^ Itidge, and leaving without defence its more ac- cessible slopes. Still less would he have been