Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/280

 250 TIIH OPENING OF THE SIEGE. CHAP. X. this a sur- ]Tise upon Lord Rag- lan : his coin- iiuiiiiration to the Freucli. Two long- range bat- teries com- menced bv the English. Lurd liaglaii su suddenly that, before the mo- ment when he actually heard it from Burgoyne's lips in the conclusive form above stated, he had no reason for imagining that it would become his duty to prepare the French Commander for any shortcomings in the way of siege work on the part of the English ; but he now at once iiu- })arted to Canrobert the change that had just taken place in the prospects of the English, so lar as concerned the use of their siege-guns. The French General did not seem to be surprised by this announcement, for he had previously learnt, it would seem, that the ground in front of the English furnished no materials for entrenching. Lord Raglan did not fail to assure General Can- robert that he should be ready to join him in any attack that might be determined upon, and to assist him in every way. In pursuance of their plan of attempting some- thing against the shipping and the other defences l)y their long-range guns, the English, in the nights of the 7th and the 8th of October, began the formation of two half-sunken batteries up- on spots very distant from the enemy's line of works ;* biit meant to be armed with those guns of the ' Lancaster ' sort which might reach with their fire the ships at the head of the creeks, and the Malakoff, then called the White Tower. Those long-range Lancaster batteries, though in- tended, of course, to be auxiliary to the main purpose, stood apart in other respects from the
 * About 2800 yards from the nearest of the enemy's works.