Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/295

 BY THE ALLIED FLEET. 2G5 ' matter of certainty. I can hardly find terms to exfjross cHAP XI. my sense of the aid afforded to me by Sir Edmund Lyons since he came into Bahiclava ; but now that most of what ' have been taken to put the place in a state of defence, I ' should do an injustice to him if I were to urge the further ' detention of the Agamemnon in the harbour, and particu- ' larly when I see that there is a chance of that noble ship ' distinguishing itself under his able guidance. I entertain ' no doubt that it is his ambition that it should be so ' employed. Our position here is at least an extraordinary ' one. We are in the middle of October. The fine weather ' which we have been so fortunate as to enjoy, with one ' side of Sevastopol, can hardly be expected to last much ' longer, and large reinforcements are moving from the ' northward to the assistance of Prince Mentschikoff. ' Time, therefore, is most precious, and we have not ' much left to capture the place which we have been called. ' upon by the united voice of the Queen, the Government, ' and the country, to take possession of, and which our ' recent success on the Alma will have led all to believe ' these universal expectations, the combined efforts of all ' branches of the naval and military service are necessary, ' and none, I am sure, will be withheld. ' attention. (Signed) Eaglax. ' His Excellency Vice-Adiniral DukdaS, C.B.' Tt must be acknowledged that the feeling which The English prevailed in the English fleet at this time was not at all such as to support Dundas in any resistance to Lord IJaglan's appeal. From the their angry " ^ . impatieuc*; very souls of those thousands of warlike men, all Lent upon hopes of a fight long given and long deferred, there had been generated a force too mighty, and, if so one may say, too spiritual,
 * we chiefly required has been landed, and active measures
 * single day's exception, since we appeared on the south
 * could and would be accomplished. Not to disappoint
 * Excuse my pressing these considerations upon your