Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/382

 352 THE CANNOXADE OF CHAP, was anxiety in Sebastcpol for the fate of the . Quarantine Sea-fort. This anxiety increased, nay, almost changed into grief, when it was observed that the work had all at once ceased firing; but at length a volunteer, Lieutenant Troitsky, under- took to endeavour to make his way to the fort. He succeeded, and was soon able to come back and astoni.sh his hearers by informing them, to their great joy, not only that the fort was safe, but that it had suffered no material loss or injury, and had only ceased firing because the French ships were judged to lie at too great a distance to allow of their guns being answered by any effective fire. Of the 5S guns arming the fort, tliree only were dismounted, and seven had their carriages injured. Of the garrison — both infantry and artillerymen — which defended it, 8 were killed, 22 wounded, and 5 bruised, with Fort We saw that the other work u|)on which, though at a yet greater range, the French Heet directed a portion of its fire was Fort Alexander. It is hardly imaginable that, in any way, however remote, the distant broadsides expended in such a direction could have been deemed conducive to the fall of Sebastopol ; but they were a reply to the 17 guns brouglit to bear from that quarter; and, great as the range was, it admitted of some shots taking effect in the upper or open-air bat- teries of the fort. In this fort (Fort Alexander) 3 guns were dismounted, 3 gun-carriages injured, 3 men killed, 17 wounded, and 5 bruised.*
 * Toilleben, p. 331.