Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/394

 364 Tin; CANNONADE OF CHAP. XIII. The Aga- liieiiinon luiclioring and eiij,Mg iiig Fort Constau- tiue; her advan- tageous position. lion to the very verge of the }joiiit to which she coukl move without grounding.* Wliilst the Agamemnon was slowly creeping on to the spot thus found for her, she received her first shot; and a few moments afterwards she was hulled, and much liarmed in her riggiug, by shot coming from several quarters. At five minutes before two she let go lier stream anchor by the stern in five fathoms and a half of water, and presently she dropped her small bow-anchor under foot in five fathoms. Then by so moving the ship as to bring the stream cable to her starboard quarter, her port broadside was laid on Fort Con- stantine with all the advantage that the position allowed. She opened her fire. The centre of the fort then bore nearly south-east of the ship, and at a distance from her of 800 yards. f lu such a position as this, after all his impa- tience for action, Lyons well might see room for contentment. He was so placed as to be assailing Fort Constantine almost in reverse, with power to rake its top batteries at a range of but 800 yards ; and, although he was within 750 yards of the Telegraph Battery, within 1200 yards of the Wasp, and also under the fire of some thirteen guns which (at very long range) could be brought to bear upon him from the opposite side of the roadstead, yet, as concerns Fort Constantine itself, he had so happily struck upon its weak point as to be secure from most of its batteries. General • Lyons to Dumlas, despatch, 18th October 1854. + The exact bearing of the fort was S.E. S.