Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/395

 THE 17th of OCTOBER. 365 de TocUebeii, indeed, has erred in snpposinf^ that chap. Xlil there were were only two guns, and those on _J 1, the top of the platform fort, which could be brought to bear upon the Agamemnon ; for it is certain that she received shot and shell from some few, at least, if not more of the guns in the case- mated tiers ; but it is not the less true that the ship took Fort Cunstantine at a great advantage, and that, so far as concerned the fire from that work, she enjoyed a comparative impunity. Dacres, in the Sanspareil, came up close astern Position •,,.,., taken up ot the Agamemnon; and laying his port broad- tytiie ° ' .; o 1 Sanspareil ! side towards the shore, opened fii'e on Fort Constantine at a range of 900 yards. For the purpose of the attack, the position of the Sans- pareil (if only she should be able to hold it) was regarded as admirable; but the ship was much more exposed than the Agamemnon to the fire of guns on the cliff, more especially those of the Telegraph Battery. Eden, in the London, came up in the wake of bytiie the Sanspareil. Anchoring close astern of her, he laid his port broadside towards the shore, and opened fire on Fort Constantine at a range of 1500 yards. So large a proportion of his crew was engaged in the land operations that, with only the numbers remaining on boaixl his own ship, he could hardly have brought into play more than one-third part of her batteries ; but having reinforced himself by taking a body of men from the Niger (his towing steam- ship) to Avork his upper- deck guns, he was able to put