Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/448

 418 TIIH CAXNOXADI-: OF CHAP. XIII. I,essnns taught liy this naval attack. the shoal, Lyons fetched such a place ofi" the gorge of Tori Coiistantine as enabled him to rake and crush its top batteries from end to end, there need be no scruple in saying that the berth he found for his ship was one boldly and happily chosen. It could nut but be that the attack of great coast defences by two mighty fleets would tend to throw light upon that branch of science which, relating as it does to the efficacy of the imple- ments and appliances made use of in fighting, may be called * mechanics of war ; ' * and, although I myself need not venture to draw conclusions, yet, in order that others may the more incline to do so, it seems well to state over again, and in categoric form, five results evolved by the conflict : — 1. At ranges of from 1600 to 1800 yards, a whole French fleet failed to make any useful impression upon a fort at the water's edge, though its guns were all ranged in open-air batteries and firing from over the parapet. 2. An earthen battery mounting only five guns, but placed on the clilf at an elevation of 100 feet, inflicted grievous losses and injury on four power- ful English ships of war, and actually disabled ject, uamely, that of legislation— the book by which Mr Artluir Byinonds delivered his patient country from the oppression of the word}', dilfuse, obscure Acts of Parliament which loaded the statute-book in the times before his attack. Treating language !i3 the machinery by which the Legislature seeks to enforce its will, he called his book the ' Mechanics of L nv-making.'
 * riagiaiised from the title of a hook on a very dllferent suh-