Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/152

 120 SECRET TERMS OF NIEL'S MISSION. chap, feet maturity, but had even proceeded to use it, ! or rather, I must say, to use part of it for the enlightenment — or guidance — of Canrobert.* The all-governing condition of the new plan was one which required the Allies to reverse, as it were, their ' flank march,' to win and take up a position between the Tchernaya and the Belbec in the neighbourhood of Mackenzie's Farm, to besiege the Star Fort, and in short to make them- selves masters on the north of the Roadstead.! The resources Mel judged to be needed for effect- ing this reconquest of ground both won and abandoned by the armies which made the ' flank ' march ' were stated to be 50,000 men and 6000 horses provisioned for two days with 220 wag- gons, 1100 draught-horses, and 3500 mules.* By a due use of these resources the investment of Sebastopol was to be completed ; and the measure was supported for reasons which, if once accepted by Canrobert, would at once extinguish all chance of his going on with the siege in any such spirit as that which had ruled the Allies on the 1st of January. The authoritative adviser explained that, until completely invested, Sebastopol could not be taken ; § thus in other words laying it withheld from him. t Line 27 et seq. in the Letter from General Niel to the French Emperor, 14th February 1855. (*) Rousset, vol. ii. pp. 33, 34. X Ibid., line 62 et seq. However sound in its main principles, the plan without more explanation than Niel gives is made to seem strangely crude. § Ibid., line 25 et seq. In a letter to the Minister of War
 * See post, p. 122, as to the 'Separate Article' which was