Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/279

 THE EMPEROli's FLAK. 247 to be executed by 65,000 or 70,000 French troops., chap. commanded by the Emperor or his lieutenant, and ! — a composite force of 45,000 or 55,000 troops (En- glish, French, Sardinians, and Turks) under the orders of Lord Eaglan, making up altogether a strength for these field operations alone of from 120 to 135 thousand men. rv. On the 21st of April, the Emperor closed his The Em- visit to England; and in Paris a few days after- doniugins . . . . intention of wards he abandoned his intention of going out to going out to . ~ the Crimea ; the Crimea* By a letter of instruction to Can- robert, dated the 27th of April, he announced his change of purpose ; and showed as one of its con- sequences that Canrobert (not replaced by his Emperor) would continue in command of the His letter of r ' instruction army, whilst Pelissier (not replaced by Canrobert) to can- would command the Siege Army. With great elaboration and care — not omitting to explain Ins design for making a feint on the Euxine — he showed how he himself (as he thought) would have led the imagined campaign, and (not without vehement diatribe against the rival scheme of an advance from Eupatoria) declared his unabated approval of the plan he had formed. He fondly expounded it. He showed how he would dispense with a base of operations for his Aloushta cam- paign by not only putting eight days' rations on the the 28th, but before it.
 * Not, as M. Rousset imagined, after Pianori's attempt of