Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/38

 FRENCH OPERATIONS. CHAP I. barrier in the way of any armed force coming out from the place to assail them, and therefore formed part of the means by which they were able to hope that any new Eussian onslaught directed against their ' approaches ' might be either averted or battled. Thus — even more largely than observers might judge at first sight — self-defence entered into the motives which im- pelled the now harassed Allies to toil day and night at their works. The designs of the French though postponed, still point- ing to the Flagstaff Bastion. Checked in carrying forward their ap- proaches, they resort to mining. III. It was still by the Flagstaff Bastion that the French at this time were hoping they might, some day, break into Sebastopol. Because battled by conditions which made it seem unduly hazardous to attempt such a step, they did not indeed try to lessen the distance of some 180 yards which still parted their most advanced trench from the coun- terscarp of the opposite Bastion, and on the con- trary resigned themselves to the plan of construct- ing their foremo.st batteries on the line they had reached (at night) between the 2d and the 3d of November; but they did their full utmost to per- fect the third parallel then opened, to give it due extension at the flanks, and prepare to break down by over - dominant metal the fire that threatened to rage against any column advanc- ing to storm and capture the Work. As is usual with besiegers when stayed in their task of pushing forward 'approaches' by trench-