Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/79

 CHAP. II. EUPATORIA. 47 to fly from the imagined wrath of their Czar, took shelter within the town, and pastured their Hocks in its neighbourhood. Eussian cavalry after a while drew a cordon about Eupatoria on its land side., and took care to maintain it so closely that the flocks in their neighbouring pastures were no longer safe against capture. Some ten thousand head of cattle which would otherwise have furnished good meat to our suffering troops on the Chersonese, were seized instead by the enemy, and driven off into his camp.* II. At the close of the out-pasturing season, the cavalry, busied till then in maintaining this land- ward blockade, became the nucleus of a much larger force of all arms placed under General Assembly of Baron Wrangel. The force stood charged with under Baroc Wranyel; the task of securing Prince Mentschikoff's line of ita task. ' communication from those attacks on its flank which, he thought, might be made by an army brought over the sea, and collected in the town of Eupatoria. Prince Mentschikoff's apprehensions Danger were sound ; for the Czar's retreat from the coun- the enemy's try of the Danube had set free the victorious sol- tkme. diery of Omar Pasha; and by using the mighty prerogative which belongs to command of the sea, the Allies could present a new army on the flank of those all-precious roads which carried the stated at 9872.
 * Todleben, vol. i. p. 649. The number carried off is there