Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 6.djvu/118

 74 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAF almost close alon^jside of the aqiiediict, has all at VI '_^ once turned towards the south, and climbed up St George's Ravine. Thus, apart from its obvious uses as a way of lateral communication between the army of Sebas- topol and the array beyond the Tchernaya, this Sapper's Road opened to both the means of in- vading Mount Inkerman ; for if one of the armies should march out from the faubourg, it could ascend with its train of artillery by the West Sapper's road, whilst the other having come from the north across Inkerman Bridge could move up by St George's Ravine ; and the two heads of columns at last might be then side by side on the Brow, where the ground was open enough for the orderly junction of converging forces. Once on St George's Brow, the united forces would have down- lands before them very little obstructed by brush- wood, and might freely move on to Shell Hill. Upon this Sapper's Road the whole problem of the Russian attack on Mount Inkerman may be said to have rested ; for excepting the Post-road (which climbed up along the perilous defile of the Quarry Ravine, under the eyes of the English sentries) Prince Mentschikoff's new work attbrded the only two metalled ways lying under his own control by which guns could be brought up the Mount. As it was, the Russian commander, by using the two metalled ways of ascent comprised in his Sapper's road, could not only bring up his forces from the east as well as the west, and unite them with their trains of artillery on the height