Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/209

 SUFFERINGS OF 'J'lIE ARMIES. 165 wardiu"- off a ruinous disaster. A distribution chap. o VIII of the burthen between the French and the '— English, if rateably adjusted to their respective numbers, would at once have relieved our people from that cruel excess of toil under which they were suffering ; (^^) but already we have learnt how it was that by the reluctance of General Canrobert to accept a fair apportionment of the siege-work, Lord Kagian was driven to the necessity of thus grievously overtasking his men.(*) To labours thus oppressive already, yet ^^^^',!|;[^ another heavy task was superadded by the *^^^^t'"^ failure we saw taking place in our accustomed means of land-carriage ; for, when the road from port to camp broke up and became a mere quag- mire impassable for waggons and carts, — when our transport power by that change alone was reduced at once to a third, — and when, finally, the surviving beasts of transport engaged in bringing up food proved too few and too weak for their task, — then, perforce, large detachments of our wearied troops were sent down every day its effect in 11 1 • adding to from the Chersonese to fetch the needed supplies the labours „ of our men ; and carry them up from Balaclava alter travers- ing miles and miles of deep clay where the lift- ing of the foot at each -step was a separate and sometimes difficult effort. But even this last resource was not one that completely made andinpre- •^ *^ venting good the deficiency in our land-transport power, uiemiiom Despite all exertions, it too often happened that ^^f^^"?- supplies despatched from Balaclava did not reach the camps above in good time ; and unfortu-