Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/254

 224 ZEAL FOR AN CHAP. XIV. Bsbastopol. Bosphorus, the ambition of Eussia had taken ad- vantage of the spacious port on the south-west coast of the Crimea — had made there a great arsenal, and furnished it with an enormous supply of warlike stores. And having been warned a quarter of a century ago * that, if he thus gathered his strength in Sebastopol, he might have to count some day with the English, the Czar Nicholas had caused the place to be defended towards the sea by forts of great power. In the harbour, barred by these forts, his Black Sea fleet lay at anchor. The longing Plainly it would be a natural and fitting consum- "ishtoat-^ mation of a war in defence of the Sultan to de- stroy those very resources which the labours of years had gathered together against liim. More- over, the English, who hate the mechanic contriv- ances which prevent fair, open fighting, could hardly now boar that the vast sea-forts of Sebas- topol should continue to shelter the Russian fleet from the guns of our men-of-war. Those who thought more warily than the multitude foresaw that the enterprise might take time ; but they also perceived that even this result would not be one of unmixed evil ; for if Russia should commit herself to a lengthened conflict in the neighbour- liood of Sebastopol, she would be put to a great Uckit. November 1828. ' Althouf,'h,' writes tlio Count, 'it may not ' be probable that vc shall sec an English fleet in the Black ' Sen, it will be prudent to make Sebastopol very secure against ' attacks from the soa. If ever England were to come to a ' rupture with us, this is the point to which she would direct ' her attacks, if only she believed them possible.'
 * Despatch from Count Poz/o di P.oigo, dutcd tlic 28th of