Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/47

 IN Till': WAR AGAINST RUSSIA. 17 the attack coininenccd on the 30th, the liussiau chap. lieet (lid not quit Sinope until the 1st of Decern- L__ her. Yet nothing was done. Nothing but actual intelligence of the disaster was cogent enough to lift an anchor. ^Vhat Lord Stratford says of the causes of all this inaction ought to be stated in his own words. Writing on the 4th of December, he says : ' liuniours of Itussian ships of the line being ' at sea have occasionally prevailed for some time. ' Uncertainty of information, a wish to avoid as ' long as possible the chances of a collision, the ' arrival of a new rrencli Ambassador, and the ' state of the weather, were natural causes of de- ' mur in coming to a decision as to sending the ' squadrons into the Black Sea at this time of the reasons which justified hesitation in sending the squadrons to sea, the Home Governments of tlic AVestern Powers were entitled to ask why some humbler means of ascertaining the truth were never resorted to, and why no measures followed upon the receipt of the alarming despatch from Samsoon, or even upon the appeal for help which had come from the Turkish Commander at Sinope. On the 30th of November, Admiral Xachimoff, with six sail of the line, bore down upon the Turk- ish squadron still lying at anchor in the port of Sinope. There was no ship of the line in the Turkish squadron. It consisted of seven frigates, a sloop, a steamer, and some transports. The VOL. II. B
 * year.' * But even supposing that there were
 * 'Eastern Tapers,' part ii. p. 311.