ment began. The cannonade was resumed on Friday as before. The Inkerman batteries replied vigorously, but along the Russian centre there was very little response. The wind blew from the north and great clouds of dust were blown from the town along with the smoke of the batteries so that it was not easy to ascertain the effect of the fire. Occasionally the clouds lifted, and whenever we obtained glimpses of the city or the defences it was evident that the result was severe.
A council of generals was held at the English head-quarters at noon, General Pelissier and General Della Marmora being present. As soon as the council had broken up, the surgeons were ordered to clear the hospitals of patients and get ready for the reception of the wounded. Those in the hospitals who could bear the transportation were sent as fast as possible to Balaklava or to the field hospital in the rear of the camp.
The cannonade was continued on the seventh in about the same manner, and we could see hour by hour that the city was terribly shattered by the bombardment. The greater part of the houses within range of our guns were either in complete ruin or so injured that they were uninhabitable. There was great activity along the bridge crossing the harbor. It was crowded at all hours of the day with men and carts passing in both directions, but generally from south to north. In the evening there was a bright light, owing to the head of the dockyard shears being on fire, whether by accident or design no one could say. A large ship was set on fire and completely burnt, and we could see that a steamer was towing a line-of-battle ship to the dockyard, where it would be out of range of our fire.
There was another council of the generals at noon, and after the council was over it was whispered through the camp that the defences would be assaulted at noon on the eighth, after a vigorous cannonade and bombardment. Noon was selected because it was known that the Russians usually took a rest at that hour. There was an explosion some time in the night behind the Redan. It alarmed the camp for a short time and then was quite forgotten. During the night of the seventh there was a sudden change in the weather. Up to that time it
