PRINCE MENTSCIIIKOFFS MKASL'RKS. CHAP. JV. Iiis alter- cation with Mentsclii- koff. I'cremptory orders to close the harbour liy sinking siiilis. Kornilnff's fruitless resistiiiice. T)iP orders given. Commander-in-Cliiof would change the resolve he had imparted to him the evening before. Korniloff, however, went to Prince Mentschi- koff, and declared his intention of puttin':' to sea. To tliis the Prince peremptorily objected, and he reiterated the order he had given Kor- niloff the evening before on his ride from the Alma — the order to close the entrance of the roadstead by sinking some of the ships. Korni- loff answered that he would do no such thing. Prince jNIentschikoff replied, ' Well, then, you may ' return to your post at JSTicolayeff, * and send for ' Admiral Stanncovitch in order to give him the ' necessary instructions.' Then Korniloff said : ' Stop a moment. It is suicide what you are ' compelling me to ; l)ut now — to leave Sebasto- ' pol surrounded by the enemy is impossible. I ' am ready to obey you.' -f* And Korniloff obeyed. The order he issued pointed out the places to be taken by all the ships of the fleet, including the five line-of-battle ships and the two frigates, which were to be brought to the mouth of the roadstead and held in readiness for sinking. It directed that when the ships should be sunk their crews should be formed into battalions. It ordered that, with a view to the event of its l)ecoming necessary to give up the
- Under ordinary circumstances, NicolaycfT was the place
where Korniloff, as chief of the staff of the Black Sea fleet, would he stationed. t 'This conver-sation has heon reported by Prince Mentsclii- ' koff himself.' — Note appended to the account of the conversa- tion in the ' Materiaux pour servir.'
