150 HKUOIC RKSISTANCE ol- SEBASTOl'OL HAP. a resolvr which, so h)iig as it shmihl hist, wwuhl ^ establish a state of mere peace between the Ptussian field army and the invaders of the Crimea; fur those invaders were now cut oH" by long, diflicult marches from the country of the Theimi.oit Belbec; and, consistently with the detention of of such a -,..11 • 1 • i i resolve. the Kussian held army m so distant a region, it would not be possible for Prince Mentschi- koff to take any part in the impending strife at Sebastopol. All this Korniloff understood but too Mxdl ; and it seemed to him that, since the llussian army was to establish itself in the now peaceful region of the Belbec, it was fitting for the deserted gar- rison to turn for succour to Heaven. On the evening of the very day wlien he had cheered the troops by presenting Stctzenko, and holding out promise of a diversion from Prince jMentscliikoff, he set down in the gloomy account which he kejit in secret, that the Prince ' wns to lake up hi.s ' position along the heights of the Belbec between
- Otarkia and Sehooli ; ' and then, as though writ-
ing in mournful irony, he immediately adds: Korniiors ' Mcauwhile, the enemy is advancing on Sebasto- r'eaeetions. ' pol. . . . There are tliree or four ways by ' which a passage may be easily effected ; for ' there are but few defenders — 10,000 sailors and
- 5000 reserve soldiers.* jNIay the Lord bless and
' fortify us !'
- It may be reiiieiiibfieJ that the troops desciibL'd by the
Russians as ' re.serve ' soldieib are those wliieli I have called ' militiii.'
