76 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. CHAP. I. Liprandl's Inaction. Liprandi did not seize the occasion. He, per- haps, had failed to divine the extreme weakness of the little gathering which undertook to defend the gorge of Kadikoi ; but, be that as it may, he attempted no attack with his infantry upon the approaches of Balaclava. For a long time, he re- mained in a state of inaction ; but at length when his period of licence was approaching its close, he resorted to that singular venture with his cavalry of which we shall now have to speak. Lipiandi's supposed ' design : By our countrymen it has been commonly imagined that the cavalry enterprise hazarded on this 25th of October was a real attempt by Lip- randi to possess himself of nothing less than Bala- clava ; but the Russians declare that the object they contemplated was only that of ruining a park of artillery believed to be near Kadikoi ; * and considering that the enemy's horsemen re- ceived no active support from his infantry, there would seem to be ground for believing that that, or some like minor purpose, may have really been the one entertained. The Eussian cavalry had been brought into discredit by submitting to be null at the battle of the Alma ; and it seems not unlikely that expiation of former shortcomings was one of the objects in view. Be this as it may, General HyjoiT with the
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