Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/71

THE KENEWED EXPEDITION TO KEIITCH. 41 batteries, a few Engineers, and (for escort duty) a CHAP, body of some fifty English hussars. Soon after daylight on the 24th of May, the its course, armada gained its place of rendezvous off Cape Takli, and then at once moved on at speed to- wards the bay of Kamish Boroune, in which the troops were to land. The strength of Baron Wrangel was still, as be- Thestrengtb fore, a little short of 9000, and included nearly wrangei. 3000 cavalry. Judging roughly of the numbers against him, Thepre- & o & J _ o ' dicament Baron Wrangel considered himself placed m in which he was placed. exactly the same predicament that had threatened him on the approach of the First Expedition. As before, so also, this time, and still for the ms resolve, same cogent reason, he judged that he could not defend that precious chain of coast batteries which had given him his control of the Straits. He sue- The power to which he cumbed to the power (of which the world will succumbed, learn much in times yet to come) — the power an armada can wield when not only carrying on board a force designed for land-service, but en- abled to move — to move swiftly — whether this way or that, at the will of the chief, who thus, so to speak, can 'manoeuvre' against an army on shore with troops not yet quitting their ships. The power would be one of great cogency, under many conditions, but especially so if it happen that the defender of the coast has in charge two highly valued possessions divided the one from the other by several miles of ground.