106 THE BATTLE OK INKEUMAN. CHAP. VI. lit Period. ordered that two of the 18-pounders beloDging to the siege-train should at once be brought up ; and ultimately, though not without first having had to express his dislike to the word ' Impos- sible ' (which was the answer brought back to his first message), he succeeded in achieving his pur- pose.* The accession of heavy artillery power thus provided by the quick, happy thought of Lord Raglan, was destined to exercise a surpris- ingly powerful effect upon the issue of the conflict. VIII. soiinonoff's With batteries now planted on the crest of at this time: Shell Hill, and great masses of infantry drawn up in support, General Soimonoff had intended to delay his further attack until the time when Pauloff's troops coming up by the East Sapper's Eoad should appear in strength on the toplands ; but meanwhile, as though he were minded to feel the way for his onslaught, he ordered or sufi'ered three separated bodies of troops to advance against Pennefather's left. One of these, when first seen by our people, was already high up in the bed of the Careenage Eavine, and ascending into the Well-way .+ ' Eespecting the circumstances under which the word ' Im-
- possible ' was used, see the footnote, post, ith Period.
t When the 1st edition was published, I had convinced my- self that this Under-road Column was a force separately de- spatched from Sebastopol (as on the 26th of October) ; but I have since found reason to believe that this was not the case, and that — whether owing to fortuitous circumstauues, or to any the Under- road Column ;
