Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/147

WAY OF MINISTERING TO THE ARMIES. 103 third week in October lor the then superadded CHAP. exigencies of defence. ! At no time, accordingly, unless relieved by other troops, could any material part of our army be withdrawn from the siege-work for even so momentous an object as that of constructing a road ; and, to attempt such a change under the eyes of a vigilant enemy, would have been to call down utter ruin, not only upon the French thus deserted, as it were, in the battle-field, but also upon the seceders themselves. (^^) However, the Inkerman day marked a crisis i-oidRag- " Ian 8 meas- invitinc; the Allies to form new resolves, and ureswith ° T 1 T-i 1 respect to after the Council which followed Lord Eaglan the road by . ■■ . the Col. was under strong motives for lookmg with in- creased anxiety to the state of his communica- tions ; for whilst now at last robbed of the hope that Sebastopol would speedily fall, he knew that the days were approaching when heavy rains might be expected to break up the clay road by the Col ; and moreover, he remembered too well that acquiescence in the occupation of ground laid liold of by General Liprandi on the 25th of October had deprived him of the second resource afforded by the Woronzoff Eoad. So on the very morrow of the Council which fastened the Allies to the Chersonese, Lord Eaglan began his measures for converting the road by the Col into a ' metalled ' highway. His first step was to despatch an officer of the Quarter- master-General's department to Constantinople, with orders to buy there the tools, including, of course, the stone hammers, which were needed