Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/222

192 TRANSACTIONS CHAP, tions : and Lord liaglan, much astonished, ex- XII '__ pressed strong objection to the proposed delay. Colonel Trochu replied that, upon his arrival in the Levant, he had gone to Gallipoli in order to see what degree of forwardness the prepara- tions of the French army had really attained ; and he had come, he said, to the conclusion that the French army was not as yet so equipped and pro- vided as to render it practicable, with anything like common prudence, to attempt operations against the enemy. He went on to justify his conclusion by details, showing the deficiencies under which the French army laboured : he said that he had communicated the result of his inspection and the opinion which he had formed to Marshal St Arnaud, and that Marshal St Arnaud, entirely adopting that opinion, had sent him to the Eng- lish headquarters in order that he might pre- vail upon Lord Eaglan to suspend the intended movement. Lord Rag- Lord Raglan observed that great inconvenience approval of would rcsult from the proposed suspension of the delay. movcment ; that the movement was one actually proposed by the French and English commanders to Omar Pasha, and by him, as well as by the Turkish Ministers, entirely approved ; and that thus the French and the l*'nglish commanders stood pledged to Omar Pasha, and to the Porte, at a moment, too, when much anxiety existed for the fate of Silistria. Colonel Truchu admittted all this; but he again urged the necessity for delay.