Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/343

ACROSS THE BLACK SEA. 313 much force as to show that the fiamers of the cilAP. XX document entirely disapproved it; and indeed . they urged that any landing north of Sebastopol would be surely followed by disastrous results. The document also raised weighty objections to a descent upon the coast near the Yetsa. The only plan which was made to appear at all justifi- able was that of a landing at Kaffa ; and although the difficulties attending even that operation were placed in a strong light, it was orally stated that the framers of the document considered that plan to be one nearly free from objection. Now Kaffa was a seaport in the eastern part of the Crimean peninsula, and divided from Sebas- topol by many long marches over mountain-roads. The autumn had already come. The landing at Kaffa implied an abandonment, for that year at least, of all attempts against Sebastopol. It was to attack Sebastopol forthwith, and in the year 1854, that the great flotilla with all its precious freight had been gathered together ; and now, whilst the vast armada was moving towards the enemy's coast, there came from the men of weight and science in the French army this singular protest — for that is what it really was — against an enterprise already begun. Marshal St Arnaud was in a painful strait. stAmaud _ . , , . , , . , leaves all to Being, as he knew, without ascendancy in the LordRagiaa French army, he apparently thought that the weight attaching to the combined opinion of all the protesting officers was too great to warrant hira in meeting their interposition with reproof