Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/48

18 CAUSES INVOLVING Fi;ANUE AND ENGLAND CHAP. Turks were the first to lire, and to Lriiig upon '• tlieir little squadron of frigates the broadsides of six sail of the line; and although they fought Thfl disaster without liopo, they were steadfast. Either they "'°^'^' refused to strike tlieir colours, or else, if their colours went down, the Russian Admiral was blind to their signal, and continued to slaughter them. Except the steamer, every one of the Turkish vessels was destroyed. It was believed by men in authority that 4000 Turks were killed, that less than 400 survived, and that all these were wounded.* The feeble batteries of the place suffered under the enemy's fire, and the town Avas much shattered.* The Russian fleet did not move from Sinope until the following day.* This onslaught upon Sinope, and upon vessels lying in port, was an attack upon Turkish terri- tory, and was therefore an attack which the French and English Ambassadors had been authorised to repel by calling into action the fleets of the "Western Powers. Moreover, the attack had been impending for many days, and all this while the (leets of the Western Powers had been lying still in the Posphorus within easy reach of the scene of the disaster. The honour of France was wounded. England was touched to the quick. • 'Eastern rapers,' part ii. p. 305.