In the meanwhile the Allies had not been idle. On the 9th of October the French succeeded, without interruption from the enemy, in completing about 900 metres of a regular trench, and on the night of the 10th the British also broke ground with similar success, but not with the same immunity fx'om molestation, as the Russians, who were on the alert, never ceased firing on our lines during the whole night. Their fire, however, Avas not very effective, and before daybreak about 1200 yards of trench had been completed in the teeth of this opposition, and in spite of the rocky and difficult nature of the ground on which our men had to work. From this time the siege-works progressed with unexampled rapidity on both sides, and on the 17th the Russians found themselves opposed by a series of well-constructed and heavily-armed batteries, which promised, even to the least sanguine among the assailants, results which the event failed to justify. The enemy Avas apparently aware of the moment of the long-threatened attack, and, for half an hour before the signal preconcerted by the Allies was given, a heavy fire was opened upon them all along the line. This was replied to by the English and French batteries at half-past six, and a vigorous cannonade Avas maintained for some time on both sides, Avithout any decided superiority being manifested on either. At the end of an hour and a half, hoAvever, the first indications of the balance inclining in favour of the Russians began to be exhibited; some of the French works, OAving to an engineering oversight, were found to be enfiladed by the enemy's guns, and this circumstance, added to the
.
heavy weight of metal by which they were assailed, gradually overpowered the fire of our Allies, which began sensibly to slacken.
Shortly before nine o'clock the French magazine on the extreme right of their attack unfortunately exploded, causing a very severe loss, and the Russians followed up their advantage with such vigour, that ere long they had all but completely silenced the French batteries.
Towards the middle of the day the three Allied fleets, at the urgent instance of the Generals, who had calculated much on the effects of this diversion, ran in and engaged the sea-ward forts with the greatest energy.
The firing on shore was now also excessively hot on all sides, and at this period of the day the scene was one to which no powers of description could do adequate justice. Thick wreaths of smoke enveloped the town, the harbour, and the ships, and this fearful fire-mist was illumined and reddened by incessant flashes, while the ear was deafened by the multitudinous roar of nearly a thousand pieces of the heaviest ordnance, accompanied by that indescribable but appalling hurtling of the air produced by the screaming of shell and the hoarse whistle of round shot as they fly on their errand of death and destruction. Later in the day another French magazine burst, and subsequently two or three Russian ones, the most fearful explosion of the day being one which occurred in the Redan. Eyewitnesses declare that for some seconds after it occurred the air was black with showers of loose earth, stones, and debris of every description, amongst which the keener eyes or more vivid imaginations of some who have described the scene, descried legs and arms, and other fragmentary remains of what shortly previous had been living and breathing men. The Redan, hoAvever, was not silenced, the Russians returning with indomitable resolution to their guns.
The fleets, meanwhile, had not been idle, — broadside after broadside had been fired on Forts Nicholas, Constantino, and the remaining seadefences. Our Navy, on this occasion, was not unworthy of its ancient fame, and emulated, on its own element, the heroic efforts and unflinching courage of the detachment of its sons who were sharing in the operations on shore. Sir Edmund Lyons, with that recklessness of danger which is only equalled by his cool judgment and quick perception, — qualities which have made him the darling of the fleet which he now commands, — ran the Agamemnon to within 900 yards of Fort Constantino, which he engaged closely, maintaining his perilous position until sunset rendered further operations impossible. " The Agamemnon," says a Naval Officer who was present, "lay close to her work, and would have breached it, but the fire at times had to be withdrawn to silence the small forts on the hill, which were hulling her meantime." The Bellerophon succeeded in silencing the mischievous little Wasp Fort and some mud-batteries established on the hill above Fort Constantino, eliciting from the Agamemnon the complimentary signal, " Well done, Bellerophon! " A tribute not confined to that ship.