The ground gained by this combined attack, which had achieved every purpose for which it was undertaken (since the time had not yet arrived for assaulting the MalakoiF and the Redan), was most important. By the seizure of the Ouvrages Blancs the French obtained the command of the head of the harbour and of Careening Bay, and their new batteries erected there soon compelled the Russian ships, which had inflicted so much damage on the besiegers, to shift their berth to a position which much diminished their powers of mischief. The Mamelon was scarcely 500 yards from the Malakoff, which Sir John Burgoyne had from the first declared to be the key of the position, and which, though the French long persisted in assigning that character to the Bastion du Mat, was now admitted to be so by Generals Pelissier and Niel. The capture of the Quarries brought our advanced trench to within 300 yards of the Redan; and, though it was clear that this work would cease to be tenable if the French were once firmly established in the Malakoffj it was still as imperative as ever to persevere in attacking it, in order to render that event possible, by drawing off a large portion of the garrison from the defence of the point really threatened. The final assault therefore became now only a question of time, and to shorten as far as possible the delay became the task of the Allies; to effect this they strained every nerve during the ten or twelve days following in arming their recent acquisitions, and bringing up a fresh supply of ammunition to enable them to re-open fire.
During this interval the fire on both sides languished: as the Russians, fully aware of the plan of the besiegers, which could no longer remain a mystery, had occupation to the full as absorbing as our own in repairing and re-arming their shattered and dismantled batteries. On the 9th there was a truce for five hours for burying the dead, who lay thickly about on the whole of the contested ground: and this Avas the only event of any note which occurred to vary the monotony of the siege until the l7th. At a council of war which was held at Lord Raglan's on the 15th, it had been decided that a general combined assault, to be preceded by a vigorous bombardment, should be made on the Malakofi" and Redan. It was intimated to Admirals Lyons and Bruat that a bombardment by sea would be desirable, to distract as far as possible the enemy's attention. Accordingly on
.
the night of the 16th June, the following vessels — Tribune, Highflyer, Terrible, Miranda, Niger, Arrow, Viper, and Snake, accompanied by several French steamers, opened a heavy fire on the town and sea defences, whilst the Danube and the launches of the Royal Albert poured in a shower of rockets. This operation was repeated on the following night by the Princess Royal, Sidon, Highflyer, Miranda, Viper, and Snake, and a division of French steamers with the launches. The attack on the first night was unattended by any casualty: but on the 17th the English ships suffered a loss of three men killed and thirteen wounded; and Captain Lyons, the brave and energetic captain of the Miranda, whose brilliant services in the Sea of Azoff it has been so lately our task to chronicle, was so severely wounded in the leg by a shell, whilst issuing orders from the paddle-box of his vessel, that Admiral Lyons was obliged to send him down to the hospital at Therapia. Here the wound, which was neglected by Captain Lyons in his stern determination to remain at his post until his duty was accomplished, assumed an aggravated character, which rendered amputation impracticable, and on the evening of the 23rd this gallant ofilcer breathed his last, to the inexpressible regret of the father who had beheld with pride his own eminent qualities reflected in his son, and to the irreparable loss of the service, of which he was one of the most distinguished ornaments.