The lines of the French trenches were at once covered as though the very clouds of Heaven had settled down upon them and were whirled about in spiral jets, in festoons, in clustering bunches, in columns and in sheets, all commingled, involved together, and uniting as it were by the vehement flames beneath. The crash of such a tremendous fire must have been appalling, but the wind and the peculiar condition of the atmosphere did not permit the soimd to produce anjgreat effect on our camp; in the city for the same reason the noise must have been terrific and horrible. The iron stomi tore over the Eussian Unes, tossing up, as if in sport, jets of earth and dust, rending asunder gabions, and " squelching" the parapets, or dashing in amongst the houses and ruins in their rear.
The terrible files of this fl3'ing army extending about four miles in front, rushed across the plain, carryingdeathand terror in their train, sv\'ept with heavyand irresistible wings the Russian flanks, and searched their centre to the core. A volley so startling, simultaneous, and tremendously powerful Wits probably never yet discharged since cannon were introduced. The Russians seemed for a while utterly paralysed. Their batteries were not manned with strength enough to enable them to reply to such an overlapping and crushing fire; but tlie French, leaping to their o-uns with astounding energy, rapiditj^ and vigour, ^ept on filling the very air with the hurtling storm, and sent it in unbrolven fiuy against their enemies. More than 200 pieces of artilleiy of large calibre, admirably served and well directed, played incessaiitljupon the hostile lines.
In a few moments a great veil of smoke — " a war-cloud rolling dun" — spread from the guns on the left of Sebastopol; but the roar of the shot did not cease, and the cannonade now pealed forth in great irregular bursts, now died away into hoarse mm-murs, again swelled up into tumult, or rattled from one extremity to the other of the line like the file-fire of infantry. Stone walls went down before the discharge at once, but the earthworks yawned to receive sliot and shell alike. However, so swift and incessant was the passage of these missiles through the embrasures and along the tops of the parapets that the enemy had to lie close, and sc.ircely dare show themselves in the front line of their defences.
For a few minutes the French had it ail their own way, and appeared to be on the point of sweeping away the place without resistance. This did not last long, as after they had fired a few rounds from each of their numerous guns, the Russian artilleiymen got to •work, and began to return the fii'e. They made good practice, but fired slowly and with precision, as if they could not afford to throw away an ounce of powder. The French were stimulated rather than restrained by such a reply to their astonishing volleys, and sent their shot with greater rapiditj' along the line of the defences, and among the houses of the town. But what were ■we doing all this time? What was our admirable Naval Brigade and our gallant siege train doing?
They were just working their guns at a quiet rate, but they maintained their usual destructive and solid " hammering" away at the i'aces of the IJcdan and of the MalakholF, and aided our invaluable allies by keeping up a regular shell practice on the batteries from the Creek to the Eedan. Inow two or tliree mortars from (lordon's, then two or three mortars from Chapman's, hurled 10 and 13-inch shell behind the enemy's \vorks, and coraiected the dischnrges by rounds from long 32's or 68's. It is not known Avhy this evident want of unanimity existed, and why Ave did not open fire with the same vigour and rapidity as the French. General Pelissier was at our head-quarters 3'^esterday,and had an interview with General Simpson, and it is not unlikely that the French Corainauderj finding that we were not quite prepared to open fu-o with effect, with his characteristic impetuosity, resolved on dams; so himself, and to rely upon his own numerous and heavy ordnance and abundance of ammunition.
I am by no means prepared to say that we wci"e not ready to open on the day ag-reed upon, nor do I insinuate that thei'e was the smallest want of unanimity between the Generals, but it is a fact that we had not the guns and ammvmition required for opening a three days' fire of intensity, and that if we had plenty of a certain sort of materiel and missiles, the requisite quantity of those of a different, hut useful description, was wanting. Our allies must appreciate tlie readiness with which we have on several occasions lent them guns, shot, and shell, and are too generous, while remembering such services, to fmd fault with us for not having accumulated such masses of stores as they had collected.