Whoever he was, by the act for which he paid so dearly, he destroyed not less than 30,000 cartloads of wood, which might have been made available for hutting and fuel. It is, on the whole, a miracle that more accidents of the kind do not occur, owing to the neglect of the authorities and the carelessness of the men. No one seems to think it necessary to destroy the great quantities of powder, loose and in cartridges, which may be found in all the Russian batteries, and in every nook and corner of the place. It was only the other day a naval officer pointed out to me the danger arising from the number of live shell lying inside the Redan. The fuses are simply open tubes of wood, and have no caps, so that a spark setting fire to one fuse would cause all the shells to explode.
These live shells are to be seen in all directions, and are generally nicely imbedded near small magazines or piles of cartridges. It is now supposed that the explosion which took place in the Strand Battery, and hurt so many men, was a fougasse. The Russians seem to be strengthening their camps near Mackenzie's Farm. LEAVE OF ABSE>'CE. 229 Monday. Intelligence has been received to-day tliat on Friday or Saturday the French troops near Eupatoria surprised a Eussian detachment and convoy, capturing six guns, 170 prisoners, and some carts and horses. A council of Generals was held to-day at head-quarters, at which Marshal Pelissier was present, and there are " strong suspicions" that we are at last going " to do something." Orders have been sent to the French fleet to prepare for the reception of 15,000 men to-morrow.
The conferences between the Generals have been frequent of late. The detachment of Royals doing duty at head-quarters as guard have been relieved by 200 men of the Rifle Brigade, under the command of Captain Fyers. There has not been much firing from or on the town to-day, but the French at Inkermann are annoying a new Russian camp at the other side of the ravine by constant discharges of long range rockets. We hear that General Bentinck is going home, and that he will probably be succeeded in his command by Lord W. Paulet. Lord West, an able and distinguished ofiicer, is also going home, and to-day the name of Colonel Norcott appears in orders with leave of absence on urgent private affairs. Colonel Norcott's services in the field are a matter of history.
Except when stricken down by fever for a short time, he never left his men since the brigade landed at Gallipoli, primus in Turcis. With equal gallantry and skill he advanced to the vineyards, led his wing up the steep of the Alma in front of the Light Division, full in the throat of the Russian batteries, and where the terrible fii'e of his men caused the enemy the loss of most valuable officers and soldiers. It needs not to be said that the temporary absence of such an officer would be a severe loss to the army if there was anything to be done, but the reasons which induce him to leave the field on which he won so much renown and esteem are imperative.
Mr. Hayter, of the commissariat, is not the commissary officer reported as killed on the 8th in the telegraphic despatch from head-quarters. He is alive and well, and was never in the way of being hit. Although several oflUcers of the Commissariat Department have been under fire, only one of them, Mr. Blane, has received any injury, and his "wound" was a slight scratch in the face, received as he was going to his own tent in the Third Division, late at night, by a stone which was knocked up by one of the lonof ranjje round shots. Tuesday. At ten o'clock tliis morning a general commotion arose in camp, in consequence of the sounding of the assembly and the turning out of all the men.
At the same time the Light Division was inspected, and the artillery were reviewed in the open space in front of our lines towards Inkermann. The 1st brigade of the Fourth Division received orders to hold themselves in readiness to march at dawn to-morrow morning. It is at last evident that some active operation will be attempted ere winter sets in. So sudden was the order that all the various working parties were interrupted in their Avork, and marched off to their respective regiments after they had been occupied in roadmaking only a couple of hours. The men detailed to the Land Transport Corps and to the Commissariat Department were sought out and told to rejoin their regiments at once. A general parade and inspection of French troops of the divisions of Inkermann are now going on.