But the work which required the greatest amount of labour was the metalling, there having been over this thi'ee and a half miles nearly 40,000 tons of hard limestone rock quarried, collected, and laid upon the road. Above the Col the main trunk proceeds over the plateau of Sebastopol, following nearly the direction of the railway, crossing the Woronzofi' road up to the camp of the Light Division, on the extreme right. Here the difficulties are of a difierent 3GS CAMP EMPLOYMENTS. character, and the surface and geographical formation changes from deep clay vallej's and plains and carboniferous limestone rock hills to a comparatively uniform surface of a very plastic retentive clay; on examination, Mr. Doyne found this did not exceed an average of eighteen inches deep, and that miderneath there is a light rubbly oolitic limestone rock, similar to that found in the neighbourhood of Stroud, in Gloucestershire.
The whole of the clay was removed for a width of thu-ty-two feet, and a solid foundation was discovered, upon which the road is securely constructed by paving and metalling it with the parts of the oolite rocks which had become harder by exposure to the weather, and for the worst parts hard metal has been brought from the other district. It Avas opened for traffic in forty-eight days from the time of its commencement. There is no gradient upon it worse than 1 in 17, and it is intended to erect mile-posts, and, if possible, to affix lanterns to them, which will be found very usefid in the dark wintry nights which are approaching. We have been all much amused this mail by the perusal of an article extracted from the Neto Yorlc Herald of the 25th of October, which appeared in The Times of the l7th November, and containing the opinions of General (I beg his pardon.
Doctor) Davcga on the past and future of the war. The lucubrations are, however, so far useful, that they contain perhaps some indications of the modes of thought and tendency of calculation in the Russian camp. Ovir own speculations are often absm'd enough, and in most instances prove to be exceedingly fiiUacious; but one cannot believe that astute strategists like the Russians can ever for one moment believe that the allies will attack them in their present position — that they will attempt to cross the waters of Sebastopol, or storm the heights of Inkermann, Mackenzie, or Aitodor. These defiles would not admit of the carriage or use of artillery, or of the passage of cavalry; in many places ten men might hold them against a thousand.
But, holding the seaboard, as we do, there is no place except the north side of Sebastopol at which we camiot land, and from which we cannot march to take in reverse the whole of those gigantic works of which the Doctor speaks, and to cut off all communications between the enemy in the Crimea and Russia Proper. The Doctor declares that the Russians did not intend to hold the south side, that is, the city of Sebastopol, longer than was necessary for the removal of their hospitals, their DOCTOR DAVEGa's SOPHISTRIES, 3 GO guns, and whatever else they considered indispensable. When did that intention be<^in? It certainly appears that the enemy did not carry it out, for they left beliind them about 4000 brass and ii-on guns, all their fleet, the most hon-ible spectacle in the shape of a hospital (Doctor, did you belong to that pleasant school of surgery?) tlie world ever saw, and an immense quantity of clothing, of food, and of stores, which would be considered indispensable to any army in Europe, if they could have been removed.
The llussian guns on the north side not only do not render the possession of the city untenable, but are so innocuous, that the allies do not take the trouble of replying to them. We occupy the city and destroy the docks under the eyes of their gunners, and like so many bees, extract from the shot-shattered comb of Sebastopol the honey of utility, — wood, iron, stoves, and many other things to make us comfortable for the winter. I verily believe that the good Doctor thinks the descent of the Russian liners and steamers among the mussels is a plan to recruit their strength — a mere strategical dodge to obtain concentrated power. To us who saw the Alma, Balaklava, and Inkermann, the " singular fact that Russians flock together under a heavy fire, and cling to each other with a tenacity which knows not how to yield, while the French and English scatter under similar cu'cum stances," is a singular absurdity.