128 THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN. CHAP. VI. 1st Period. The forces he was confronting. The force directly confronting him. he could anywhere see except the handful of men, under Grant, which he was leaving behind him on his left rear.* It may well be supposed that if Egerton had known the strength of the opposing forces, he would scarce have persisted in his advance with- out support ; but one of the effects of the dim- ness on this Inkerman morning was to abate the respect due to numbers by keeping tliem out of sight at even a very moderate distance, and Gene- ral Soimonoff attacking in echelon with the left of his forces refused, showed our people a cloud of infantry which represented no more than one- fifth of the strength he was bringing against them. When Egerton made up his mind to engage the troops straight before him, he was blind to those Catherinburg battalions which we last saw con- fronted by Grant, and had had no glimpse of the thousands then advancing on his right front. But the force directly opposing him was now gradually disclosed by the dim gray presence of soldiery advancing in open order, and behind them, the gathering darkness importing troops densely massed. First, after the line of the Eus- sian skirmishers, and indeed partly mingled amongst them, there came shapeless clumps of the grey-coated soldiery, disposed in what seemed to be a crowd somewhat loosened, but all as with and of the 4th Catherinhurg battalion which had strayed off to the east.
- Even that force— though lie 'could' have descried it by
riding to the extreme left of his line — he did not in fact sea.
