37 G PLAN OF ATTACKING THE NORTH SIDE. CHAP, once in his life, was cast into a state of 'low ^' ' spirits,' by hearing the Marshal reply, ' that he ' had ascertained that the Kussians had thrown ' up strong earthworks on the banks of the river ; ' and though he (the Marshal) did not doubt that ' the Allies could force them, as they had the ' works on the Alma, they could not afford the • loss that would be entailed ; ' * and, finally, we were enabled to perceive the way in which this refusal of the French to go on with the campaign as originally planned, was the cause which induced the Allies to halt — to halt with the whole of their forces — for two clear days on the Alma.f It must now be added, that the further efforts of Sir Edmund Lyons to induce the Marshal to agree to an attack on the position of the Star neconnais- Fort wcrc attended with no success. Upon Mimui'ii ' " hearing from Lord Eaglan that the Marshal had Lyons. j^Heged the new earthworks overlooking the Belbec as an obstacle not to be faced, Sir Edmund put himself on board a small steamer, and ran in so close as to be able to reconnoitre Failure of effcctually. He then ascertained that the newly- vonTto appearing works were of the kind represented by stArnami. tlic Marshal, but that they had not yet been armed. Sir Edmund hastened to report the re- sult of his survey to the French Commander, but
- Statement of Sir E. Lyons, a7ite, cliap. iii.
+ Instead of leaving mcrel)' a division to cover the embarka- tion of the wounded, an expedient which would have consisted perfectly with the plan of advancing at once to the attack of the Star Fort. See ante, chap. iii.
