ACCESSION OF FKESH ALLIES. 217 force were flanked on their left by some cavalry, chap. and field-batteries, which with excellent courtesy the French and the English Commanders had ^rded." placed — for once — under the guidance of a Turkish and Mussulman Pasha. Towards the end of the month of April, the submarine telegraph task of laying down a submarine telegraph cable connecting J _. ° the cher- connecting the Chersonese with Varna was sonesewith ° Varna. brought to completion ; and so early as the 2d of May the arrangements for intercommunication were perfected. Thenceforth a few hours sufficed for the passage of messages flying from either Paris or London to the camps in front of Se- bastopol. This facility of communication, however, was its counter not an unmixed advantage ; and perhaps indeed mischief!, many of those who will see its effects as experi- enced in the night of the 3d of May will impa- tiently say that the change was rather a curse than a blessing.* There also was laid down a cable which con- The Eupa- nected the Chersonese with Eupatoria. Lord Raglan towards the close of this period Theacces- was happily strengthened in numbers by a large 15,000 sar- • iiii dinian and welcome accession of troops placed under his troops under General de la Orders. Marmora. The King of Sardinia had so aimed his exalted ambition as to make the cause of Italy his own,
- See post, p. 263 et seq.
