Preparations were also made for blowing up the principal forts and
magazines.
Another great cannonade had begun on August 17th. The French lines had
now approached so close to the place that new additions to them were
immediately destroyed or rendered untenable by the fire from the
Malakoff and Little Redan; and the shower of small shells, easily cast
into the trenches from the ramparts, and called by the French
"bouquets," greatly increased their losses. For the silencing of the
artillery, which thus hindered the French sappers, the allied batteries
opened in full force against the part of the enemy's lines from the
Redan to the great harbor. But the town front was not included, and the
English batteries suffered greatly from want of support by the works on
their left.
On August 20th Gortschakoff entered the fortress, and went round the
lines of defence, upon which the fire of the allies was just then at its
height. What he saw might well confirm him in his resolution to retreat.
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