year, the grand catastrophe occurred, and southern
Sebastopol fell under what the Russian commander called "the fire
infernal" of the allies.

On the 14th of November, a terrible storm smote the Black Sea and the
Crimea. The tents of the camps were blown away, many ships were wrecked,
and many lives were lost. The want of prevision, management, and
organization, on the part of the chief authorities of the British, led
to costly sacrifices of human life, _materiel_ of war, and supplies.

The operations in the Baltic were not so important as those in the Black
Sea. The fine British fleet, commanded by Sir Charles Napier, was
aided by a powerful French fleet, under the command of Vice-admiral
Parseval-Deschenes. The achievements of those fleets did not answer the
expectations formed. The French arrived late in the season, and acted
so dependency upon the British, that they did not even attempt anything.
The English admiral showed neither spirit nor activity. Partly through
his want of enterprise, and still more from the neglect of the Admiralty
at home to provide vessels of draught suitable to the shallow waters
of the Baltic, no attempt was made to conquer any of the Russian
strongholds. The island and forts of Bomarsund were captured and
destroyed, the British and French engineers and artillery having the
chief glory of the conquest. The British engineer officer, General
Jones, greatly distinguished himself.

Operations were also conducted in the White Sea by the allied squadrons,
but the assistance rendered by the French was trivial. The allies,
particularly the French, arrived too late in the season to effect much.

In the Pacific Ocean the blunders and tardiness which characterized
the allies were extraordinary: incompetency was impressed on all
their undertakings. The Russians were attacked in their far-eastern
settlements, especially Petropaulovski; but the allies suffered signal
and sanguinary defeat, arising from the incompetency of the naval
officers in command.

Such were the fortunes of the great war with Russia during 1854.

[Illustration: 840.jpg BATTLE OF ALMA]

[Illustration: 841.jpg BATTLE OF INKERMAN]

PARLIAMENT.

The session of 1854 was not barren. The war occupied men's thoughts,
and engaged the time of the legislature; the reform bill of Lord John
Russell was put off _sine die_; yet many useful bills were carried
through the legislature, and much valuable business transacted in both