us in mind is sufficiently shown by the illustrations of his
inventive genius and philanthropic earnestness that have been given in
the last chapter. The most striking proof of this, however, so far as he
was allowed to prove it, has yet to be given.

Very soon after his return he sought to impress upon Sir James Graham,
then First Lord of the Admiralty, under the Earl of Aberdeen's
administration, the value of his secret war-plans, and before long a
special reason for advocating their adoption arose. Their efficacy had
been frequently acknowledged by the highest authorities, but as England
was at peace, nothing more than an acknowledgment was made. The outbreak
of our war with Russia induced Lord Dundonald to bring them forward
again in 1853. At first Sir James Graham declined to entertain the
subject. The Government believed that Russia would be easily and
promptly defeated by the ordinary means of warfare, and therefore
contented itself with them. In this decision Lord Dundonald acquiesced
perforce; but, on its appearing that the fight would be harder than had
been anticipated, he again claimed a hearing for his proposals,
believing that by their acceptance he could not only bring his own
career as a British seaman to a glorious termination, but also--a yet
dearer object to him--by so doing render inestimable service to his
country.

In this spirit he wrote again to Sir James Graham on the 22nd of July,
1854. "Important aggressive enterprises," he said, "being now suspended
by Russia, whose armies, on the defensive, may indefinitely prolong the
war, and thereby expose our country to perilous consequences, resulting
from protracted naval co-operation, I am desirous, through you,
respectfully to offer for the consideration of her Majesty's Cabinet
Ministers a simple yet effective plan of operations, showing that the
maritime defences of Cronstadt, however strong against ordinary means of
attack, may be captured, and their red-hot shot and incendiary missiles,
prepared for the destruction of our ships, turned on those they protect;
a result of paramount importance, now that the forces in the Black Sea
have been diverted from the judiciously-contemplated attack on
Sebastopol, compared to the success of which any secondary enterprise in
the Baltic would prove of very small importance to the successful result
of the war. Permit me, therefore, in the event of my plans being
approved, unreservedly to offer my services, with