In addition to the old lines thrown up by Liprandi close to the Woronzoff road, the Russians erected, to the rear and north of it, a very large hexagonal work, capable of containing a large number of men, and of being converted into a kind of intrenched camp. The lines of these works were very plain as they were marked out by the snow, which lay in the trench after that which fell on the ground outside and inside had melted. There were, however, no infantry in sight, nor did any movement of troops take place over the valley of the Tchernaya. Emboldened by the success of the 24th, the Russians were apparently preparing to throw up another work on the right of the new trenches, as if they had made up their minds to besiege the French at Inkerman, and assail their right attack. They sent up two steamers to the head of the harbour, which greatly annoyed the right attack, and it occurred to Captain Peel, of the _Diamond_, that it would be quite possible to get boats down to the water's edge and cut these steamers out, or sink them. Lord Raglan and Sir Edmund Lyons reconnoitred their position, but on reflection the latter refused to sanction an operation which would have gone far to raise the prestige of our navy, and to maintain their old character for dash and daring. [Sidenote: SCARCITY OF BOOTS AND SHOES.] BOOK V. THE COMMENCEMENT OF ACTIVE OPERATIONS--THE SPRING--REINFORCEMENTS--THE SECOND BOMBARDMENT--ITS FAILURE--THIRD BOMBARDMENT, AND FAILURE--PERIOD OF PREPARATION. CHAPTER I. Preparations--The Railway in use--Vanity Fair, or Buffalo Town--Intrusion--Flowers and Birds--Exciting Sport--First Spring Meeting--Rumours--The Turkish Levies--The Electric Telegraph--News of the Death of Nicholas--Mismanagement--Progress of the Siege Works--Jack in Clover--Improved Condition of the Army--Admiral Boxer--Council of War--Affair between the Russians and the French. It froze on the night of the 1st of March. The thermometer was at twenty-four degrees at two A.M. next morning, the wind strong and very cold. It was scarcely to be believed that, with all our immense stores of warm clothing, boots and shoes were at that time by no means plentiful in the army. About three hundred pairs of boots were served out to the 14th Regiment, which was employed in fatigue duty in and near Balaklava; but the thick heavy clay sucked the soles off, and for a week some of the men went about without any soles to their boots--_ergo_, their feet were on the ground, with the thermometer at thirty degrees: that was not agreeable locomotion.