Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Juvenile fiction; Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction
The natives, with their black lambskin caps and long pelisses, came to
the camp in considerable numbers, bringing provisions, and, what was of
more consequence, camels, and carts drawn by oxen for the conveyance of
stores.
On the morning of the 19th of September the bugles sounding through the
camp aroused all sleepers, and in a short time the army began its march
to the southward. The transports, having performed their duty, sailed
away for the Bosphorus, while the ships-of-war moved slowly on abreast
of the army down the coast, coming to an anchor when it halted, and
again weighing when it recommenced its march; the larger ones, for want
of water, being obliged to keep at some distance out, while the steamers
stood in with the lead going as close as possible, somewhat in advance
of the army, throwing in their shot and shells whenever they caught
sight of any troops at which to fire.
Towards evening the armies reached the first river in their march, the
Bulganak, on the banks of which they bivouacked for the night, in order
of battle, as it was thought possible that at dawn they would be
attacked by the Russians. The night closed in with rain--bad
preparation for the work which all knew would take place on the morrow.
The morning dawned more brightly; it was to be the last day many of
those brave men in the allied hosts were to see, but few expected to be
among the slain. A glorious victory was to be gained by their prowess,
they believed, though victory was not to be won without hard fighting.
As the sun glanced over the hilltops the steamers got up their steam,
and the line-of-battle ships loosed their sails.
Tom and Archie climbed to the masthead, where they determined to remain
with telescopes in hand till called down to attend to their duty on
deck. In front of them was a line of cliffs extending to the mouth of
the Alma, bordering a wide extent of undulating ground. Beyond the Alma
rose broken cliffs with a broad plateau on their summit, on which the
enormous army of Russia was posted, their lines extending from the coast
far away out of sight. In front of the steep hillsides were numerous
heavy batteries, capable of sweeping the invading force back into the
stream of the Alma, till its waters should run dark with blood. More to
the left the French forces could be seen forming in order of battle,
with the Turks in the rear, while only for a short distance could the
red-coated soldiers of England be distinguished. Now and then a party
of horsemen could be made out. When the sun rose, its rays glittered
for a moment on the helmets and breastplates of the heavy cavalry as
they moved off to protect the left flank of the invading forces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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