Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/67

BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 41 of llieir splendour and their strength, descended CHAP. slowly into the valley; and the ground on the '—. right hank of the river is so even and so gentle in its slope, and on the left hank so commanding, that every man of the invaders conld he seen from the opposite heights. The Eussian officers had heen accustomed all spedacie presenteil tn their days to military inspections and vast reviews, tiicRussuins but they now saw before them that very thing vanceofthc for the confronting of which their lives had been one long rehearsal. They saw a European army coming down in order of battle — an army arrayed in no spirit of mimicry and not at all meant to aid their endless study of tactics, but honestly marching against them, with a mind to carry their heights and take their lives. And gazing with keen and critical eyes upon this array of strangers, whose homes were in lands far away, they looked upon a phenomenon A^-hich raised their curiosity and their wonder, and which promised, too, to throw some new light on a notion they had lately been forming. The whole anxiety of Prince Mentschikoff had been for his right. If he could hold the main Pass, and scare the Allies from all endeavour to turn his right flank, he believed himself safe ; and it had been clear long ago that his conflict in this part of the field would be with the English. It was therefore the more useful to try to spread amongst the Uussian troops an idea that the English, all-powerful at sea, were thoroughly worthless as soldiers.