Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/84

58 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CHAP. When General Bonat reached the bank of the ^' river, he found that the bar of sand at its mouth uli'dTtaci^ed ^^t^e it possible for his men to keep good their Bouat""'^'"^ footing against the waves flowing in from the sea ; and in process of time, with all his infantry, including the Turkish battalions, he succeeded in gaining the left bank of the river. He could not> however, carry across his artillery, and he there- fore sent it back with orders to follow the march of Autemarre's brigade. Wlien he reached the left bank of the river, Bouat found an opening in the cliff before him, which promised to give liim means of ascent. Into this opening he threw some skirmishers, and these, encountering no enemy, were followed by the main body of the brigade, and by the Turkish battalions. Pursuing the course thus opened to him, Bouat slowly crept forward with his col- umn, and wound his way up and round towards the summit of the cliff. But it was only by marching upon a very narrow front that he was able to effect this movement ; and it was not until a late period of the action that he was able to show himself in force upon the plateau. Even then he was without artillery. The troops under his com- mand had not an opportunity of engaging in any combat with the enemy because they marched upon that part of the heights M-hich the Eussian General had determined to leave unoccupied. Further Meanwhile Bosquet, marching in person with Autemarre's Autcmarre's brigade, traversed the village of Alma- Ijrigade. i p , i , . tamack, forded the river at ten minutes past two