Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/197

SUFFERINGS OF THE ARMIES. 153 frost-bite, and of these many died; whilst of chap. those who survived, the main number were 1_ grievously mutilated ; and indeed it is declared that but few of them escaped the sad fate of being maimed for life.(^) Even when men, relieved from the trenches or from outpost duty, came back into camp for rest and food, they could not be sure of there meeting the warmth of a bivouac fire ; for the scarcity of fuel was sometimes extreme, and to want of find ignitible substances, the troops, at a great cost of labour, had to grub in the earth for roots. (®) Without shelter in this severe weather, and The iiorses also too often unfed, the French horses perished Fienchper. by hundreds ; (^) the cavalry was almost dis- from^coid mounted, the artillery and the land-transport of food, trains lost half their teams, and this at a time when double teams were needed for moving even slight loads. General Canrobert's want of means for land-transport must have become extreme, if it had not most happily proved that his African horses and mules were hardy enough to endure the trial.(^*^) Still, with even this precious re- Their means source, the transport-power of the French fell transport into a crippled state ; (^^) and it was often j^y "-"pi"^'- no other means than the bodily labour of the men that supplies of all kinds were brought up.e2) We have seen that the accustomed rations of The food of the French soldier could scarcely be deemed amy. sufficient for any campaign of a kind entailing hard, lasting toil, still less for sustaining him