Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/379

THE LANDING. 349 The Turks did the work of landing very well ; chap. and, indeed, they quickly showed that they had ^^^^- an advantage over the French and the English in ^^J^^ their more familiar acquaintance with the mode of life proper to warfare. They did not let the want of land-transport prevent them from landing their camp equipage ; for, with them, the carriage of tents is a very simple business. Two soldiers, one at each end, bear the pole of a tent between them, and the canvas is carried by others in turns. So early as the 15th, the first day after that on which the landing began, the Turks were comfortably en- camped on the ground assigned to them; and whilst the young troops of France and England were still sitting wretched and chilled by the wet of their night's bivouac, the warlike Osmanlis seemed to be in their natural home. Soliman, who commanded them, was able to welcome and honour the guests who went to visit him in his tent as hospitably as though he were in the audi- ence-hall of his own pashalic. He had all his tents well pitched ; and his men, one could see, were still a true Moslem soldiery — men with arms and accoutrements bright, yet not forgetful of prayer. He had a supply of biscuit and of cart- ridges, and a good stock of horses, some feeding, some saddled and ready for instant use. He was not without coffee and tobacco. His whole camp gave signs of a race which gathers from a great tradition, going on from father to son, the duties and the simple arts of a pious and warfaring life.