Under any circumstances the Russian engineers knew their coast well enough to be ready to defend its weak points, and to occupy the best ground of defence against the hostile descent. They knew our object, if we went to the Crimea at all, must be the reduction of Sebastopol, and of course they took care to render the primos aditiis difficiles. When the Furious returned to the fleet, after a cruise along the south-western coast of the Crimea, she saw a Russian intrenched camp of about 6000 men placed above the very spot at which it seemed desirable we should effect a landing. Who told the Russians what the intentions of our chiefs were? Why, they saiv an English steam frigate, with Sir George Brown, General Canrobert, and Sir E. Lyons on board, making a deliberate survey of that very spot days before, and it was only natural to suppose that the same strategical knowledge which led the English and French Generals to select this place for the landing warned the Russians that it would be wise to defend it. Certainly it was not any article in a London journal which enabled the Russians to know the point selected by our Generals, so as to induce them to throw up an intrenchment and to form a camp of 6000 men there.
However, Marshal St. Arnaud prevented much doubt existing as to our real intentions, for on the 25th he published the following Ordre General. (No. 100.)
"ARMF.E D'ORIENT.
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
11 Soldats, — Vous venez de donner de beaux spectacles de perseverance, de calme et d'energie, an milieu de circonstances douleureuses qu'il faut oublier. L'heure est Tenue de combattre, et de vaincre.
"L'ennemi ne nous a pas attendu sur le Danube. Ses colonnes demoralisees, detruites par la rnaladie, s'en eloignent peniblement. C'est la Providence, peut-etre, qui a voulu nous epargner l'epreuve de ces contrees malsaines. C'est elle, aussi, qui. nous appelle en Crirnee, pays salubre comme le notre, et a Sebastopol, siege de la puissance Russe, dans ces murs ou nous allons chercher ensemble le gage de la paix et de notre retour dans nos foyers.
" L' enterprise est grande, et digne de vous; vous la realiserez a l'aide du plus formidable appareil militaire et maritime qui se vit jamais. Les flottes alliees, avec leurs trois mille canons et leurs vingt-cinq mille braves matelots, vos emules et vos compagnons d'armes, porteront sur la terre de Crimee une armee Anglaise, dont vos peres ont appris & respecter la haute valeur, une division choisie de ces soldats Ottomans qui viennent de faire leurs preuves sous vos yeux, et une armee Francaise que j'ai le droit et l'orgueil d'appeler l'elite de notre armde toute entiere.
<c Je vois la plus que des gages de succes; j'y vois le succes lui-meme. Generaux, Chefs de Corps, Officiers de toutes armes, vous partagerez, et vous ferez passer dans lame de vos soldats la confiance dont la mienne est remplie. Bientot, nous saluerons ensemble les trois drapeaux reunis flottant sur les ramparts de Sebastopol de notre cri nationale, 'Vive l'Emp^reur!'
" Au Quartier-general de Varna, Aout 25, 1854.
(Signed) "Le Marechal de Frauce, Comm. -en-Chef 1 Armee d'Orient,
"A. ST. ARNAUD."
In curious contrast to the above order, Lord Raglan issued a memorandum, requesting "Mr. Commissary- General Filder to take steps to insure that the troops should all be provided with a ration of porter for the next few days." Jt reminded one of the bathos of the Scotch Colonel's address to his men before the Pyramids, compared to Napoleon's high-flown appeal.