WRECKS OF SHIPS.

143

without any covering-that the cholera has again broken out in Sebastopol—and that their soldiers are deserting in numbers.

21st. At last made a start for Balaklava. Arrived there before noon and anchored outside. The scene under the rocks was wonderful. They were lined with the wrecks of the vessels driven on shore the day of the gale; and in places their remains lay in large heaps from a piece of a mast, to a bit of wood no larger than a match-box—at a little distance there appeared to be nothing but heaps of chips! In the harbour, all the ships were more or less damaged, as they had been dashed against each other by the force of the wind. Some had lost their masts outside, and had been towed in afterwards; some had lost their rudders-others their figure-heads and bulwarks, and one vessel had sunk in the harbour and her masts just appeared above water.

The Avon, West India steamer, had slipped from her anchor during the gale, and run in, coming in collision with many other vessels, and cannoning from one to another like a bil

144

TREES BLOWN DOWN.

liard ball. Of course, she received and did much damage.

I cannot ascertain how many lives were lost on the 14th, as accounts are so contradictory; but very few were saved. Went on shore for a short time, but there was such a sea of mud in and about Balaklava, that I did not go any distance, having only one pair of boots in the Crimea! The gale of the 14th must have been an unusual one. There were a row of large Lombardy poplar trees in Balaklava, of many years' growth, and most of them have been blown down.

CHAPTER X.

RETURN TO CAM P.

November 22nd.-LANDED from the Agamemnon, sent my things to camp in a commissariat cart, and walked up. The road was horribly muddy. Got there at one o'clock p.m. and put up for the night with the Light Division, being a central situation. As soon as I got to the front, I went on up to the Second Division, and on to the field of battle. It was still covered with the debris of the fight-caps, belts, and pieces of clothing, and some rusty gun-barrels. Anything worth having, or fit for fuel, had been carried away, and the dead had been long since buried, ex

VOL. I.

L

On

cepting some which were lying far down in the valley, where our parties could not go. The number of Russians buried under the superintendence of Colonel Herbert, Assistant-Quarter-master-General of the Second Divisionamount to three thousand four hundred; and three hundred and forty of these have been put into a lime-kiln in the ravine below the picket-barrier. The ground has a far different appearance to what it had when I left. the ridge near the camp, we have mounted three 8-inch howitzers, and three 18-pounders. A little further on, the French have erected a square redoubt just above the Sand-bag battery, with four large ship-guns; and some sailors are encamped inside to work them. The French now find the pickets about there; and to the left of the Sand-bag battery, have constructed another one. On the Knoll we are making a redoubt, and a battery in front commanding the harbour; and on the hill to the right of this the French are making another redoubt with a road to it from the picketbarrier-so that the position will soon be impregnable. The French work is beautiful.

In the art of war, we are mere children and bunglers compared to them! Their arrangements are excellent. When we were alone on the right, we neglected to fortify the ridge, leaving our right flank unprotected. As soon as they came to that part of the position, they erected strong field-works.

While our men have nothing but their ordinary inferior great coats to wear in this dismal weather-the French have for their men white sheepskin coats, warm and neat-looking, in addition to their usual clothing. They have made preparations for the winter, and we have not; they are making huts, and we are doing next to nothing. Their superiority as soldiers is so manifest, that one cannot help noticing it; and General Canrobert looks after things himself, and may be constantly seen riding about the camp.

I dined with some friends in the 95th. To-day the regiment consists of one captain, commanding -one acting adjutant- two subalterns-and between three or four hundred men—the remainder are either sick, wounded, or dead. As the officers are few