And this was so.
I wish, reader, we could remain with bold young Llewellyn and his friend Grant throughout all the fearful battle of Alma. But we must take a glance at the whole field.
The plain on which the allies made their last halt swept smooth and green down to the winding river side. ([Vide plan.])
If a small boat at sea were sailing north from the direction of Sebastopol, she would find on her right a high wall of rugged rocks. Well, on coming to and entering the river, these cliffs are still continued up the south side of the stream for a mile and a half. After this the wall of rocks ends in a range of hills or heights, subsides into these, as it were, and the braes are now climbable even to Englishmen, and far more so, of course, to the Scottish mountaineers.
Now for the villages on the northern bank of the stream. The first is Alma Tamak, higher up is Bourliouk, and higher up still the little village of Tarkhanlar. As to the roads leading up through the cliffs or up the hills, the first is near to the mouth of the stream, which is here fordable, and the path goes up the cliff. At Alma Tamak there is, when you get over the river, a road up a kind of glen in the wall of rocks, and along this guns may be taken with difficulty. Further up still, and near to a farm, is a third road; then a better and wider one not far from Bourliouk, which takes the traveller right away up to Telegraph Hill.
Having ascended the wall of rocks through the gaps, or climbed the braelands, our troops would find themselves on a rugged tableland which stretched south and away as far as the next river—Katcha—which, with Belbek, lay between them and the goal of their expectations, Sebastopol.
The disposition of the forces is plainly laid down in the plan herewith presented, so I need not describe it in the text. As to the fleets, the Turkish squadron was farthest south, then came the French, and next the British.
It will be noticed that the whole front of battle fell to the share of the British, the French having undertaken to reach the heights between the enemy and the sea, and so turn the Russian left flank. But the main portion of the enemy's forces was massed to the east of the road from Eupatoria to Sebastopol. Observe, please, their batteries, their cavalry stretching along from Kourgané Hill, and note the position of the Vladimir Regiment. When you have done so, we are ready for the great fight.