The distance from Varna to Eupatoria is about 300 miles. The armament arrived on the Qth at the rendezvous first assigned, " forty miles west of Cape Tarkan." It remained anchored there throughout the loth, while Lord Raglan and General Canrobert, with the Commanding Engineer, Sir John Burgoyne, and other English and French officers, naval and military, reconnoitered the coast for a landing-place, and observed its character throughout. At dawn, in a swift steamer, the Caradoc, escorted by the Agamemnon, they were off Sebastopol, and could look through the entrance of the inlet upon the forts, the ships, and the city ; then, rounding Cape Kherson, they passed the cliffs on which stood the plateau destined to bear the camps of the besiegers, and arrived off the inlet of Balaklava, deep down between its two ancient high-perched forts. Then, turning back north, they took note of the rivers already enumer-
The Landing-place. 39
ated, from the Belbek to the Bulganak, and the coast thence to Eupatoria, when the space for the landing was fixed on, south of that town, in Kalamita Bay. All the nth and I2th the Turkish and French fleets, great part of which was not propelled, as was ours, by steam, were drawing together, and on the I3th nearly all were opposite the beach, while those still at sea were coming on with a fair wind.
The considerations which had been main elements in the question of the selection of a point of disembarkation were, first, a space sufficient for the armies to land together, and in full communication with each other ; and secondly, that the ground should be such as the fire of the ships could protect from the possible enterprises of the enemy. Ship's guns are so formidable in size and range that no batteries capable of rapid motion can hope to contend with them. No ground fulfilling these conditions was found on the southern coast, where the cliffs stand up steep and high out of the water, nor did the mouths of the rivers afford the necessary advantages. On the other hand, the western coast offered no harbour of which the armies could make a secure base, or even a temporary depot ; while, on the southern coast, the inlet of Balaklava, though small, was deep and well-sheltered, where large steamers could unload close to the shore, and the small bay of Kamiesch was capable of being made a base. These facts will tend to throw light on some questions raised during the progress of the war.
The piece of beach selected to land on, five or six
40 The Troops landed.
miles north of the Bulganak, was very happily adapted for the purpose.
Two small lakes at the foot of the sea-banks are separated from the sea by strips of beach, and from these strips roads went up the banks. Thus, when the troops were landed here, no attack could be made on them (by night, let us suppose) except by penetrating into the narrow and easily defended space between the lakes and the sea ; while, on the other hand, full facilities existed for their movement to the plains above. Here the disembarkation, quite unopposed, began on the Hth, the French and Turks landing about two miles lower down the coast, on a similar strip. In the afternoon a ground swell arose, to a degree so violent that many boats were hurled on the strand, and several rafts were dashed to pieces, the troops, drenched with rain, making fires of the fragments. Next day the surf abated, but it was not till the i8th that the whole of the forces were landed, and in condition to advance.
The Fourth Division having arrived and landed, the British force numbered about 26,000 infantry, sixty guns, and the Light Brigade of cavalry, about 1000 sabres. The French had 28,000 infantry, and the Turks 7000, with sixty-eight guns, but with no cavalry. In order that the men might march lightly, especially when so many were still low in strength from the effects of the atmosphere, the knapsacks of the British were left on board ship, the more indispensable articles being taken from them and carried by the soldier, wrapt in the blanket which was to cover him at night. No tents were landed except for the sick
Transport obtained. 41