Meanwhile the clearance of the crowded Upland had been effected. At daylight, on the 25th May, Canrobert, with two Divisions, and cavalry and artillery, passed the Traktir Bridge, drove the Russians from Tchorgoun, and destroyed their camp and their barracks. The force then recrossed the stream, and took position on its left bank, holding an armed work at the bridge. Italy, having some time before joined the alliance against Russia, had despatched General La Marmora, with a
The Extended Position. 243
small army of 15,000 men, including some cavalry and artillery, to the Crimea. These troops now occupied ground on the French right, across the road from Baidar. In rear of all a large force of Turks from Eupatoria took up the same line of heights across the valley of Balaklava which they had occupied on the 25th of October. The land on which the Army was encamped had at this time resumed its smiling aspect, except, indeed, the ground between the Turks and Balaklava, where the small paradise which had greeted us on our first arrival had been completely destroyed. It had then been one large and well-stored garden. Plums and apples grew overhead, the clustering vines were thick with green and purple grapes, and between the vineyards was a rich jungle of melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, and cabbages. All this had given place to the grim features of war. But elsewhere the grass had sprung up, mixed with flowers in extraordinary variety and profusion ; the willows again drooped their leaves over the Tchernaya ; even the field of Inkerman resumed its green carpet, all the richer, perhaps, for the battle, and turf like that of our south downs once more covered the Upland. A most remarkable feature of the southern coast of the Crimea is the rare beauty of the colouring of its iron-bound coast. Those cliffs, so implacable in the storms of winter, are dyed with the loveliest rose-colours, pearly greys, yellows, dark reds, and rich browns, with purple shadows, in the most effective combinations. On a summit of these, in full view of the Black Sea, stands the Monastery of St George, with1 its long low ranges of
244 Ancient Remains.
building, its green domes and turrets, reared on solid basements of masonry, white like the rest of the edifice. Here the brotherhood, clad in black gowns, with tall cylindrical caps, from which black veils descended behind, continued to pray and chaunt ; here, too, lived in peace some Russian families, including that of the late commandant of Balaklava; and here was established our telegraph station. Near this was the site of an ancient temple of Diana ; Cyclopean remains exist there, the palace and gardens which contained the famous Golden Fleece had looked from hence over the sea ; and it must have been in the valley below that " Medea gathered the enchanted herbs, which did renew old ^Eson." There were tokens, too, of inhabitants compared with whom Medea and ^Eson are moderns. Across a gully, which led to a cove used by our troops as a bathing-place, lay a ridge which might have been the roof of a tunnel. But the many footsteps et length wore away the soil of ages, and it was apparent that a huge Saurian had been in some way swept across the gully, and become fixed there ; and it was his skeleton, hidden even in Jason's time, that was now laid bare to the view of British riflemen.
Crossing the valley of the Tchernaya, in grass and flowers to the horses' knees, and ascending the green hillsides of Kamara, beyond the Sardinian outposts, the explorer came on expanses of tall coppice, with trees of larger growth, which enclosed glades like those of a park. Here were some British marines, whose lines had fallen in a place pleasant as the meadows of Devon, in front of
Valley of Baidar. 245