Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/119

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. 93 Being on the extreme left of the Allied forces, cilAi Sir G. Brown had to stand prepared for an attack .__^ of cavalry on his flank. On our side of the river, home down to the edge of the vineyards, the broad and gently undulating downs, thickly clothed with elastic herbage, were all that horse- men could wish for ; and even on the left bank, the ground in this part of the field was practicable for the evolutions of cavalry. Hardly ever in war did 2700 troopers sit still in their saddles under stronger provocation to enterprise, for they were upon fair ground ; and, unless they submitted to be forbidden by the body of only eight hundred English horse, which stood in their pnth, for- tune offered to let them ride down on the Hank of a line of infantry, and strike it whilst in the act of advancing to attack a field citadel.* So, although in point of fact it occurred, the con- tingency of the enemy's withholding his cavalry arm, instead of bringing it down upon the unshel- tered flank of his assailants, was hardly one that beforehand oui' people could have deemed at all probable, still less expected with confidence. Rightly, therefore — though the apprehension was not afterwards justified by the event — the Light Division was carried into action with an idea that cavalry charges were to be expected on the flank ;-f- and the duty of preparing against Lord George Paget's regiment was in another part of the field. + Before the action, there was a good deal of conversation aniong.st officers in the Light Division with respect to the way in which the expected charges of the liussian cavuliy shouH b«
 * The English cavuhy altogether had a strength of 1000 ; but