Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/27

 BATTLE OF THE ALMA. CIIArTEIl I. I. For an army undertaking to withstand tho march chap of invaders who come along the shore f)-om the ' north, the position on the left bank of the Alma f^^Z^ is happily formed by nature, and is capable of being made strong. The river springs from the mountain-range in the south-east of the peninsula, and its tortuous channel, resulting at last in a westerly course, brings it down to the sea near the headland called Cape Loukool. In that region the right or northern bank of the stream inclines with a very gentle slope to the water's edge ; but on the south or left bank, the river presses close against a great range of hills ; and the rocky acclivities at their base have been so visibly scarped by the action of the river in its swollen state, that they almost aflbrd a measure of the loud, red torrent thrown down in flood- times from the sides of the Tchatir Dagh. Yet, VOL. III. A