Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/85

 BATTLH OF THE ALMA. 59 o'clock, and immediately be^^au to ascend tlic road CHAP. leading up to the plateau. The road, he found, _1_ was uninjured, and guarded by no troops. His artillery l)cgan the ascent ; and nieanwliile the keen and active Zouaves, impatient of the winding road, climbed the heights by .shorter and steeper patlis, and so swiftly, that our sailors, looking from the ships (men accustomed to perpendicular racing), were loud in their praise of the briskness with which the Frenchmen rushed up and 'manned' the cliff. As yet, liowever, Bosquet had encountered no enemy. It has been seen that the position taken up by Guns Prince Mentschikoff fell short of the sea-shore by agai.rsti.im - ., , from Uliika a distance of more than two miles, and that he auics. was not in military occupation of the cliff, now ascended by I'osquet with Autemarre's brigade ; but also it will be remembered that, at the village in rear of the cliff, called Ulukul Akles, there had been posted some days before one of the ' Minsk ' battalions of infantry, with four pieces of light artillery, and that the detachment had there re- mained. These four guns were now brought out of the village, and after a time were placed in battery at a spot near the village of Ulukul Tiouets, and within range of the point where the Zouaves were beginning to crown the summit of the cliff. The ' :Minsk ' battalion at this time could not be discerned by the French ; but, on the cliff overlooking the beach, there were seen a few squadrons of horse. As soon as a whole battalion of Zouaves liad