Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/390

 346 THE WJNTEU TROUBLES. CHAP, half ujdone the decree which uplifted the earth from the waters ; and, except where at intervals there showed an islet of rock, or the surfaces of large detached stones, all was one drear expanse of mud ; whilst, moreover, it chanced that, to overcome the huge obstacles thus spread out before them, their means had grown less than before ; for six of their mules had died ou board, and it seems that some of their Turks were at this time fondly attempting to have a will of their own.(2^) In two of the boats of the yacht, lier splendid crew began landing part of her cargo ; but the bales and the boxes accumulated on the wharf, and the anxiety of the Honorary Agents became, as they acknowledged, ' distress ; ' for how, with their limited means, were they ever to carry a thousand tons of goods to Kadikoi, the chosen site of their magazines, somewhat more than a mile from the beach ? They held to their pur- pose. They three times had lent them some waggons belonging to the railway constructors, and when they were offered some ' hands,' scarce believed at the time to be serviceable, they not only seized the resource, but at once undertook the rough task of doing all they could to make it answer their purpose. The resource accrued in this way : — An effort to meet the demand for liired labour in aid of our suffering troops had at one time been made by importing a number of fine, stalwart men, who came, it seems, in reality from the Asiatic domin- ions of the Sultan ; but owing to some odd