Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/241

 OPEIJATIONS ON THE DANUBE. 211 Geueral Cannon's aide-de-camp, Imt he gave his chap. services freely ; and, indeed, it may he said that, _; '__ so far as concerns the part they took in the battle, every one of these seven young Englishmen was there of his own mere will.* On the morning of the 7th of July it was ob- served that the Eussians had struck their tents ; and they were so posted that their numbers could not be descried from the right bank of the river. It was believed in the Turkish camp that Soimo- noff had withdrawn the main part of his force ; and it seems that wliat Hassan Pasha really meant to do was to execute a reconnaissance, and assure himself of the enemy's retreat. Be this as it may, he ordered, or consented, that the river should be crossed at two points ; and General Cannon, embarking in boats with 300 riflemen, and speedily followed by a battalion of infantry under Ferik Bekir Pasha, succeeded in reaching the left bank of the river without encountering resistance. As soon as they had landed, the Turks tried to gain a lodgment upon a strip of ground where their front was covered by a long narrow mere or pool of water. Soon, however, they were attacked on their left flank by a body of Russian infantry, which issued from an earth- work placed above the western extremity of the Bnrke, had been sent to the Turkisii camp with instructions to advise and aid in the construction of militaiy works; but of course they had not been ordered to lead the Turks into battle ; and therefore I include them with the rest of the seven as men taking part in the battle witliout professional sanction.
 * The two Engineer officers, Captain Bent and Lieutenant