Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/366

 336 THE LANDING. CHAP. XXII. Plan of the Icisding. General Airey. Men had heard of the domiuiou of the seas, and now, what they bad heard of they saw. The plan of the English disembarkation was imitated from the one adopted by Sir Ealph Aber- cromby when he made his famous descent upon the coast of Egypt; and was based upon the principle of so ranging the transports and the boats that the relative positions of the several companies, whilst being rowed towards the shore, should correspond with those they would have to take when landed, and forming line upon the beach.* All the naval arrangements for the landing were undertaken by Sir Edmund Lyons ; but to dispose the troops on the beach — to gain a lodgment — to take up a position, and, if necessary, to intrench it — these were duties which specially devolved upon the Quartermaster-General. The officer who held this post was General Airey ; and, since it was his fate to take a grave part in the business of the war, and to share with Lord Eaglan his closest counsels, it seems useful to speak here at once, not of the quality of his mind (for that will best be judged by looking to what he did, and what he omitted to do), but rather of those cir- cumstances of his life, and those outer signs and marks of his nature, which any bystander in the camp would be likely to hear of or see. A strictly military career in peace - time is a poor schooling for the business of war ; and the ojieration, because it was nnt resisted by the enemy
 * I abstain from giving a detiiiled account of the landing