Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/401

 THE FIKST day's MARCH. 371 the mascle or hollow lozenge thus formed, there chap. marched the Turkish battalions and those portions 1 of the artillery and the convoy which were not specially attached to one or other of the divisions. Each French division* marched in two columns consisting each of one brigade, and the artillery and encumbrances belonging to each division marched between the two brigades. Each brigade was in regimental column at sectional distance. The Allied fleets, slowly gliding along the coast, covered the Erench army on its right flank, and carefully reconnoitred every seam and hollow of the ground in front which could be reached by the eyes of men looking from the ships. Since the English army was to advance in a way which left it open to the enemy in front, in rear, and on its left flank, Lord Eagian of course deemed it likely that he would be attacked in his march ; and that upon smooth, open ground, his army would be called upon to defend both itself and its trailing convoy against the assaults of an enemy who was strong in the cavalry arm. But this task was rendered less hard than it would otherwise be by the quality of the English soldier, and the peculiar order of battle in which he loves Divisions should effect a lozenge formation analogous to that which characterised the general order of march, but the direc- tion was not practically attended to. No one knows better than an African General the art of enfolding the helpless por- tions of a column in battalions of infantry ; but, the French force being covered on all sides in the way already described, no elaborate precautions were needed.
 * It was intended and ordered that tlio 1st and 4th French