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sea is hidden by rising ground to the westward ; the highest is to the north , a little below the summit of which the camp is placed : this summit is intersected by several gorges , and from these the ground slopes about a mile and a half down to Sebastopol The general colouring of the scene is a light drab , without any foliage , the
patches of oak scrub looking merely like dark spots . Across this desert , from east to west , is the British camp ; it is three or four miles long ; and the effect of the lines of bell-shaped tents , tipped with red , was peculiar , and to us of thrilling interest . At first the camp was quiet enough , the morning sun sparkling here and there on the bayonet of a sentry , or catching a line of tripods formed by the piles of muskets and rifles opposite each tent .
While we looked , however , the bugles sounded , and in an instant the whole place was alive ; the tripods vanished , and the whole of the division , which was before us , stood to arms . Just then the colonel galloped back with the desired order . We accordingly left our mules and arabas at the outpost , and walked to where the soldiers were drawn up in a hollow square , on a space of ground just beyond the tents . In the centre stood the chaplain—his
Prayer-book and Bible resting on a big drum , —the officers were grouped around him / His surplice , which looked so strangely familiar and out of place in that wild martial scene , blown about in the wind . He happened to be a tall , handsome young man , with as fine a beard and moustache as the boldest grenadier among them .
He had commenced the service before we reached our places , on higher ground , in front of the square ; of course , no one could move from his position to kneel down , and as the entire service would be too long , both for time and a standing congregation , the Litany and
Communion were omitted . But as the wind blew towards us , the chaplain ' s voice was distinctly audible , as he raised it in prayer to the " Lord God of Hosts ! "—amid the solemn accompaniment of thundering artillery from the town , and the rushing , panting sound of the Lancaster guns on our side .
I shall never forget that service ! The feeling that to many of the congregation it was indeed a funeral service was sublimely impressive . I could hear Miss P ' s sobs come thick and fast from beneath her veil ; and as she held my arm , I felt hers tremble . Soon , however , it Avas all over .
Oar group was a strong attraction : it was long since a female form had been seen by any of the thousands of eyes around us —though , I believe , there are one or two rare cases of officers ' wives having accompanied their husbands to the seat of war .
General approached to pay his respects to his friend's friends , and soon he was followed by a tall , soldierly , knightly-looking young fellow , in a soiled uniform andforaging-cap—for bead-gear is variable out here . I thought M'issP —' sarm trembled again as this personage drew near . The next moment Sir Arthur gave a shout of recognition , and darting forward , shook his hand with a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
sea is hidden by rising ground to the westward ; the highest is to the north , a little below the summit of which the camp is placed : this summit is intersected by several gorges , and from these the ground slopes about a mile and a half down to Sebastopol The general colouring of the scene is a light drab , without any foliage , the
patches of oak scrub looking merely like dark spots . Across this desert , from east to west , is the British camp ; it is three or four miles long ; and the effect of the lines of bell-shaped tents , tipped with red , was peculiar , and to us of thrilling interest . At first the camp was quiet enough , the morning sun sparkling here and there on the bayonet of a sentry , or catching a line of tripods formed by the piles of muskets and rifles opposite each tent .
While we looked , however , the bugles sounded , and in an instant the whole place was alive ; the tripods vanished , and the whole of the division , which was before us , stood to arms . Just then the colonel galloped back with the desired order . We accordingly left our mules and arabas at the outpost , and walked to where the soldiers were drawn up in a hollow square , on a space of ground just beyond the tents . In the centre stood the chaplain—his
Prayer-book and Bible resting on a big drum , —the officers were grouped around him / His surplice , which looked so strangely familiar and out of place in that wild martial scene , blown about in the wind . He happened to be a tall , handsome young man , with as fine a beard and moustache as the boldest grenadier among them .
He had commenced the service before we reached our places , on higher ground , in front of the square ; of course , no one could move from his position to kneel down , and as the entire service would be too long , both for time and a standing congregation , the Litany and
Communion were omitted . But as the wind blew towards us , the chaplain ' s voice was distinctly audible , as he raised it in prayer to the " Lord God of Hosts ! "—amid the solemn accompaniment of thundering artillery from the town , and the rushing , panting sound of the Lancaster guns on our side .
I shall never forget that service ! The feeling that to many of the congregation it was indeed a funeral service was sublimely impressive . I could hear Miss P ' s sobs come thick and fast from beneath her veil ; and as she held my arm , I felt hers tremble . Soon , however , it Avas all over .
Oar group was a strong attraction : it was long since a female form had been seen by any of the thousands of eyes around us —though , I believe , there are one or two rare cases of officers ' wives having accompanied their husbands to the seat of war .
General approached to pay his respects to his friend's friends , and soon he was followed by a tall , soldierly , knightly-looking young fellow , in a soiled uniform andforaging-cap—for bead-gear is variable out here . I thought M'issP —' sarm trembled again as this personage drew near . The next moment Sir Arthur gave a shout of recognition , and darting forward , shook his hand with a