THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 165 



"The news from Sebastopol came up to the 2nd 

 instant, and at that date the town had not been 

 taken. The admirals had informed the generals that 

 in another month's time it would be impossible to 

 remain at sea, and this led to a decisive attack being 

 made, which cost the allied armies from ten to fifteen 

 thousand men. 



" We are to remain here three days for two regi- 

 ments of infantry, which are expected to-morrow, and 

 for two cavalry regiments due the day after." 



" November U, 1854. 



" I am up at five. The soldiers are just beginning 

 to come out of their tents. The sky is cloudless, and the 

 stars are still shining, while the moon lights up a vast 

 plain which, despite its being so bare, is not devoid of 

 charm. I go to wish the Viceroy good morning, and 

 after having smoked a pipe and taken coffee together, 

 we mount our horses and go to meet the two regiments. 

 They soon come in sight, and they appear to be none 

 the worse for their march, and in good condition. All 

 that they had had since leaving Alexandria, early the 

 previous morning, was three biscuits each. The Arabs 

 are wonderfully abstemious, and are all the better for it. 



" After I had returned to my tent I had a visit from 

 Prince Halim Pasha, the Viceroy's brother, who had 

 planted his tent about a league from our encampment. 

 He informed me that the Bedouins whom he had sent 

 out as scouts had told him that there were some herds 



