200 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



falling through, the gentle air playing mid the 

 branches, and a soft buzz coming from without ; all 

 these bringing light dreams, light slumbers, and light 

 fancies. At times, certainly, there came the boom 

 and crash of a round-shot, rather too close to be 

 favourable to light sleep. 



The pictures of our camp life had none of the 

 shadows which fell so darkly on our brethren in the 

 Crimea. Indeed, ours was a holiday campaign in 

 comparison with theirs. The three days after our 

 landing were passed in comparative inaction. On 

 the fourth the transport of guns and ammunition had 

 advanced so much as to admit of some movement. 

 Sand-bags were to be filled, the site of our battery 

 was to be found, and a road marked out for the con- 

 veyance of guns up the steep rugged slope. To cover 

 the engineers in these operations, a hundred men 

 were posted on the ridge. Screened by the rocks 

 and trees, the enemy had no cognisance of their 

 presence, and we were thus enabled quietly to pursue 

 the work, and, sitting in the sunshine on the height, 

 survey the varied scenes of operations spread out 

 before us. There were the harbour calm and bright, 

 with light steamers crossing and recrossing it, and 

 the large ships at anchor ever and anon trying a shot 

 or shell at long range the spot where the French 

 sappers were seen, busy as emmets, digging at the 

 approaches a little sheltered hollow at foot of 

 the ridge, whence our men were issuing with sand- 



