The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Inside Sebastopol and Experiences in Camp, de.

Chapman and Hall.

The narrative of a journey to the ruins of Sebas-
topol by way of Gibraltar, Malta, and Constanti-
nople, and back by way of Turkey, Italy, and
France, a journey occupying elevan weeks alto-
gether and undertaken in the autumn of 1855, on
a momentary impulse, in acceptance of an extem-
pore invitation from a friend just going to set off
for Balaklava, in the good screw-ship Lindsay,
freighted by the Sardinian Government. Who the
author is, for the question is likely to be asked, we
are unable to say, what we imagine may be ga-
thered from the narrative, and that is " a gentle-
man of the long robe," possessing a shrewd know-
ledge of men and things not easily to be hum-
bugged, and endowed with an observant eye which
the novelty and striking character of what passed
before him, tended considerably to quicken. This
much is certain he has produced a lively, entertain-
ing, and instructive book of travel and adventure,
all the better for being unpretentious, and probably
none the worse for being written -as he proceeded
and sent in successive instalments home for publi-
cation. Under other circumstances, a number of
faults of composition, including bad grammar, and
several inaccuracies might have been avoided—but
the probability is great we should not have had
so fresh and so honest a transcript of his thoughts
and impressions, for the book is both dashing and
honest, however much or little we may be disposed
to differ from rho views and opinions of the author.
Take as a sample the following, from the striking
narrative of his experiences in Camp and Sebasto-
pol, occupying, by the way, about one-third of the
volume,in the latter of which places he has to tell of
more than one narrow escape of being pounded by
shot or shell. He is accounting for the invaluable
services of the siege artillery having been over-
looked, and more than a fair share of fame having
been accorded to the sons of the sea.

"TIE NATAL BRIGADE.

" No doubt they were a dashing set of sea-dogs. They
were rollicking, and restless, and obstreperous, as if they
had no heads to be smashed, or backs to be scratched.
They grumbled that 'it was darned hard' if they were
not allowed to offer themselves as a certain pot shot at
thirty yards to a Russian sharpshooter. They had their
own way of firing, and they would stick to it. The naval
brigade would fire broadsides. There was always some-
thing the matter with the guns, until the last one in the
battery was loaded ; then, with or without orders, away
went the broadside, and the gunners jumped up upon
the parapet, each to watch his own shot. If the natu-
ral result followed, and the reckless salt had his head
knocked off, no one thought anything about it ; if it
was only an arm, he would look at it for a moment,
and then say in an under tone, blowed if them
Ruskies haven't knocked off my fin. Here, doctor, just
belay this ; make it all taut, will you e and then he
would go it again, until the inflammation supervening
made him knock up. So Jack would pull up guns into
inaccessible positions; and with a cutlass and pistol
storm anything. He was in Sebastopol before the Rus-
sians were out, and even before the Zouaves got in. He
got the first fruits of the plunder there ; and if you want-
ed any curios,'such as a cross, or amulet, or a medal,
you had only to go to the quarters of the naval brigade,
and, for about ten times its original value, you might
get anything, from a silver medal of the order of St.
Vladimir to a grey great cciat."

The " real history of the Redan" is not less gra-
phically told, though some will be disposed to
doubt the applicability of the adjective. Probably
Sir Colin Campbell and General Airey have no
doubts about the matter—either of whom were
prepared to have taken the Redan with their well-
tried troops, and thus have prevented the escape
of the Russian army to the north side of Sebas-
topol. Accustomed as we are to consider Gibral-
tar impregnable, let us see what he has got to say
about its state:—