tion, and the population has gone on decreasing eversince. However bad the state of the Irish peasantry of to-day, it is not nearly so hopeless as before the famine, and we may perhaps yet date the regeneration of Ireland from that terrible event. Albert the Good-In 1840 the Queen was married to her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha.12 The Prince Consort was a man of conscientious and high character, and of a deliberate and thoughtful nature, whose whole aim in life was the happiness of the Queen and her country. Through much unpopularity and calumny, he with unswerving rectitude pursued the straight path of duty; and thus, when he died,13 the mani festations of a THE GREAT EXHIBITION. nation's grief were far too true and profound to have been the mere conventional expressions of courtly sorrow. Prince Albert identified himself with no political party; but devoted his attention to useful social reforms, which commended themselves to all. One of the most noteworthy of these schemes was that which resulted in the erection of the wonderful fabric of glass and iron, which is known in history as the Great Exhibition of 1851. On the 1st of May in that year the Exhibition was opened. Within the spacious building, 30,000 people were assembled. Vast crowds lined the streets through which the procession that opened the 'world's fair' passed. In this magnificent display of the 'triumphs of peace,' Englishmen enjoyed the opportunity of seeing specimens of the industry of all nations.14 Some men thought that the Great Exhibition would begin an era of universal peace. Britain had so long enjoyed tranquillity that a new generation had arisen to whom war was a mere story. It seemed to many that so irrational a method of settling disputes could not again be brought into use; that nations which had beaten their swords into ploughshares would be too wise to reverse the process. This dream was soon proved to be a vain one; for already forces were at work which plunged this country into a struggle with the great Empire of Russia. and was obliged to retire. He died in 1850. 11. Dysentery, a disease of the entrails or bowels, attended with pain and a discharge of mucus and blood. 1. Halcyon Days, i.e., the seventeen years of peace before the Crimean war. The phrase is derived from the pretty fable that the halcyon or kingfisher brought forth its young upon the sea, and that the waves were tranquil during the time of its 12. Saxe-Coburg Gotha, a small German state, breeding. round the head-waters of the Werra. 2. The Queen. For the descent of Her Majesty 13. He died in 1861. see the table on p. 177. 3. Telephone, an instrument for reproducing 4. Coleridge, i.e., the poet S. T. Coleridge. 6. Parcels Post, introduced in August 1883 7. In 1815. This price for wheat was a most extravagant one. 9. Anti-Corn-Law League, founded on March 20, 1839. 10. Sir Robert Peel, a leading Tory statesman and minister. He first took office in 1812, 14. A very large number of similar exhibitions have since been held in imitation of Prince Albert's great and useful project. 8. In 1828, the principle of 'a sliding scale' was introduced; this was modified in 1846. What is meant will be understood from the following tables : Sliding Scale of 1828. Wheat at 50s. paid 20s. of duty. Sliding Scale of 1846. Wheat under 488. paid Wheat at 53s. paid 5s. Wheat at 54s. and upwards paid 4s. of duty. THE CRIMEAN WAR: THE INDIAN MUTINY. LORD CLYDE. AUSES of the War.' Russia had for about a century been rapidly extending herself, and it was natural that she should press on the fertile provinces which the Turk misgoverned. Moreover, a majority of the inhabitants of the Turkish provinces were Christians of the Greek Church, and they naturally looked to the Czar for protection.3 Meanwhile, England believed 4 that her interests required the maintenance of the Turkish power, for both the way to India and India itself would be imperilled if Russia occupied that empire. Several other causes operated at this particular time. The Czar Nicholas was a scheming and ambitious man, filled with plans as to the disposal of the Turkish dominions. On the other hand, Napoleon III., who had lately made himself Emperor of the French," wanted to enter into a great war in alliance with one of the European powers, which would divert the minds of the French people from home affairs. He found his opportunity in a discussion as to the right of custody of the Holy Places in Palestine, which had been a question in dispute between the Greek and Latin Churches, of which Nicholas and Napoleon were the armed representatives. Finally Russia had a dispute with Turkey as to the protection of the Christian subjects of the Porte, and declared war against her. England then demanded that Russia should desist from hostilities and withdraw from certain Turkish provinces which she had occupied. Russia refused, and war was immediately declared. 7 GULF OF Sarıbulat The Siege of Sebastopol: Battle of the Alma.-The great event of this war was the invasion of the Crimea. The Allies determined to attack Sebastopol, then the great arsenal of Russia at the south-west point of the Crimean Peninsula, and the chief station of the Black Sea fleet. North of the fortress, the river Alma enters the sea, and still farther north is the port of Eupatoria on Kalamita Bay. From this point, in September 1854, an army of 60,000, consisting chiefly of French and English,10 was directed to march on the Russian stronghold. The first great battle was fought on the Alma, which the 11 RIME A EUPATORI KALAMITA R.ALMA BAY SEBASTOPOL BALAKLA 1854 Fort SIMFEROPOL Bakchi Serai INKERMAN B L A C K S E A invaders had to cross on their march. The Russians occupied the heights on the south of the river. Their position was a strong one; but their leader, believing it to be unassailable, neglected the commonest precautions, and did not even destroy the bridges across the river. This was really a soldier's battle; for the men simply charged at the heights and succeeded in carrying them by sheer fighting. The Russian army fell back in confusion; and, find ing the task of driving the invaders into the sea harder than had been expected, they now resolved to throw as many obstacles in the advance of the Allies as possible. The victorious army unfortunately did not follow up their success with promptitude; had they done so, Sebastopol might have fallen. Balaclava and Inkerman.-The Allies then marched past Sebastopol, and established themselves at the southern port of Balaclava. From this point they made an unsuccessful attack upon the fortress by land and sea, but the Russians had made excellent use of the weeks of delay, and the town was now almost impregnable. The besiegers were, in their turn, attacked by an overwhelming body of Russians. Then was fought the terrible battle of Balaclava.13 12 This fierce contest was rendered famous by many a brave deed. The Russians had swept the Turks before them, and were breaking in upon the very heart of the British position, when the gallant 93d Highlanders, led by Sir Colin Campbell, faced the solid mass in a double line; and, unaided by artillery, brought the foe to a stand with the rifle alone. At another moment of that eventful day, the Heavy Brigade 14 cut their way through a dense body of Russian cavalry thrice their number. But the deed of greatest daring was that famous exploit known in song and story as the "Charge of the Light Brigade." An order was given to a body of six hundred and seven horsemen to attack the guns of the enemy. To reach them it was necessary to pass over a plain a mile and a-half long, flanked on both sides by the Russian guns. Some one had blundered! who or how was never exactly known; but the undaunted band rushed forward on their mission of death. |