182 BATTLE OF THE ALMA, CHAP, ing his flanks ; and during the hours whilst they ^' are left to themselves, the French soldiers of the line engaged in campaigning are commonly de- pressed and spiritless.* Of course, this want of lustiness in the French army is superby masked by all the resources of military pomp, and all the outward signs which seem to show the presence of vigour, despatch, and warlike ardour ; but the material of which the line regiments are com- posed must always keep a good deal of its original nature ; and whoever glances at the rising steps of French officers successful in Africa will find that they have climbed to eminence, not by lead- ing troops of the line, but by obtaining, in the critical part of their career, the command of choice French regiments, or, failing that, the The great Command of troops of foreign race.f These choice betwee"n^ Freucli regiments are not composed of materials reliments'^^ at all like those which supply the line : on the oftheir contrary, they number in their ranks many thou- '^°°^^' sands of bold, adventurous men who take service in the army of their own accord ; and it is in these choice regiments that France sees the true expression of her warlike nature. Of all these Each choice regiments the 'Zouaves' are the most thwlfo^e, famous ; and each of the three foremost Divi- with™"" sions of the French army on the Alma had in it a other choice regiment — a regiment with its two war battalions regim n . — belonging to the corps of the Zouaves. What
- I rest this iqioii what I have seen of the Freucli army in
Africa, in the Crimea, and on board sliip. + I.e., of the Foreign Legion, or of the native African levies.
