Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions

night, which annoyed me very much. It could not, however, be helped. We had a very noisy night, and several shots were heard hissing over our heads, as we were only a few hundred yards from the small house called the Clocheton, so celebrated and well known in the French camp. It was from that picturesque spot that Monsieur de Bazancourt wrote his popular history of the war. CHAPTER XXI. MATTERS GRAVE AND GAY. Kitchens in the Turkish and Sardinian camps--Triumphal entry into Balaklava--Missed for three days--Telegraphed for--Lots of news--My secretary in trouble--Arrival of Lord Ward in the _London_--The Queen’s birthday in the harbour of Balaklava--Baking on board the floating batteries--Miss Nightingale ordered home--“Who lost the four horses?”--Lord Raglan and Mrs. Roberts--His visit to Miss Nightingale’s sick-bed--Dinner-parties--A Crimean banquet--Sick Sardinians--The dying officer--The last request--An expedition to Kertch--A change of quarters--Samples of bread--Bread-biscuit--Letters to the _Times_. At six the next morning I started, and made it my business to visit the kitchens in the Turkish and Sardinian camps, on my way home. At eight I made my triumphal entry into Balaklava. My return seemed to be quite an event, as it had not only been reported that I had lost three horses, but also that I had lost myself. I found, when I got on board the _London_--which was still vomiting forth troops, horses, guns, and projectiles of all kinds, to feed the voracious appetite of mighty, grand, but very unsociable and terrible Mr. War, with whom I had lately had the unexpected honour of being on a little too familiar terms--that every one had missed me for three days, and the last they had heard of me was that I had been seen going towards Sebastopol at the time the flag of truce was hoisted. No one had seen me return, and they concluded that poor Soyer had either been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. I was told that Mr. Bracebridge had been anxiously inquiring for me in every direction, and that P. M. had just gone in a great hurry to the telegraph office, to send word to head-quarters.