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

and was safely landed at Southampton; and Mr. Andrews, the mayor of that city, very kindly allowed the carriage to remain in his warehouse till my return to England. [Illustration] The extraordinary exertions Miss Nightingale imposed upon herself after receiving this carriage would have been perfectly incredible, if not witnessed by many and well ascertained. I can vouch for the fact, having frequently accompanied her to the hospitals as well as to the monastery. The return from these places at night was a very dangerous experiment, as the road led across a very uneven country. It was still more perilous when snow was upon the ground. I have seen that lady stand for hours at the top of a bleak rocky mountain near the hospitals, giving her instructions, while the snow was falling heavily. I observed this to the Rev. Mr. Holt, who accompanied her almost daily as her clerical orderly, as he called himself, and he admitted that it was very imprudent on her part. All one could say to her on the subject was so kindly received, that you concluded you had persuaded her to take more care of herself. Yet she always went on in the same way, having probably forgotten good advice in her anxiety for the comfort of the sick. I often warned her of the danger she incurred in returning so late at night, with no other escort than the driver. She answered by a smile, which seemed to say, “You may be right, but I have faith.” So impressed was I with a sense of the magnitude of the danger she was daily incurring, that I addressed a letter to a noble duchess, who, I knew, had much influence with her. It was reported that the Russian general, Lüders, intended to pay Marshal Pelissier a visit at the French head-quarters, and that the general and his Staff were to be received at the Tchernaya Bridge at seven in the morning. As I had that day to go to the Highland Brigade at Kamara, accompanied by one of my cooks, we started at five;