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

came on board and ordered the captain to sail immediately. I went home through the rain to inform my people of the sudden change of orders, and found they had already heard the news and had started. I arrived just in time to prevent a Tartar stealing one of my horses, of which I had made a present to Mr. Smith, a wine-merchant, as there was no possibility of selling him. Horse-dealing with the Russians about that time was pretty much after this fashion: a rather decent horse would fetch from three to five roubles--which latter sum makes a pound sterling. Under these circumstances, to place them in good hands was not only a charity, but a duty. Everybody had got on board, and the new-comers were under shelter. The rain fell heavily, and not a soul did I meet in my way from the General Hospital to the _Argo_, which was lying at the other side of the harbour. Nobody was out but myself, my horse, and my umbrella, which I had much difficulty in holding up in the gale I was then braving. The thousands who had witnessed and mingled with the noisy crowd which for so many months had encumbered the place, can form but a faint idea of the gloomy appearance of the desolate Balaklava. CHAPTER XXXVI. LAST SCENE OF THIS EVENTFUL HISTORY. Farewell to the Crimea--Last glimpses--A collision--Rough weather--A strange coincidence--The Russian foundling--His history--A metamorphosis--The Sultan’s banquet--Sight-seeing at Constantinople--Last visit to the City of Palaces--“The Culinary wonder of all nations”--Holiday tour--The Author makes his bow. On board ship all was bustle and confusion. As the vessel steamed slowly out, we passed the few remaining steamers, including the bold _Algiers_, Captain Codrington, which was smoking with might and main. We went ahead, digging our way through the mountainous waves, which appeared to have accumulated in the harbour purposely to say farewell, or dash our brains out against the bulwarks or the perpendicular rocks of the bay. Black, sulphurous, and reddish clouds were rolling from mountain to mountain, burying the peaks of each in their course, and