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

weather. Three times was the deck submerged by the heavy seas; washing the passengers from larboard to starboard, and _vice versâ_--a sort of gymnastic exercise neither pleasant to man nor beast. Several horses broke their lashings and fell during those heavy shocks. The next morning was not more pleasant, but the afternoon turned out fine. At about three everybody was on deck, cheerfully conversing, walking, reading, smoking, &c. Nothing, I believe, is so soon forgotten as rough weather at sea, especially when the sun favours one with a few brilliant smiles. The dinner-table was well attended, and everybody very chatty. I sat near the captain and General Garrett. The former (whose anxiety seemed to have entirely disappeared) said to me, “I am going to relate a curious incident respecting yourself, Monsieur, of which you are perhaps not aware, but you will call it to mind when I tell you.” “What is it? I hope it is nothing likely to bring me into discredit, or to shock my modesty?” “On the contrary, it is all in your favour.” “Such being the case, pray proceed. What think you, General Garrett?” said I. “By all means,” he replied. “Do you remember,” the captain began, “on the morning of the 8th September, as you were coming back to your camp, meeting with two naval officers who were endeavouring to pass the lines in order to get to Cathcart’s Hill and have a sight of the storming of Sebastopol?” “That I do; and what’s more extraordinary, I do not know their names: in fact, I could not make out who they were, nor where they came from.” “These are the very points on which I am about to enlighten you. You rendered them an important service on that occasion by your hospitality, for which I can assure you they are even to this day very grateful.” “They were very welcome; but who were they?” “At the time the adventure occurred, they both belonged to this ship: one was our doctor, and the other the son of a member of the company, who intends, upon your