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

the rows of beds placed on either side, brought to my mind those days of sorrow and anguish in which so many brave men had nobly expired in the service of their country. Before leaving, I was very anxious to visit another department, viz., the one so lately occupied by Miss Nightingale, when, to my astonishment, our _cicerone_, without being asked, conducted us to it. But what an extraordinary change was there!--no longer were hangings of black cloth curtains before the doors; neither was seen within the pleasing appearance of the well though simply furnished apartment, erst filled on all sides with religious books, &c., relics of departed soldiers bequeathed to their friends and relations, and numerous samples of diet comforts, many of which I had experimented upon before that benevolent lady in her sanctorum. The walls were also devoid of a fine portrait of her Majesty, and numerous scripture drawings; added to that, the loss of the gentle voice of that excellent lady mingled with that of her devoted satellites. No article of furniture is now to be seen there, with the exception of a common Turkish divan, “which is far from breaking the monotony of the bare whitewashed walls,” round which were seated a dozen of dark-coloured warlike-looking officers, who very politely rose when we entered. Hardly had we seated ourselves, at their request, than an army of Chiboukchi Bachis entered and presented us with long chibouques; which while we were smoking, the same formidable army re-appeared, each bearing a cup of coffee and sherbet, which we partook of; and a few minutes after, we retired, through thick clouds of smoke, the smell of coffee, and no end of salutations from our illustrious hosts, among whom were Osman Pacha, whose politeness will for ever be engraved upon my memory. My mind was so struck with the sudden _changement à vue_ at the time, that I could almost have attributed it to an effect of the magic wand of Harlequin. Thanking them for their kind entertainment, we retired, they politely conducting us to the grand entrance. We then took