THE LAST DAY OF THE OLD YEAR.

269

The Quarantine Fort is a large, long, and narrow work, with broad ditches, strongly palisaded, and with revetments of bricks formed of clay and straw, very neatly built up, and combined with masonry walls. Fort Constantine appeared quite close to us. The French batteries are well built, and mount a number of guns and some very heavy mortars, bearing to all appearance principally on Fort Constantine. The solidity and finish of the Russian works are as conspicuous and admirable here as at all points of their wonderful lines. We passed through the cemetery, the scene of a great struggle between the French and Russians; the gravestones were much injured, and the ground strewed with broken stones, There I saw a marble monument to the memory of Mrs. Upton (wife of the English engineer who constructed the docks) and her two young children. The inscription was in English and Russian,

'In the evening I went to Ewart's hut, to consult with him about ordering some wine, and on my return, I read a novel called The Head of the Family, which I liked on the whole; it is evidently written by a woman, as the insight into female character is very deep, and the delineations are sometimes both delicate and beautiful. How seldom one meets with the heroines of novels in real life! those pure loving women whom we picture to ourselves in day dreams, and so ardently wish to encounter.

'Dec. 31, 11.50 P.M.-Ten minutes or less, and 1855 is over. I will not moralise on the subject, but express

a hearty and fervent wish that 1856 may prove a bright contrast to this last eventful year. The English papers tell us that Europe is balanced between peace and war.

A few days will decide the great question, and the destinies of thousands, perhaps millions of human beings. What a state of anxious suspense!'

CHAPTER XV.

THE NEW YEAR.

UR mess is at length, spite of difficulties and

OUR

struggles, fairly started. I have almost the sole direction of it, and go into "my kitchen" and confer with my cook on the important subject of dinner regularly every morning after breakfast. The difficulties of house-keeping are something, when, as is often the case, messengers are sent on vain expeditions for fourteen miles or so, over the muddy roads, and return almost empty-handed,-when a cart is two days and a night bringing up some wine from Kazatch Bay,—when two journeys to Kamiesch are necessary to procure a dozen scare-crow fowls (at the modest price of 4s. 9d. each). I am expecting supplies from Baidar, Sinope, Constantinople, and Malta.

'Being the fortunate possessor of a cart and mule of my own, I manage to accumulate, by a series of efforts, a certain stock in hand-a few sheep and goats, some flour, potatoes, &c.; so that I do not suffer under a

daily pressure, and am free to devote my powers to the future. Had we to depend on Government supplies, we should, even now, have salt pork and beef to live on four days out of the seven, and get bread only once or twice a week.

'The poor French soldiers suffer a great deal, though nothing is said of it. There is a vast contrast between the conditions of the two armies. Our men fat, healthy, and both well and warmly clad and lodged; the French pale, thin, and many of them still under canvas. It is sometimes melancholy to see the poor fellows looking half starved, though still soldier-like and resolute, hovering about an English camp, inquiring anxiously if there is any "biscuit" to be sold. They are too proud to accept it as a gift. I do not think this suffering is universal through the whole French army; but, I am sure a great deal of real want and sickness exists, perhaps not more than might have been expected under the circumstances, but still painful to contrast with our own prosperity and abundance.

'Last night, in company with a large group of Engineer officers, I witnessed some explosions in the docks. The charges were fired by galvanic batteries, and the result I understand is very satisfactory. It was so dark that no one was able, at the time, to see its effect. Our walk home through the Redan, and over rough and difficult ground, was rather hard work.

'January 6.-No incident worth mentioning has occurred within the last two or three days.

'On January 4 (my twenty-eighth birthday) Barnston dined with me.

'Yesterday I rode with Scratchley to Kazatch Bay, to visit a detachment of my company at work there. The road to Kamiesch was crowded with French wagons laden with hay, bread, &c., and we encountered likewise large parties of soldiers carrying firewood, and strings of mules with chests containing boiled beef, swung over their backs like panniers-a French soldier here and there, by way of making his animal more contented, sitting complacently on its back, in the centre of the said chests, and seemingly well satisfied with his temporary throne.

'Kazatch Bay I had not seen before. It is a small harbour. A miniature dockyard, and a few huts occupied chiefly by marine guards, or used as stores or offices, are the only buildings visible. There were two floating batteries, looking like pictures of clumsy solidity, in harbour. These had arrived from England subsequent to the bombardment of Kinburn. My Sappers are engaged in making landing-piers for the navy, and in erecting huts. The wind rose and became piercingly cold in the afternoon, and we were not sorry to get to camp again.

'To-day, after church, I walked with four or five others for a couple of hours. The whole country is now covered with snow to the depth of a foot or more. The sleighing would be excellent, were there sleighs to drive. I think of fitting one up.

T