“I almost forget the name, but I believe that was it.”
Lord Raglan made many inquiries respecting Miss Nightingale, whose character he seemed to admire very much. We then returned to business matters. I expressed my desire to visit the hospital kitchens in the camp, in company with some of the authorities. To this Lord Raglan immediately acceded.
“No person could be better than Dr. Hall. Do you know him, Monsieur Soyer?”
“No, my Lord, I have not that pleasure; I called upon him twice, but unfortunately he was out.”
“He lives close at hand, and I will send for him.”
I told Lord Raglan that I had just left his hut, and that he was absent, but would be certain to be back by three or four o’clock.
“Very well; then you can settle that together.”
As I perceived that numbers of persons were waiting to see his lordship, and that messages were continually being sent in, I said that I should be happy to wait, and would call again.
“No, no, not at all,” said Lord Raglan; “if you were to wait, you might do so for a month. What is that you have under your arm? Is it a cooking apparatus?”
“Yes, this is the model of the field stove I have invented, and which I wish to submit for your lordship’s opinion and approval, by command of Lord Panmure, who approved of it very highly. Mr. Brunel, the great engineer, did the same. They are now in use in various hospitals, particularly at Smyrna, and at Scutari, where they answer admirably. They can also be used in the field, as they will cook either in or out of doors. Those for out-of-door purposes only require to be made smaller and lighter than the hospital ones.”