The order with which all was carried on was admirable. Without the slightest intention of making myself officious in this matter, I cannot help remarking, that the broths and tisanes given to the patients were rather of a thinnish nature, and given in much larger quantities than by the English doctors to patients affected with similar diseases;—my opinion on the subject being, that for the man who has lived too well, a close and light diet is most beneficial, his blood being too rich; while the debilitated soldier’s blood requires regenerating: which caused me to submit succulent diets for dysentery and diarrhœa, and cooling ones for fever.
CHAPTER XXVI.
MY SECOND TRIP TO THE CRIMEA.
Off in the Ottawa—A calm in the Bosphorus—Deceitful appearances—Captain Bone—Fellow-passengers—A concert in the Black Sea—Intrepidity of P. M.—My Zouave—Harmony in my culinary troop—A tremendous crash—Change of scene—Alarm of P. M.—A bad passage—A fit of the blues—Reflections—Visits—Fresh faces—Off to the Camp—Colonel Steele—A note from my Zouave—French head-quarters—The lost found—Standing treat—The cantinière—Return to the Ottawa—Bornet’s excuses—La petite Mère Jouvin—Effects of enthusiasm—Character of the Zouaves—Remove to the Baraguay d’Hilliers.
TWO days later, I and my people started on board the Ottawa. The day of our departure was magnificently fine; the Bosphorus and Black Sea looked like a sheet of glass. I remarked to the captain, “One might cross the Black Sea in a caique.”
“Yes,” he replied, “in its present state; but who knows how soon we may have it dancing mountains high? I have seen it so before; and where would you be with your caique then, Monsieur Soyer?”
“Of course, you are right, captain; but I suppose it is not often thus at this time of the year.”
“Even at this time of year, I should be sorry to be one of the caidjees.”
Captain Bone was a very agreeable man—high-bred—educated at Oxford—well stored with bons-mots and good anecdotes—always laughing at other people’s jokes as well as his own—very severe on deck and very funny with his friends. He kept a good cook, and therefore a good table, looking sharply after it himself—spending, probably, no more money than other captains, but faring better—very anxious to please his passengers—and at all times very liberal. The proverb says, “Speak of a man as you find him;” and in this manner I speak of the worthy captain.
The ship was very full, especially of recovered invalids from Scutari. Numbers of doctors from Rankioi and Smyrna were on board, on their way to the Crimea, where their services were required. I had engaged a young Sardinian named Antonio, a good-looking youth with a very good voice. As the evening was fine, he and my Zouave began singing, which they did admirably, every one joining in chorus. Thus we spent a delightful soirée on the bosom of the Black Sea.
P. M., who by this time was becoming quite a brave man, still formed part of my suite. That gentleman’s intrepidity was such, that no one could prevent him from facing at all times the most animated fire—I mean the fire of a short pipe or a long cigar. My Zouave was everywhere about the vessel, which did not seem large enough for him and his four horses. I at last quieted him, by requesting he would think of nothing while on board but eating and drinking moderately, as well as singing a song at night when I required it. He promised faithfully not to throw my Armenian groom overboard, nor to smash the brains of my Italian servant Antonio, but to live like a Christian, in good fellowship with all, and sing when I pleased. One of my cooks, named Jean, an Albanian, while quarrelling, had threatened to cut another, named Victor, into four pieces, and throw them into a pickle-tub. He also gave up this professional job. They all shook hands, and the greatest harmony appeared to reign in my culinary troop.