We reached our hotel door as wet as frogs, the movements of which reptile we had been for some time imitating by jumping from tombstone to tombstone in the Petit Champ des Morts, that being our nearest road home. The door was opened, after we had knocked about twenty times. Nevertheless, we had no reason to be dull or impatient, as there was defiling before us the everlasting caravan of donkeys laden with coffins for the daily consumption of the French hospital at Pera. Never, perhaps, upon any stage was there such a sudden change from the sublime to the gloomy. The door at last opened, and we were saluted with a “Very sorry, gentlemen, to keep you waiting, but we did not expect you so early.” It was only half-past six A.M.
I made sure that I should be ill after such a series of events, and, wishing to be quiet, I gave special orders that no one should be permitted to disturb me, excepting the doctor, who was in the habit of calling occasionally. I had scarcely fallen asleep, when I was aroused by a knock at the door, and a letter was put into my hands apprising me that part of my stoves had arrived. I was, therefore, obliged to rise immediately and to go in person to the Admiralty, as my head man had left for Scutari the night before. The steamer was on its way to Balaklava, and the captain did not know what he was to do with them. I immediately wrote to Colonel Blane at head-quarters upon the subject, and received the following letter in reply:—
Head-quarters, Crimea, 19th March, 1856.
Sir,—In reply to your letter of the 13th inst., I am directed to acquaint you that the new field-stoves will not be issued by Captain Gordon until he receives instructions to that effect from the Quartermaster-General. Lieut.-Colonel Halliwell, Assistant Quartermaster-General of the Fourth Division, will give you, on your arrival in the Crimea, every information as to the hut which was directed to be built for your use in the camp of the Fourth Division.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
Robert Blane, Lieut.-Col.,
Military Secretary.
Monsieur A. Soyer,
Barrack Hospital, Scutari.
The exertion I had undergone for nearly twenty-four hours, I fully expected would have laid me up for as many days. On the contrary, however, I felt as strong again as the day before the ball, and to this event alone I attribute my cure. This proves that a sudden change may often be beneficial in cases of violent disease. In a few days I once more embarked on board the Ottowa, and was again en route to the Crimean shore, but received the following letter from Lord de Redcliffe before leaving:—
British Embassy, February 20th, 1856.
Dear Monsieur Soyer,—I cannot let you go back to the Crimea, which I understand you think of doing, without receiving my written thanks, in addition to those which I have already expressed by word of mouth.
It must be a great satisfaction to you to have found so excellent a field for the application of your skill and humanity; and I sincerely hope that your name will be never dissociated from the great and memorable events of the present war.