Head-quarters, Crimea.
My dear Sir,—By applying to Colonel Halliwell of the Fourth Division, he will give you possession of the hut which has been built for yourself and suite, and will assist you in every manner possible.
I am, yours ever,
S. J. Blane, Col.,
Mil. Sec. to Gen. Sir W. Codrington, Commanding.
To Monsieur Soyer.
In a very short space of time my tents were pitched, and myself and my people were installed, on that celebrated spot called after that great and deeply-regretted man, General Cathcart—viz., Cathcart’s Hill.
This was now my castle, and proud was I of the noble site granted to me, as well as of my neighbours, from whom I received a most kind and friendly reception. Indeed, it was with the highest gratification that I found in the Fourth Division the same welcome and urbanity I had received in the First. I shall ever be grateful to Colonel Halliwell, who, by the bye, is a very distinguished artist and a discriminating epicure. Excuse the remark, dear reader, but a man, as I have already remarked in my Regenerator, may be either a gourmet or a gourmand, but never both: “car le gourmand n’est jamais gourmet; l’un mange sans déguster, l’autre déguste en mangeant.” The gourmet is the Epicurean dilettante, who eats scientifically and with all his organs—ears, of course, included. The gourmand’s stomach alone acts; he swallows all that is put before him, never praises the culinary artist, and seldom complains of the quality of the food, but frequently of the want of quantity.
Therefore, gourmets, epicures, high-livers, and wealthy merchants, who are gifted with a fine intellect, never allow yourselves to be called a gourmand if you are really deserving of the title of gourmet—and this title I confidently bestow upon my honourable friend Colonel Halliwell, who was not only a gourmet, but also a very good amateur cook. I defy any one to make a better mayonnaise, not even excepting professionals.
The plan I had adopted for the introduction of my stoves was as follows:—I first had an interview with the colonel of the regiment, who introduced me to the quartermaster—the latter to the storekeeper. Then I went to the commissariat in each division, where I looked over the stores, in order to regulate the distribution of the provisions and condiments with judgment and according to common sense.[22]
To remedy this evil in a private family would only require a few minutes’ conversation with the cook; while in an army it would take years, as military rules would have to be changed and fresh ones introduced. Simple as the change may appear, it is still very difficult to carry out, particularly in a camp extending over such a large space of ground. Fortunately, I was invested with the power of doing so without troubling the authorities: nevertheless, it was only by the following plan that I succeeded. To effect this very important object, as well as to introduce my new system, I devoted an hour to attend in person and give the first lesson myself to the soldier-cooks. As the colonel, quartermaster, and a serjeant were present, besides many officers as lookers-on, a great impression was thus created upon the men, who immediately saw the importance of following my instructions. I supplied the cooks with receipts printed at head-quarters, which gave them quite an official appearance. The annexed specimen will give an idea of their simplicity, and of the facility with which they might be adopted:—