“No, no,” said Sir John, “I want it now, François.”
“Have I offended you, Colonel?”
“Offended me, no! on the contrary, I am much obliged to you for your kind services; but the end of this month may be to-morrow for me, as we shall have a terrible attack upon the Redan; so I want to settle all my little affairs to-day.”
“Oh, I’m sure, General, it will be all right.”
“Indeed I must have it—how much does it amount to?”
“Well, General, if I must, I must—it is one pound seventeen, or somewhere thereabouts.”
The General wished him good night, and with a smile upon his countenance returned to his cave, and François to his duty. That noble-hearted man seemed to have a presentiment that he should not survive the attack. The tears stood in his eyes while he was relating this to me, and I found my own in much the same state in listening to the recital.
[21] A few days after, his Majesty honoured with his presence the grand anniversary ball given at the French Embassy by Monsieur Thouvenel, the French ambassador. It was also very splendid, but not being a fancy one, did not offer the same points of interest. The English ball had the advantage of being the first ever attended by a Moslem monarch: nevertheless, his Sublime Majesty remained longer at the latter than at the former, having, doubtless, taken a fancy to our European social customs.
[22] When I say “according to common sense,” I am speaking within bounds. Salt and pepper, fresh and preserved vegetables (the latter either in tins or in cakes), were distributed from the regimental quartermaster’s stores to the cooks of each company for three days’ consumption at a time. The consequence was that, in a couple of days, and sometimes in one, the three days’ rations had either been consumed or were wasted. The first day, the soup or other food was badly prepared, on account of the excess of these ingredients; and it was still worse on the following days, on account of their being short of all with the exception of the meat, which was therefore boiled in plain water with rice, but often without either salt or vegetables. The food was thus rendered insipid and unwholesome. Such was the system I found in general use, and it was a great pity, seeing the Government had so liberally provided all that was required. Proper regulation was all that was needed in order to increase the comforts of the men. The meals of the whole army constitute a very important matter. Any improvement was certain to be felt daily; for can anything be more unpalatable than a piece of fresh beef boiled in plain water, without seasoning? There was no salt to eat with it, although plenty was allowed for each man. This is what I call want of attention and lack of common sense. I do not mean to say this was always the case, as some quartermasters, who noticed the evil, distributed the vegetables daily, instead of for three days at once. Many of the men were intelligent enough to divide the allowance, but the greater number were very careless; it therefore became of the utmost importance to establish a rule which would not leave them the chance of doing wrong. The great evil is, that after being thus deprived of salt for a day or two, they then receive salt rations, which they boil in small tin camp-kettles, and without soaking, in merely a few pints of water, which becomes like so much brine. Thus various diseases, which are seldom attributed to the real cause, are engendered, and all medicinal equilibrium is completely upset. The rectifying of this was one of the numerous difficulties I had to encounter during my mission.
[23] For a regiment of one thousand men, increase the number of stoves in proportion. If one hundred regiments are to be cooked for, repeat the same in each regiment, when you will have cooked enough food to perfection without much trouble for an army of one hundred thousand men, at the same time effecting a saving of above 400 per cent. in fuel.