Considering everything, the vessel was not driven so far out of her course after all, nor had steam been got up until the violence of the cyclone—for cyclone it was—had passed away.
Just two days after this the Gurnet was at anchor near Balaklava harbour, and her officers then found that the destruction caused by the storm was fearful to contemplate.
The Gurnet could scarcely have made her way into the harbour itself, had it been desirable to do so, owing to the quantities of wreckage that floated about and filled it. Even when Sturdy landed on duty, the boat had a difficulty in getting through. It was pitiful to see those boxes of stores, but above all the trusses of hay—irretrievably damaged by the salt water—floating in the sea. Sturdy got news of the storm here in Balaklava before he went on to the front. Of ships or vessels of one sort and another no less than twenty-one had been wrecked, and ten more damaged. The saddest thing of all was the total destruction of the fine steamer Prince, which was laden with a splendid cargo of everything that could be of use to our poor troops in enabling them to stand the rigours of the winter as they lay before Sebastopol. Stores of ammunition too were lost.
So much for the destruction of life and valuables along the shore. But when our good lieutenant at last found himself on the Upland and near our camps, he opened his eyes in astonishment. Here were misery and wretchedness past description. I said "near our camps," but near to the places where our camps had been would be more in accordance with facts.
The wind and the rain together had weighted and blown down the tents in every direction; scattered them wholesale, indeed, in every direction. Neither food, fire, nor shelter therefore remained for the men. Poor fellows who had been working in the trenches returned tired and weary, to lie down, hungry and cold, literally in the mud and slush.
Snow, too, had fallen, to make matters worse, and ground that had been hard and solid before was now little better than a mire.
The first to meet Sturdy after his return from the general's quarters was Dr. Reikie, and with him was his servant Paddy O'Rayne.
"Why," cried the doctor in his broadest Doric, "wha wad hae thocht o' seein' you here, Sturdy man? A sicht o' you is guid for sair een [sore eyes]."
"I know you are tired, poor Auld Reikie," said Sturdy as they shook hands.
"What way that, man?"