Reminiscences of a Soldier.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3425, 13 December 1879, Page 1

Reminiscences of a Soldier.

•HfIHMSMMaMaW* ;i , . !hi^ , .' [COMXVHICATBD.] ; ,., \ l--^-'^ I embarked on board H.M.S. " Hit*-" alaya " in the early part of 1856 for the East We left Kingstown, Ireland, wits" the Head Quarters of the ltt Dragoon Guard's and drafts from other cavalry regiments. The speed of this spleadid - steamship was so rapid, that twenty-four hoars brought us into the Bay of Biscay. A westerly gale came on to blow the second night we were at sea, and rolled ns about with most uncomfortable pertinacity. The horses had none of them been slunf, and there was consequently an amount of kicking and biting among > those fine animals, which was disagreeable to the mtn engaged in securing them.' ; Wot one of our horses, however, was injured by the gale. The Himalaya had '.' a most gentlemanly set of officers. The "' military men on board did not scruple to declare before they left the ship that ;tbe naval officers were the jolliest lot of fellows in the British Navy. We anchored in the Bay of Gibraltar about three days and • a half after leaving Kingstown. Gibraltar* with its imposing array of guns and '. mixed population, interested us rnuoh. The Moorish merchants (many of them influential men of business) were dressed „ after the style* of the Romans of old. ~ We made the best of our time ashore— drove around the ramparts, inspected the batteries cut out of solid rock, admired the soldierlike appearance of the Lancashire militia (then stationed there), and returned on board feeling proud of the resources of our country. After taking in 25 mules with their drivers, we steamed . away for Malta. These Spanisli mule- • drivers were a fine picturesque set of men, but desperately hot-blooded; ready with their knives on the simplest pretext They; soon however learned to stand in awe of British fisticuffs. As the weather was fine we steamed in cloie to the eoaat of Africa, and obtained a good view of Algiers, with its white houses and regalar ramparts shining in the sun. We did not lack amusement on board. There were chess and draughts, and an excellent piano in tbe saloon, which enabled us to get up amateur concerts. Then, duriaie the day-time, there were social promenades, and disenssions on the war. varied by an occasional visit; to a kicking horse who had not yet discovered his sea Irgs. After four days steaming, we landed at Valetta. Perhaps the most remarkable place of iuterest at Malta is the Church of tit. John of Jerusalem. This building contains several beautiful chapes, a solid silver gate admits you into one chapel, a gate of solid gold into another. Our guide was a disreputable looking individual, but bis reverential air in the. church atoned for his unfavorable appearance. Malta is a great place for priests ;and; soldiers. It was certainly peculiar ie a Protestant eye to observe these gentlemen ■ of tbe Roman Catholic Church, dressed in their long black coats and shovel hats, taking their post prandial promenade in all the principal streets of the town. We only remained iv Malta long enough to take in coals, and then left for Constantinople. Tbe passage from Malta to Constantinople abounded with interest. Skirting the islands of the Merest—each of them presented some object of interest— . we saw far iv tbe distance tbe site of ancient Corinth and Athens. Gallipoli interested me as being the first landing* place of the allied armies in the East. Towards evening, the moiques and minarets appeared iv view. On approavhing tits city of the Sultan, an - Englishman's eye is at once riretted on the" tall chimneys of some regular English factories. We anchored at 8 o'clock in the evening between Constantinople and Scutari. Tbe setting sun shed a ; blaze of light on dome, and mosque, and minaret, while the blue waters of the Bosphorus glided swiftly by our noble vessel. It is a part of a Turk's religion to leave ' off work at mihset; we werti therefore unable to hire a caique wherewith to go on shore, aud were content to remain on board auother uieht. We had every . reason to be satisfied with our passage; only, sixteen days', ont from Kingstown, and here we were in the placid waters of the Bosphorus, just opposite the far famed Golden Horn; able, had we possessed the - stride of tbe Colossus, to have planted one foot on Europe, and the other on Asia. I availed myself of the first opportunity

next jnorning, wiih * brother Subaltern^ to land.' After partaking of a hearty breakfast we ttenfc ashore. At Scutari I bade farewell to my friends of the Dra&ribn Guards. They were afiaosefc of fellows. They were in excellent health and spirits, looking forward anxiously to a brush with the Russians; but they suffered much from many another cause in tho Crimea. They had not landed many duya before cholera broke among them and nearly decimated their ranks. Scutari hospital was at this lime rather full, as it contained the major part of the men wounded at the unsuccessful attack on the Redan of the 18th June. Miss Nightingale'sband of nursesattended in the wards, as well as several Bermondsey nuns. Each ward had likewise its soldier orderlies, ready at any time of day or night to attend the wants of the invalid soldiers. Nothing could surpass their diligence and obedience to orders.

The tale of the occupation of Kertch in May, 1865, will be remembered. On my arrival there as an officer of the AngloOttoman Contingent, there were about 8,000 Turks under a " Perik Pasha " or Lieut-general, the 71st Highlartders, 1200 French marines, detachments of British cavalry, vrith a few batteries of artillery. Kertch is one of those towns that one finds typified at Home in St. Leonard's. There is nothing of magnificence, but something of solidity about the buildings and streets. On October the 31st, two of our Tartar messengers came in from Siropher Opol with the intelligence of the mining of that town. General Wrangel was our 0 immediate antagonist, but we were not clear whether he intended to make a descent on Kertch or not. On, the 29th November there was to have been divine service at 11 a.m. in the cavalry barracks. An unexpected occurrence however took place which prevented it. About nine o'clock intelligence came in from the English Catairy picquet that a body of Cossacks were in sight, and it was surmised that the dust observed in their vicinity was from advancing columns of infantry. All was bustle and movement. All were ordered under arms. Some hours passed without any farther decisive movement on the part of the enemy, and eventually it was ascertained that some two or three, hundred Cossacks had come down to the J neighbouring villages and plundered, burned, and ridden away. Fresh orders were,issued for-tbe dispersion of our collected force; our handful of cavalry were sent onfc to patrol, and towards evening all was again tranquil. On the Ist December I rode out to the scene of the Cossack raid in company with the •ssistant-quartermastergeneral, and escorted by some ten of his Tartars. (To be continued-)