neatly
dressed in a red or yellow dress, a plain shawl of some other colour,
and a simple straw wide-awake, with bright red streamers. I flatter
myself that I woke up sundry sleepy-eyed Turks, who seemed to think
that the great object of life was to avoid showing surprise at
anything; while the Turkish women gathered around me, and jabbered
about me, in the most flattering manner.

How I ever succeeded in getting Mr. Day's letters from the
Post-office, Constantinople, puzzles me now; but I did--and I shall
ever regard my success as one of the great triumphs of my life. Their
contents were not very cheering. He gave a very dreary account of
Balaclava and of camp life, and almost dissuaded me from continuing my
journey; but his last letter ended by giving me instructions as to the
purchases I had best make, if I still determined upon making the
adventure; so I forgot all the rest, and busied myself in laying in
the stores he recommended.

But I found time, before I left the "Hollander," to charter a crazy
caicque, to carry me to Scutari, intending to present Dr. F----'s
letter to Miss Nightingale.

It was afternoon when the boatmen set me down in safety at the
landing-place of Scutari, and I walked up the slight ascent, to the
great dull-looking hospital. Thinking of the many noble fellows who
had been borne, or had painfully crept along this path, only to die
within that dreary building, I felt rather dull; and directly I
entered the hospital, and came upon the long wards of sufferers, lying
there so quiet and still, a rush of tears came to my eyes, and blotted
out the sight for a few minutes. But I soon felt at home, and looked
about me with great interest. The men were, many of them, very quiet.
Some of the convalescent formed themselves into little groups around
one who read a newspaper; others had books in their hands, or by their
side, where they had fallen when slumber overtook the readers, while
hospital orderlies moved to and fro, and now and then the female
nurses, in their quiet uniform, passed noiselessly on some mission of
kindness.

I was fortunate enough to find an old acquaintance, who accompanied me
through the wards, and rendered it unnecessary for me to trouble the
busy nurses. This was an old 97th man--a Sergeant T----, whom I had
known in Kingston, and who was slowly recovering from an attack of
dysentery, and making himself of use here until the doctors should let
him go back and have another