THE REpAN 213 



rank and file, three half pence a week and half rations, they 

 were well paid ! He being a German and having the hay 

 and corn business in his hands, ought to have been the last 

 to have opened his mouth. On one of these occasions, the 

 officers expressed their unbounded admiration for the steadi- 

 ness with which the English troops in the attack on the 

 Redan during the Crimean War, marched up to the Russian 

 guns with almost certain death in front of them. They said 

 that our men never wavered or even quickened their pace, 

 while grape and round shot tore lanes through them ; 

 but they simply kept closing inwards and marching 

 straight to their front. My hosts drank to the health 

 of our heroes, and I am afraid that their generous words 

 of praise for their enemies made such a strong impression 

 on me, that I did not say half what I ought to have done. 



Since I returned from Russia, I have gone nowhere, and 

 have done nothing, except to plod at the books I have in 

 preparation. As I fag at them, I have the great consolation 

 of knowing that a wise man once said that hard writing is 



O c> 



easy reading, which I hope mine will be. A book in which 

 I am interested, the Revised Edition of Modern Polo, will 

 give me but little trouble, luckily for the book and myself; 

 because the labour falls on the very capable shoulders of 

 Mr. E. D. Miller, the celebrated polo player, who is the 

 author ; while 1 earn my share of the public money by 

 passing the proofs to press. We expect to have it ready 

 in February, so that it may be in good time for next polo 

 season. 



When my present literary work is finished, I hope, as I 

 have already said, to enjoy the great pleasure of visiting 

 Australia and New Zealand, where almost everyone owns 

 horses and rides across country. I want to go there to 

 learn more about horses, and trust that while doing so, my 

 Colonial friends will let me show them some useful things 



