COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 165 



ship's crew here, as also the Infantry Light Brigade. 

 We had a most interesting patrol, but precious hard 

 work. We started by Bagadish and on next day 

 north, but had to return from want of water. The 

 whole country is deserted, not a soul to be seen, and 

 the villages burned down and battered — such a deso- 

 late scene. We had only salt beef and biscuits and 

 what we had on. No tents, of course, which in this 

 hot weather on plains is no joke. There is hardly 

 a tree between Bagadish and Bassora, and very little 

 water. We went by long marches to Bassora, where 

 we first saw an enemy in the shape of the Cossacks 

 on the other bank of the Danube looking at us. We 

 bivouacked close to the bank under the old camp of 

 the Russians, which was a curious siofht. We then 

 went to Silistria, and when about five miles from it 

 saw the whole camp of the Russians on the other 

 side in such a jolly country, all grass and a lovely 

 view. We stayed all day at Silistria, and it was 

 such a rum sight, the town riddled with shot and 

 shell, and up at Arab Tabia just as it was when they 

 left six days before. The Russian battery being 

 within thirty feet of the Turkish one, the Turks 

 must have fought like demons. We saw 40,000 or 

 50,000 men encamped about two miles the other side 

 of the Danube entrenched. They don't look like 

 cutting at all, although according to English papers 

 they were said to be in full retreat. There they 

 were, and are now I believe. They had a battery 

 just opposite us on the other bank, about 700 yards 

 across, so we had a good look at them. They had a 



