166 REMINISCENCES OF 



large park of artillery, but not many cavalry. We 

 returned by Shamba. The country about there is 

 splendid. I got ophthalmia from the sun, and have 

 been sick ever since, but am off to-day. All the 

 horses get bad eyes, and have suffered a good deal 

 — four dead on the road, mostly from fever in the 

 feet and the absurd weight we have to carry, convey- 

 ing besides blanket, etc., etc., two and three days' 

 barley and provisions ! They don't give the horses 

 half grub enough. We got tremendous praise from 

 Lord Cardigan, who is a capital fellow to be under at 

 this work. Of course it was exciting up at Silistria, 

 as we expected every day to see a Cossack outpost. 

 We expect to go to the Crimea or . . ., but we 

 know nothing. The Times is our chief authority, 

 though quite wrong about the Russian entire retreat. 

 The regiment has only lost three nags coming out ; 

 my own are pretty well. The native horses are 

 clippers, about the size and cut of your grey pony of 

 Cross's. All ponies, but good ones. The soldiers 

 look such oddities — all rags and filth. There are no 

 French here. The flies and heat very annoying. 

 We have regular camp here ; races, etc. There is 

 no shooting at present, but it will be good. There 

 is a great deal of bad diarrhoea among the men and 

 officers. Pray remember me most kindly to Mrs. 

 Thomson and Dick Alkin and all friends at Ather- 

 stone. How are the doofs ? We must have some 

 out here in the winter. We have capital dog hunts 

 with poles on ponies. Wallachia looks such a hunt- 

 ing country to look at, and the finest woodlands about 



