RELICS OF " DESERT-BORN. 255 



Balaklava, put on board the Oronoco, and taken to 

 Scutari Hospital, where, on the 14th of November, 

 nine days after having been wounded, I was 

 trephined, and recovered my senses immediately the 

 instrument was removed, and the pressure taken 

 off the brain. I had a weary time of it in hospital, 

 and for months lay between life and death, but 

 thanks to the skilful treatment of Doctors Mac- 

 gregor and Anderson I weathered the shock, and 

 although my grog has been stopped, I am still to 

 the fore. Since that day I have seen many a red 

 field won, but none could be compared to Inkerraann, 

 " the soldiers' battle," for hard fighting. 



The day after the battle, a brother-officer cut off 

 the tail and forelock of poor " Desert-Born," and, 

 some months afterwards, sent them to me, with a 

 part of the shell which killed him. I was glad to 

 possess even a relic of my old friend, and it now 

 hangs up amongst other honoured trophies of 

 many a hard day's work. 



The Arabian horse, the sire and progenitor of the 

 English racehorse, has been the subject of many 

 lengthy papers; but I have not read one account 



