2G Ten Years of my Life. 



England at the breaking out of the Crimean war. General 

 Sigel had a command in th^ West, and Blenker commanded 

 the German division in the East. 



I shall have later an opportunity of speaking of the persons 

 belonging to Blenker's staff and corps, and return from this 

 digression to the tent of the General. 



We had not been long there when we heard the sentinels 

 present arms, and the curtain at the entrance of the tent was 

 thrown back. An officer entered, returning from an inspection 

 of the outposts, reporting to the General, who then presented 

 him to the ladies as the chief of his staff. — Co/onei Prince Salm. 



The Prince was then a man of thirty years. He was of 

 middle height, had an elegant figure, dark hair, light mous- 

 tache, and a very agreeable handsome face, the kind and 

 modest expression of which was highly prepossessing. He 

 had very fine dark eyes, which, however, seemed not to be 

 very good, as he had to use a glass, which he perpetually wore 

 in his right eye, managing it with all the skill of a Prussian 

 officer of the guard. 



Though the movements of the Prince were elegant and 

 pleasant, he could not get rid of a certain bashfulness or 

 embarrassment, which, however, did not make him appear 

 awkward, but which prejudiced the ladies in his favour far 

 more than boldness and assurance in his demeanour would 

 have done. In speaking, even to gentlemen, the Prince had 

 always a smiling, pleasant expression, and one could see at 

 once that he was an extremely modest, kind-hearted man. 



I felt particularly attracted by the face of the Prince, and it 

 was evident that my face had the same effect on him. He 

 addressed me in his polite, and smiling manner, but, alas, he 

 did not speak one word of English, and as I did not under- 

 stand either German or French, and only very imperfectly 

 Spanish, of which he had some superficial knowledge, our 

 conversation would have been very unsatisfactory without the 

 assistance of the more universal language of the eyes, which 

 both of us understood much better. 



Prince Felix zu Salm-Salm was a younger son of the reign- 

 ing Prince zu Salm-Salm, whose now mediatized principality 

 is situated in Westphalia, belonging to Prussia. The capital 

 of this principality is Bocholt, but the family are now residing 

 in the town of Anholt, where they have a very fine old castle. 



