1'60 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Nothing could be nicer or better kept than they were 

 in all respects. No English barracks could be cleaner 

 or better ventilated. We saw also some of the officers' 

 quarters, which spoke well for the taste of the occu- 

 piers. The band, we found, was composed entirely 

 of natives. "We had supposed that the master of the 

 band at least would have been a foreigner, but were 

 assured that Turkish skill, unassisted, had the train- 

 ing of the musicians, and even the composition of 

 much of the music. We went into the kitchen and 

 tasted the men's dinner, which was ready prepared. 

 It was a most excellent soup or hotch-potch, that Meg 

 Dods herself might have owned. Thence we went 

 to the stables, and here all was admirable. One 

 might be bold to say that no European regiment is 

 "better mounted. The colonel's special stud was a 

 noble collection, in whose exhibition he had evidently 

 much pride. We wound up our inspection with a 

 visit to the hospital, which we found the most admir- 

 able part of their menage. This was the doctor's own 

 province, and he minutely exhibited particulars. I 

 have seen a great many hospitals in my day, and am 

 able to judge that this was excellent. The building 

 was of no pretence, but substantial cenvenience was 

 consulted. It was quite spacious enough for ventila- 

 tion ; and the beds were all clean and comfortable, 

 and disposed at sufficiently wide intervals. This 

 establishment is governed in chief by the Italian 

 doctor ; but the second in direction, the surgeon as 



