ALAND THE BALTIC IN 1854. 197 



soldier. It is holiday time with him now ; there is 

 no work to be done to-day, and he is determined to 

 eat, drink, smoke, and be merry, as -well as he can. 

 The present is all to him. He puts off and on his 

 cares as he does his knapsack, nor feels the pressure 

 until the straps are cutting into his flesh. He is in 

 the land of Goshen now, amid the flesh-pots. The 

 supplies are abundant. The parties sent for water 

 return ever and anon with a purchase, and are greeted 

 with a cheer. His larder exhibits a miscellaneous 

 collection. Here there is a calf or pig hanging by 

 the legs from a tree; here a black lamb, goat, or 

 goose, tethered near the tents. There are pots and 

 pans everywhere, holding the oddest things, cooked 

 in the oddest way. Everywhere there was the smell 

 of tobacco. In front of the camp is a potato -field, 

 which has been a perfect Naboth's vineyard to him, 

 when a damsel arrives who professes to be proprietress, 

 and offers to sell ; straightway the field is covered as 

 by a flight of locusts. All are busy digging, when 

 whizz comes a round of canister in the midst, scatter- 

 ing the gatherers, and making them look rather rue- 

 fully on the " spuds " which have been won at such 

 risk. 



The free camp life the comradeship of men shar- 

 ing toil and danger, sharing quarters, and having their 

 goods in common the excitement of peril, adventure, 

 and constant action, all these draw out his best 

 qualities. He is cheerful, obedient, and patient 



