intensely hot; I don't know when I felt the heat so much. Lord Raglan and his staff were present at the service with the brigade of Guards: four men of the Guards fainted, so powerful was the sun, and yet it was only 9 A.M. Sir George Brown arrived this morning from Gallipoli with the 2nd battalion of the Rifle Brigade, and the 93rd regiment. About midday there was a sudden change in the weather, and in five minutes the sky was covered with black clouds, and the rain descended in torrents, in a way that you have no idea of in England.

There was a grand ball last night (9th instant) at Pera, given by the French Ambassador in honour of Prince Napoleon. Previous to the ball there was a large dinner at the English Embassy: most of the English Generals were asked, and some of their staffs. About twenty sat down to one of the best dinners I ever saw; everything admirably done. I was astonished that, Pera could have furnished anything so good. Lord Stratford was so unwell that he was unable to attend. We went to the ball at about half-past nine o'clock. The ball-room was handsome, and the music good: I was presented to Marshal St. Arnaud and Prince

VOL. I.

C

Napoleon; the latter is most wonderfully like the pictures one has seen of his Uncle in his younger days. I think he affects his attitudes and dress as much as practicable. He was dressed in a French General's uniform, viz. tail-coat buttoned up to the chin, white inexpressibles, and Napoleon boots. He stood generally with his arms folded, and had a lock of hair falling over his forehead, as you so often see represented in pictures of Napoleon I. His manner is good, gentle, and courteous, and altogether one receives a favourable impression of him on first acquaintance. Marshal St. Arnaud is very different in every way; so energetic and demonstrative in manner, he gives you the idea of an actor; talks very fast, whether in French or broken English, and is withal most goodnatured. I can't say much for the beauty of Pera; the ladies were few of them pretty, and not well got up, being for the most part in gaudy dresses without any harmony of colour. Then there were at least five gentlemen to one lady, which is a decided drawback to the enjoyment of a ball.

This morning the Duke of Cambridge and his staff arrived; so that at last all the staff of the army

are here. I am sorry to see that some of the English newspapers abuse Lord Raglan for not making more haste in coming here: it is so unjust, so unfair, to condemn a man for doing what he is ordered to do by his Government. I will venture to say that Lord Raglan would have much preferred coming all the way by sea from England, rather than have had to go through all the fêtes, &c., at Paris; for I don't know where you could find a man of more simple habits, or one who more dislikes anything approaching display or notoriety. The fear is—and one very generally felt by those about him-that he will overdo himself, for he is always at work, morning, noon, and night; at present, however, he appears in remarkably good health.

Most of the 1st Division of Artillery have arrived, but they have lost twenty-seven horses on the voyage, out of about three hundred and forty. Many officers have lost horses coming out: General Estcourt, the Adjutant-General, has lost two; Lord Lucan, commanding the cavalry, two; many others the same; and our liberal Government will give them sums for each horse not exceeding 501.; for all, except first chargers,

only 351. and 407., no matter how much more the horses may have cost.

It may perhaps be as well to give you the approximate number of English troops now in the East. I think the following nearly correct:

The troops at the Kululi barracks are chiefly artillery; none of the cavalry have yet arrived, but about 2500 are under orders; probably many of this number will not be sent out for the next two or three months. There are also three more regiments of infantry to come from Malta and Gibraltar: when we are complete we shall muster about 27,000 men. The army at the present moment is very healthy: there are only about 200 patients in the general hospital, and most of these are only slight cases of fever. It was intended to have sent a large body of troops to the other side of the Bosphorus to construct field-works some few miles north of Constantinople, so as to prevent its being taken by a coup-de-main ;

but I understand Lord Raglan is not in favour of the project, as he thinks it perfectly unnecessary, and consequently the idea has been abandoned. The Russians must be bold, indeed, if they were to think of marching down all that way to meet the English and French armies, to say nothing of the Turks ready to receive them before they could attack Constantinople.

I went to the "Sweet Waters" on Friday, which is always the grand day. What is called the Sweet Waters is nothing more than a wide winding sort of canal, about five miles from Constantinople, at the end of the Golden Horn. The best way to see and enjoy it is to hire a caique at Galata, and go up the Golden Horn; on your way you pass the dockyard and naval arsenal, both miserable establishments when compared with those of any other maritime nation. Then afterwards there is no end to the Government store-sheds and boat-houses on either side of the water for a couple of miles; by which time you discover that you have got into a very narrow piece of water, which all at once turns sharply to your left into the canal before mentioned, and you find yourself in the Sweet Waters! It is a