In the beginning of August a draft of 120 men, under Captain Rich, disembarked at Balaclava, and marched to the front. It was attached to the Highland division, being occasionally employed in the trenches. At the end of September it embarked for Yenikale, and joined the head-quarters on the 2nd of October. On the 24th of September three companies, under Major Hunter, crossed the Straits of Yenikale, in conjunction with a French force, to Taman, where a large quantity of hutting material and fuel was obtained. The expedition returned to Kertch on the 3rd of October. [Sidenote: 1856.] The strength and composition of the regiment on the 1st of January was as follows, exclusive of a depôt at Malta, which was about 100 strong:— -----------------+---------+----------+--------+-------- | Scotch. | English. | Irish. | Total. +---------+----------+--------+-------- Head-quarters | 823 | 36 | 44 | 903 Depôt at Perth | 264 | 37 | 50 | 351 -----------------+---------+----------+--------+-------- Total | 1,087 | 73 | 94 | 1,254 -----------------+---------+----------+--------+-------- of which, Presbyterians 1,061, Church of England 77, Church of Rome 116. The head-quarters and six companies, under Colonel Ready, remained in Yenikale, having two companies on detachment, under Major Campbell, at Kertch, till the 30th of May, when the head-quarters moved into Kertch, which was handed over to the Russian authorities on the 22nd of June. On the same day the head-quarters and six companies embarked on board the steam ship “Pacific,” and two under Major Campbell, in the steam ship “Edina,” and disembarked at Malta on the 29th of June. The Highland brigade having been kept in reserve during the war, had few casualties in proportion to other regiments. The Seventy-first had only 2 men killed, 6 wounded, and 1 taken prisoner. Major K. Hunter, Lieut. Northey, Assistant-Surgeon Gilborne, and about 100 non-commissioned officers and men died of sickness. The regiment whilst stationed at Malta occupied the Floriana, Ricasoli, and Verdala Barracks. [Sidenote: 1857.] On the 1st of January, 1857, the following was the strength and composition of the regiment:— -----------------+----------+--------+---------+-------- Nationality. | English. | Irish. | Scotch. | Total. -----------------+----------+--------+---------+-------- Head-quarters | 32 | 47 | 795 | 874 Depôt at Perth | 25 | 37 | 290 | 352 -----------------+----------+--------+---------+-------- Total | 57 | 84 | 1,085 | 1,226 -----------------+----------+--------+---------+-------- of which, 1,043 Presbyterians, 67 Church of England, and 116 Church of Rome. On the 26th of November, a draft of 2 officers and 41 men joined the head-quarters from the depôt. [Sidenote: 1858.]