Greek church, the Zouave camp, and the traffic of thousands below, busily running to and fro, formed a naval and military tableau which well repaid us for our trouble. On reaching the verge of the hill facing the grand tower, which proudly bore the British flagstaff, Miss Nightingale and myself made an involuntary halt to admire this splendid view. “Did you ever see anything more picturesque than this, Mademoiselle? And were it not for the everlasting report of the cannon, could you not believe you were in the Land of Promise, redolent with the green bloom of nature, which almost covers those rocky mountains? Turn your eyes on that side towards the busy harbour--can you not imagine you are looking at Landseer’s celebrated pictures on one side of Peace and the other side of War?” Miss Nightingale replied, “I had heard Balaklava was a very pretty place, but I did not expect to find anything so beautiful.” “I believe, Mademoiselle, that gentleman coming down from the Sanatorium is Dr. Henderson? I recollect having seen him inquiring after you last evening.” “So it is, Monsieur Soyer; I suppose he has waited so long for us, that he is coming back to the General Hospital.” “Thomas,” said I to the boy, “run and tell that gentleman Miss Nightingale is coming, or he may take another road, and miss us.” A few minutes after, we met the doctor, who very much regretted not having met us at the General Hospital, according to promise. Several important cases sent from the trenches (among which was the amputation of an arm) had delayed him. “I suppose, doctor, you use chloroform in all cases of amputation?” “Yes, we do, Monsieur Soyer, and with very great success, not having lost a single patient since its application.” By this time we had arrived at the hospital, which is composed of immense rows of huts, erected on the crest of the lofty mountain facing the sea, commanding a beautiful view of the bay. Miss Nightingale observed that no doubt the site was a healthy one, but that it would be very hot in summer and equally cold in winter. “Well,” said the doctor, “we thought of that ourselves; but really Balaklava is so mountainous, that for the life of us, we could not pitch upon any other spot. However, the least breeze from the sea will be felt in summer, and in winter we must contrive to screen it somehow. Should we have another storm like that of the 14th of last November, we should be blown away.” One of the men, hearing the storm mentioned, told me that he had witnessed it from beginning to end. I then asked him a few particulars, and he related the circumstance as follows, while Dr. Henderson and Miss Nightingale were walking among the ruins, talking over business matters.