Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil InstitutionsSoyer, Alexis
History
Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions
Soyer, Alexis
Cooking for military personnel; Crimean War, 1853-1856
“Yes, I have.”
“Well, look with this glass to the right; I fancy I see the land about
seven or eight miles off.”
“Yes,” said I; “the fog is clearing off on that side, and I believe it
is the land.”
“In that case,” said the captain, “we are nearly thirty miles out of our
way. Though it is very provoking, we may thank our stars the weather was
more favourable than the night before.”
It was now nearly five A.M., and the dew was falling very fast. Feeling
chilly, I went below, and reposed for a short time upon the sofa. Being
thirty miles out of our course gave me time for a good rest before
entering the Bosphorus; upon making which I was, at my request, called
up. As the sun rose, the fog cleared off, though slowly; the captain
made out a landmark, and found that we were, as he had before said,
about thirty miles out of our course. The _London_ was fitted up in a
princely style; she had two funnels, and was very long. She rolled very
much during the voyage, though the sea was not very rough; her being
short of ballast was probably the cause. At all events, it made Miss
Nightingale very ill.
However, our troubles were now at an end; we were slowly entering the
mouth of the Bosphorus, amidst a shower of pearls, which gathered in
millions upon the rigging and the deck. This was a great relief to us,
after the grey fog and thick fine rain--besides being unaware of our
exact position, and floating at hazard on the sea; though, thanks to the
caution and watchfulness of the captain, we had been in no danger. It
was like the opening of a fairy scene; the clouds were slowly
disappearing, disclosing to our fatigued and overstrained eyesight the
unique panorama of the Bosphorus. Its strong current appeared to
overpower the steam, and we seemed to have come to a stand-still. The
thousands who have returned from the arid and devastated soil of the
Crimea, under its burning sun, must have enjoyed the refreshing sight I
have here attempted to describe. Even Miss Nightingale had enjoyed it
from her cabin. She had been removed to the beautiful saloon upon deck,
where she had a good view of the enchanting panorama, and appeared
almost recovered from her fatiguing voyage; which proves how near pain
is allied to pleasure, and _vice versâ_, particularly as refers to
sea-sickness. Miss Nightingale requested to see me. I went and inquired
after her health, which, she said, had improved since we entered the
river. She then referred to various things she wished to have in her
extra-diet kitchen, and to numerous other matters of importance
connected with the hospitals. I requested her to keep her mind quiet,
and to depend upon me.
“No doubt, mademoiselle,” said I, “I shall not have the pleasure of
seeing you for some time, and I would certainly advise you not to go out
till you are quite restored to health: I will, therefore, send you a
journal of my daily proceedings by Mr. or Mrs. Bracebridge, whom I, of
course, shall see every day.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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