Having made several remarks on the various subjects to the doctor, and thanked him for his attention, I promised to forward him a book of the new dietaries I had so successfully introduced in the hospital at Scutari. Though far from anticipating that any eminent member of the French faculty would change his system, and adopt mine in preference to the French medical _régime_, still, as I have learnt a great deal from the system pursued in the French hospitals, I should feel very proud if any of my receipts proved acceptable. In fact, I should be delighted to show my gratitude for the generous reception afforded me when I applied for leave to visit the French hospitals upon my passage through France on my way to the Crimea. The order with which all was carried on was admirable. Without the slightest intention of making myself officious in this matter, I cannot help remarking, that the broths and tisanes given to the patients were rather of a thinnish nature, and given in much larger quantities than by the English doctors to patients affected with similar diseases;--my opinion on the subject being, that for the man who has lived too well, a close and light diet is most beneficial, his blood being too rich; while the debilitated soldier’s blood requires regenerating: which caused me to submit succulent diets for dysentery and diarrhœa, and cooling ones for fever. CHAPTER XXVI. MY SECOND TRIP TO THE CRIMEA. Off in the _Ottawa_--A calm in the Bosphorus--Deceitful appearances--Captain Bone--Fellow-passengers--A concert in the Black Sea--Intrepidity of P. M.--My Zouave--Harmony in my culinary troop--A tremendous crash--Change of scene--Alarm of P. M.--A bad passage--A fit of the blues--Reflections--Visits--Fresh faces--Off to the Camp--Colonel Steele--A note from my Zouave--French head-quarters--The lost found--Standing treat--The cantinière--Return to the _Ottawa_--Bornet’s excuses--La petite Mère Jouvin--Effects of enthusiasm--Character of the Zouaves--Remove to the _Baraguay d’Hilliers_. Two days later, I and my people started on board the _Ottawa_. The day of our departure was magnificently fine; the Bosphorus and Black Sea looked like a sheet of glass. I remarked to the captain, “One might cross the Black Sea in a caique.” “Yes,” he replied, “in its present state; but who knows how soon we may have it dancing mountains high? I have seen it so before; and where would you be with your caique then, Monsieur Soyer?” “Of course, you are right, captain; but I suppose it is not often thus at this time of the year.” “Even at this time of year, I should be sorry to be one of the caidjees.”