Lady Maria Forester has given £200 to take out three others. We feed and lodge ourselves there, and are to be no expense whatever to the country. Lord Clarendon has been asked by Lord Palmerston to write to Lord Stratford for us, and has consented. Dr. Andrew Smith of the Army Medical Board, whom I have seen, authorizes us, and gives us letters to the Chief Medical Officer at Scutari. I do not mean to say that I believe the _Times_ accounts, but I do believe that we may be of use to the wounded wretches. Now to business. (1) Unless my Ladies' Committee feel that this is a thing which appeals to the sympathies of all, and urge me, rather than barely consent, I cannot honourably break my engagement here. And I write to you as one of my mistresses. (2) What does Mr. Herbert say to the scheme itself? Does he think it will be objected to by the authorities? Would he give us any advice or letters of recommendation? And are there any stores for the Hospital he would advise us to take out? Dr. Smith says that nothing is needed. I enclose a letter from E. Do you think it any use to apply to Miss Burdett Coutts? We start on Tuesday if we go, to catch the Marseilles boat of the 21st for Constantinople, where I leave my nurses, thinking the Medical Staff at Scutari will be more frightened than amused at being bombarded by a parcel of women, and I cross over to Scutari with some one from the Embassy to present my credentials from Dr. Smith, and put ourselves at the disposal of the Drs. (3) Would you or some one of my Committee write to Lady Stratford to say, "This is not a lady but a real Hospital Nurse," of me? "And she has had experience." My uncle went down this morning to ask my father and mother's consent. Would there be any use in my applying to the Duke of Newcastle for his authority? Believe me, dearest, in haste, ever yours, F. NIGHTINGALE. Perhaps it is better to keep it quite a private thing, and not apply to Gov^t. _qua_ Gov^t. This letter was posted on Saturday. Mr. Herbert had left London to spend Sunday at Bournemouth, and thence, unaware of the communication which was on its way to him from Miss Nightingale, he addressed the following letter to her:-- (_Sidney Herbert to Miss Nightingale._) BOURNEMOUTH, _October_ 15 [1854]. DEAR MISS NIGHTINGALE--You will have seen in the papers that there is a great deficiency of nurses at the Hospital at Scutari.