the 18th June, and the fall of the strong city on the 8th of September. Incidents connected with the trenchwork are what I am treating of in this chapter, reminiscences of the days of fierce bombardments on our part, and replied to gallantly and unflinchingly by our Muscovite antagonists.

Watching, on one occasion, for a while. beside a traverse at midnight, I heard steps approach; four men are carrying a body on a canvas stretcher.

Who is it that is struck?"

"A corporal of the 4th, Sir; he is knocked to pieces. We are going to bury him here; he was struck with a shell in coming in over the parapet from the sentries outside, and Captain Paton, beside him, was wounded on the head by a piece of the corporal's body."

A grave is dug at one side, and the poor remains are at once consigned to their final rest. A religious sergeant used to carry a prayer-book with him, and on occasions of this sort read

the service by night or by day over the dead.

Towards the close of the siege incidents like the above became very frequent. Thus I had the first night half-a-dozen casualties, then eleven, fifteen, and so they increased. There were at last forty and sixty in the Right attack alone; whilst the French, more numerous than ourselves, would have one hundred killed and wounded in the twenty-four hours.

Captain Paton being disabled, as was just related, I was moving along the fourth parallel with difficulty among the legs of the trench guards lying

with its eye of fire,

down, when a shell, came on us from the

Redan, pitched, and exploded with a deafening crash close to us. I was then particularly pleased with the activity the activity and zeal of Sergeant O'Grady, of the 4th Regiment, who had taken his wounded officer's place, and went about encouraging men to be on the alert, either for shells or sorties. "Look alive, men! Don't go to sleep!" said he,

whilst he stirred them up with his foot. I recommended him to the favourable notice of his commanding officer, the energetic soldier, Colonel Williams, and he gave him a colour on his arm.

During the hottest part of the siege, and when casualties were rife, and the cries of the wounded were heard in passing the hospital huts, I saw a band of imitation negro minstrels singing and playing on the banjo and bones in the Guards' camp, whilst amongst the sailors, ridiculous figures, as a clown and Mary his wife, followed by a crowd, visited the different divisions, affording fun by their rough jokes.

I said the General's Hut was a warm place for fire. Thus, one Sunday, as Lieutenant Raby, R.N., of the "Wasp," was reading under his awning there, whilst a sailor was occupied with his Bible on the other side of the traverse, a shell came and burst. Then all seemed quiet, when a man reported that the poor Bible-reader was dead, a piece of the shell having passed from left to right

through his stomach.

coffee there had a leg

A man boiling

carried off by a round shot through an embrasure, and a third had a gabion knocked on his head, the spikes of it making numerous festering holes on the skin.

But enough of these details in the mean time: we must not sup full of horrors." Let us now, having seen our guards pass out of the trenches, and the new guards occupying them, after twenty-four hours of exhausting heat and of hot firing, wend our way with our bugler past the caves in the Valley of Death, picking our steps amongst the rocks and stones and innumerable shot and shell, of huge and of ordinary size, lying in the bottom and on the sides of the ravine, recalling to mind, whilst we do so, those beautiful words of Scripture" Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort

CHAPTER II.

Admiral Boxer, C.B.-His Energy-His Death-The Frame Huts-How to manage a Tent-Effects of impure Water-The Sardinians-Sir William Eyre, K.C.B.-Admiral Michell, C.B.-A BombardmentLord Raglan-General Pelissier-Omar Pasha-The Mamelon assaulted and carried-Also the QuarriesBurial of the Dead-The Russian Hand-Mines-Anecdote of an American-Hospitals-Cholera from imprudence-The fourth Bombardment-Preparations for an Assault Colonel Waddy and the Stormers Casualties in the Woronzoff Road-Repulses at the Redan and Malakoff-The Honourable Captain Agar— English Navvies-Bad effects of Rum-Eyre's Brigade -Fight at the Cemetery-Lieutenant James, R.E., Captured-Divine Service.

"BLESS me! I am very happy to see you," was the friendly greeting of that most worthy and hard-working man of war, Ad