had evidently been used as a kind of sitting room for
young ladies. There was a large tambour frame with
some rich embroidered work in it unfinished, while
patterns, crochet, knitting work, and fashion books lay
close by. There was an album on the table, also filled
with water-colour drawings and sketches, and in the
corner of the room a handsome piano, guitar, and
volumes of music. Both the English and French
soldiers ransacked everything, and it was amusing to
see the selections they made. One fellow would load
himself with a handsome table, which he certainly could
not carry more than a hundred yards, while another
took a glass chandelier and lustres. Zouaves walked off
with gilt curtain poles or handsomely bound volumes of
music, while their companions staggered along under
the weight of large gilt arm-chairs."

The correspondent of the Daily News, writing from
Balaklava on the 5th instant, gives some particulars
respecting the condition of the army:—"Even without
inspecting the hospitals and hospital ships, the merest
look at our soldiers must convince any one who knew
them before of the hardships to which they have been
exposed—their appearance tells its own tale. They
have all of them lost flesh, and walk as men do who
feel their limbs, and their faces, yellow with the
accumulated dirt and sweat of many days, have a
haggard and care-worn look. Their clothes, which
they have not pulled off for weeks past, defy the brush;
they must look soiled, dusty, and seedy. Frizzy hair,
deep-set eyes, and the feverishness of uncleanliness, are
the order of the day with the men and with most of the
subalterns. I defy the most water-loving man to wash
his person and his clothes, when there is hardly water
enough to drink! Take off the wardrobes of the
generals and some of the more favoured among the
staff officers, and rely upon it there are not a dozen
clean shirts in the army. An officer told me he had
not washed his hands for a week; as for washing his
face, that is too great a luxury to be thought of. The
appearance of the hard-working, gallant officers of the
line and guards is certainly most unusual to home ideas
of a British officer in full uniform, and but for the
seriousness of the situation it would even be ludicrous.
Landed with no luggage but what they could carry,
they have worn their full-dress coats for the last three
weeks; they have marched, and fought, and slept in
them. Of course the scarlet bears but a faint
resemblance to what it used to be, and the gold lace and
heavy gold epaulettes are but dingy reminiscences of
their former selves. The commissariat have of late
been pretty regular in rationing the troops, and the
ration bread and meat is most assuredly the staff of
life; but, taken by itself, that staff is a rugged one. In
the long run a man feels he has a great many more
wants, especially if he has money idling in his pockets,
and that is the case of all the officers and soldiers—in
fact, of all those who are rationed. Besides, there is
the advice of the doctors "to live well" (would they
could also tell us how to do it!) in order to stave off
"seediness" and disease. The officers in the camp are
continually coming into Balaklava; each is charged
with a hundred commissions from friends who must not
leave. They hail boats, and go from transport to transport,
inquiring whether the captain or steward has any
goods to sell, and if any, what goods? I will give you
a price list, with the list of articles most in requisition—
perhaps it may encourage the efforts of some
enterprising trader. The teetotallers will be sad to learn
that, owing to the prevalence of disease and the badness
of the water, brandy and sherry are in great demand,
and 6s. a bottle is asked and cheerfully given. That is
a long price, considering the ships take their goods out
of bond or buy them at Malta. Salt, pepper, and
curry-powder are articles continually inquired for, and
not to be had at any price. Maltese cigars sell at 10s.
the hundred. Loaf sugar, no supply. Arrowroot
biscuits were much in demand, and could not be had.
A small parcel came in the other day: they sell at 1d. a
piece. Soap, no supply. Flannel shirts are in enormous
demand, and so are flannel jackets, but none are
to be had at any price. It is the same with lucifer
matches. I was witness when half-a-crown a box was
offered and refused. In short, any one sending out a
general cargo of good and useful things, always keeping
an eye on the severity of the winter here, would be
a benefactor to the army and part of the navy, and
pocket large profits at the same time. But the strangest
want, which startled even me, is that of books. The
army are not generally considered to form an important
part of the reading public, but of this I am certain, that
if any speculative bookseller were to send out a cargo of
good, cheap, light books, he could safely demand, and
men out here would gladly pay, an advance of 30 per
cent. on the London price. Our army are likely to
remain long in quarters wherever they are—at least so
long as the men who have hitherto managed the war
continue in the discharge of their kindly offices. The
majority of the thousands of officers out here expected
marches and operations on a grand scale—plenty to do—
little spare time—books added to the baggage would
lumber it and be a bore. They now find themselves for
weeks and months shut up in camps, with no food for
the mind except here and there an old newspaper.
They cried out for books in Bulgaria; they will again
raise the same cry when once settled in winter quarters
in the Crimea. Books are not to be had at
Constantinople—the most illiterate of capitals. Parcels from
Malta and England have a knack of seldom if ever
coming to hand. They pass through the offices of Pera
and Galata agents, and get thrown into corners, knocked
about, and lost in some way or other. The few books—
no matter what they are—belonging to officers of
various regiments, go the circuit of whole divisions. I
have now in my possession—and to borrow it cost a vast
deal of persuasion—a copy of Mr. Routledge's
edition of Bulwer's "Last of the Barons." This book
has been read by every officer of the 33rd Regiment,
and some of them have read it twice. It was then
passed over to the Engineers, and they read it to a man,
and then gave it up to the Ordnance, who, having done
with it, let me have it for a week. I have seen men
hard at work reading Culverwell's tracts on health, and
a treatise "on the homœeopathic treatment of diseases in
children" has actually been studied by a score of young
lieutenants, all of them bachelors, and likely to remain
so for some time to come. A general cargo of stationery,
with memorandum and sketching books, and the
books published by Routledge, Cooke, and Bohn, with
Bentley's and Colburn's "Standard Library," would
find a ready sale in the Crimea winter quarters. So
would the "New Quarterly Review," because it gives a
capital digest of current literature. In short, any books
—good, cheap, and light—would benefit us and the
importer, no matter whether our winter quarters are in
the Crimea or at Scutari."

The correspondent of the Times writes on the 4th
inst. " Forty pieces of heavy artillery were sent up to-
day to the park, and twelve tons of gunpowder were
safely deposited in the mill on the road towards
Sebastopol. As the French had very little ground left on
which to operate on our left, the Second Division moved
to-day from its position, crossed the ravine on its right,
and took up ground near the Fourth Division. The
French immediately afterwards sent up a portion of their
troops to occupy the vacant ground. The Russians have
been indefatigable all day  throwing up batteries and
have shelled our advanced posts incessantly. From the
range of the guns it is supposed that they have actually
got the heavy pieces which were on board the Tiger.
One shell, which fell into the camp of the Fourth
Division, was marked with the English broad arrow,
and had the English brass-covered fuse; it did not
burst. Another, fired with more fatal effect, fell right
into a tent in which were several men of the 63d
Regiment, exploded, and killed a serjeant and two men.
This was at a distance of upwards of 4000 yards. As
yet we have not a gun up to answer them, and it is
understood that Lord Raglan is opposed to any desultory
fire, and wishes to have all our batteries opened at
once. The French will have 60 heavy guns, our siege
guns will number 50, and the ships will furnish 60 more.
Including mortars, Lancaster guns, and howitzers, we
shall have about 200 pieces of artillery in position, and
available for the fire on the forts. The round fort on the
right has been nearly hid from view by deep earthworks,
all made last night and to-day by the Russians.