BOOKS.

OUR CAMP IN TURKEY.* Tins volume is a remarkable example of the power of novelty in imparting interest to details, while the same mode of composition not only becomes vapid but looks like sheer bookmaking when applied to things with which we are familiar. Mrs. Young's sketches of the camp and camp life at Gallipoli and Varna are at once entertaining and instructive. They bring before the reader the petty privations, the real inconveniences, the actual hardships, and the sufferings during sickness, of an army encamped in a thinly-peopled and backward country. On the other hand, they show us the freshness of open-air life, its freedom from conventional formalities, and on the part of our French allies how a ready ingenuity adapts itself to circumstances and learns to make the most of little. The description of the bustling excitement at Malta during the first transport of the troops, and of the steam voyages which Mrs. Young made about the Levantine seas, read like those laboured " sketches " of commonplace with which tourists continually favour us, unless when a Turk's harem or a French detachment was on board. Constantinople and its vicinity during the arrival and stay of the troops is better than Malta, but still appears trivial. We have had part of the subject before, in the pages of Lord Carlisle and Commander Oldmixon.

Mrs. Young is already known to the public as the author of some graphic pictures of Western India, under her former name of Mrs. Postans. The circumstance which induced her to undergo the incon- veniences of Eastern travel at such a busy time as last spring, was that her husband was with his regiment at the seat of war. Her former experience of military life and Indian travel had somewhat acclimated her, as it were, to travel in Turkey and to camp life. She was more familiar with the inevitable privations of a cam- paign than the gentlemen of the press. Her picture of bad ar- rangements and want of proper supplies, especially in the medical department, substantially coincides with theirs. Take the con- dition of things at Varna.

"The General Hospital at Varna is exactly the kind of place that one in- tuitively feels it would be impossible ever to get well in. Its site is at the entrance of the town furthest from the sea ; and it is an ugly whitewashed place, situated among heat, dust, beginnings and endings of camps, and every disgusting accompaniment. It is said to be clean ; perhaps it is. I was never in it ; but an assistant-surgeon told me that during his tour of duty there, he sat up all night with his trousers turned up to his knees, whisking away the fleas as they frisked upon them : imagine this to a pa- tient laid low with burning fever, and the thermometer at 94. It was a terrible place, and the sick had not half medical officers enough to attend them. The assistant-surgeons were worked nearly to death, as many will bear me witness ; and numbers of soldiers went in there who never saw a doctor, and were so sent on board a vessel in harbour used as a floating hospital."

Here is a continuation—the state of an assistant-surgeon in the inland camp behind Varna.

"The thunder-storms here were fearful ; the lightning seemed to rend the skies, ant hen rain fell in torrents. The bell-tents were waterproof; but, the state of the. ground was terrible. Slippery mud surrounded us, into which our feet sank ankle-deep ; and the poor servants, who had no tents at all, were half-drowned. Of course, fires, under these circumstances, could not exist. It was fortunate that the storms generally came on of an even- ing, or really, between the rations and the storms, we should soon have been but a skeleton band. I was amused by a second-class staff-surgeon one day inquiring how I thought he had been employed the evening before ; and on my suggesting that he had probably been at Devna, or trying to catch glimpses of Greek ladies, or visiting the French camps, his answer was, 'No ; I was, single-handed, trying to pitch a bell-tent, -with the mud a foot deep, the rain pouring in torrents, and the lightning blazing round me.' The condi- thin of these staff-surgeons at Varna was pitiable. Away from their regi- ments, they had no military servants, and no other could be got. Every available Greek, Turk, or Maltese, who might have come up, was engaged as an interpreter, and so on ; consequently a poor doctor, besides attending to the sick, was every man his own footman, cook, groom, and cam6riere. In the morning, as one of these surgeons told me, who was attached to the General Hospital at Varna, he was obliged to mount his pony, having already cleaned, fed, and saddled the same; then he rode forth to get forage, which he brought home behind his saddle. Next, with sleeves above his elbows, he filled water for his bath, lighted his fire, and made breakfast, put his tent in order, and dined as he best could. All this time too, he was supposed to be employed in active hospital duties, or riding about the camps, as he might be required. "My friend began to question whether the authorities considered the titles of a staff-surgeon and a.gentleman synonymous; and he literally would have been worn out, used up,' and starved, had not a French soldier volunteered his services, and two French officers proposed to form a mess, or popote,' with him."

The transition is natural from the doctors to death. This ac- count of the funeral of Captain Wallis is one of those touches of nature which affect by their common humanity.

"Captain Wallis, who died from a fall from his horse soon after the arri- val of the Allied Forces at Varna, wes to be buried in a little sort of ceme- tery near the sea, where one or two Christians were already laid. Before the funeral party started, a Turkish band was observed hurrying across the

• Our Camp in Turkey, and the Way to It. By Mrs. Young, Author of" Cutch," "Western India," 87.e. Published by Bentley.

plain in the direction of the cemetery ; and when the troops arrived, they heard a wild, pathetic sort of melody, which the Turkish musicians were playing in honour of the dead. It was said to be strangely touching, that low wail of sorrow ; and as the ceremony continued, the Turkish musicians

from time to time played airs so sweet and sad, that our chaplain, who spoke of it, said that he had never been more strangely affected than with the deep solemnity of this Moslem compliment.

" Soon, attracted as they always are by any bustle or excitement, a party of Zouaves arrived, followed by groups of Bashi-Bazouks and Algerines :

many hundred soldiers of the Line, belonging to the French camps, were of course asiembled ; and all the members of this large and motley crowd stood reverently and silently around, hushed into the deepest stillness.

" The ceremony commenced, and every eye was fixed upon the chaplain. As they observed him bow his head in reverent homage to the name of the

Christian's Saviour, the Turks, Zouaves, and even the Algerines, followed the obeisance. To the Turks the word was familiar, as the name of a great prophet, whom they hold in respect only second to their leader Mehemet;

but with the Algerines the matter was different perhaps. The mercenary troops of Africa, and yet less the Bashi-Bazouks, make religion but little their study ; and the action with them, as an imitative one, was simply the result of the influences of 'the moment, origivatiug in a feeling of propriety, respect, and sympathy. "Captain Wallis was the first English officer of the force who had died at Varna. He was beloved and regarded by all who knew him personally ; and those who were acquainted with him only by report loved him for his repu- tation. He was a good man and a brave officer ; and even in his brief so- journ in the place where eceideut,, as it seemed, had struck him low, he had

earned golden opinions from even men formed of such moral material as those in the mixed crowd who sought to honour him in his grave. More- over, order and gentleness pervaded the entire meas. Common sympathy

with the universal and inevitable, excited the best feelings of men ordinarily indifferent in peace or ferocious in war, and drew the Turk, the Arab, the Syrian, and the Englishman, together, syiupathizing with and respecting each other."

The general and individual superiority of the French in many points of management is dwelt upon by Mrs. Young. Their

medical and postal arrangements were much better, as the news- paper correspondents have already set forth. They excelled in the commissariat, on which we have been wont especially to pride ourselves, and not altogether in those articles of property which might have been " picked up" in the country—as fowls and such like—but in things obviously imported. Their tents were of better form ; more airy, more dry, more roomy. In cookery they distanced us, as might have been expected, and turned the wild productions of the country to account for vegetables ; making capital messes, while our soldiers did their provisions anyhow. They also exhibited greater power of amusing themselves, and greater aptness to take such advantages' as the present offered ;

while our army would not undergo trouble for trifles. The na- tional contrasts come out in this passage, still from the camp at Varna.

"The Prince [Napoleon] did not mix so generally or cordially, it was said, with his officers as was habitual with General Canrobert ; yet he was always

apprelichable, and had the reputation of being a studious rather than a clever

man. He was said to wake soon after midnight, and, lighting a reading- lamp attached to his bed, devote some five hours before he rose to the study of science, particularly chemistry. He is slow in manner, and not remark- able for general intelligence. In appearance, though strikingly like Napo- leon I., he is heavy and stolid-looking, his eyes being deficient in the ex- pression so, remarkable in those of the great First Consul. ,

"The bands of the regirdents play alternately during the evening, as the Prince is said to be especially fond of music. The 'Administration,' too, re-

gularly practise ; and rehearse, every morning, glees and solos, which they are called upon, in turn, to contribute to the amusement of the Prince after his dinner. This practice of, under every circumstance, looking for and cul- tivating external ornuniment, is peculiarly French. In our camps nothing of the kind was ever heard of. The band occasionally played, but very sel- dom and very badly ; and as to parties of our soldiers being told off, to exhi- bit their vocal talents and taste for the recreation of their officers, that, hap- pily, was never attempted.

"There was absolutely a theatre got up in Prince Napoleon's camp, —a very droll and amusing affair indeed. The men had erected it of

the old material, walnut, not wood, but leaves, and had all sorts of devices

for scenery and decoration. We always said, 'What's the use ? we shall move directly,' when anything was proposed, even so simple a matter as eta.. bling the horses - but the French set about every plan they could devise at once, and carried it into execution. Thus there was a theatre decorated with arms, and all the turban-clothe and waist-scarves that the A.lgerines, glad

enough to form part of the audience, would contribute ; and the Zouaves

acted, and droll enough they were. They composed their dramas too, as well as acted them ; and they were usually rude satires upon existing circum- stances, full of coarse humour and rough mirth. The officers encouraged these performances by their presence ; and the men, sure of their ef- forts pleasing their superiors, exhibited freely all the accomplishments— singing, dancing, or practising tricks of jugglery, tours de force, and so on— they had learned among the atbletm and gipsy tribes of Algeria. A good deal of the Arab character was apparent in all this, blended with the French. Their style of theatricals reminded me very much of the impromptu plays— the acting charades, as it were—I had seen the Arab boatmen introduce and enjoy so heartily in old times upon the Nile ; telling histories of the con- ecription,in. &drama, mixed with all sorts of rude jesting, and clever though broad caricature."

The following exhibits French management at sea, an element which we claim as peculiarly our own.

"The Thabor was crowded with French. troops ; but fortunately they were French, so that less annoyance was to be expected; and moreover I looked to have a very interesting opportunity of observing a good deal of their system of military discipline. It was possible to enjoy fresh air too ;

which would not have been the case on board an English transport : but here, on each side of the deck, was stretched a rope, behind which the men being ranged, room in the centre was secured for the accommodation of the passengers. On the left hand were grouped the Administration,' as they are called, composed of a certain number of men-employed as attendants on the sick, with tailors, carpenters, shoemakers, and artisans of all sorts. The attendants on the sick, as it may be supposed, are an eminently valuable class; they are carefully selected for the work, and regularly trained in their responsible and important duties. All these soldiers composing the Ad- ministration' appeared full of intelligence; during the day, they employed themselves in reading, working, and writing.—one or two among them even drew with considerable skill and taste ; while in the evening they formed into little circles, and amused themselveit by singing. It is notable, however, with what decorum this matter was conducted; there was no uproar, riot, or impropriety of any kind. A sort of leader mounted a little way up the rigging of the vessel to direct the proceedings; each circle followed in order, with their glees and choruses: the songs were usually selected from 'Guil- laume Tell' or the ' Sonnambula ' ; occasionally we had a solo from Beran- ger, or glees in honour of Napoleon. It was observable in these last, that the enthusiasm expressed towards the great leader did not appear so much to arise from his exploits, as from his fraternization with the French army, as every verse ended with the chorus He ate with his soldiers '—'Il mangeait avec sea soldats.' One man, of extremely delicate appearance, was very po- pular, from his talent for singing French romances, which he did with a charming voice and exquisite taste. The part of the matter the most re- markable, however, was the perfect propriety observed, the good taste shown in the selection of the music, the order in succession observed by the singers, and the courtesy and good-feeling, which were never violated. This last characteristic was also very remarkable at Smyrna. The French soldiers all went on shore,—a certain tariff having been fixed for the boats employed,— and I looked with terror for their reappearance, expecting scenes of intoxica- tion and punishment. I had no cause for alarm, however ; my friends all returned sober, polite, and in the best possible humour with each other and their boatmen."

The evils pointed out by Mrs. Young, and more or less com- plained of by every one who has touched upon the subject, are traceable to the novelty of the enterprise, the home departments, the military regulations on actual service, and the national cha- racter. Part of the French superiority must be ascribed to their natural military aptitude, the more thorough military life led by the troops at home, and their long experience in Algeria. The misapplication of force and waste of means in sending stores and surgeons to places where they are useless instead of where 'they are wanted, and probably in some degree the neglect to provide suitable things while there is an abundance of things which are not suitable, may be attributed partly to inexperience. A great portion of it arises from the number of jarring, jealous, inde- pendent or semi-independent departments,* neither quite absolute nor quite subordinate, more than half-a-dozen in number, all en- gaged on one object. In the new arrangement of a Minister for the War Department, something has been gained in the broad and general ordering of the army as a force ; much in the frank and genial spirit with which the department, in opposition to official routine, has put itself in communication with the public. The interior economy of the army will never be harmonized as a whole till all the various departments are placed under one military head, as is the case, we believe, in all Continental nations : an improvement which has often been pointed out, and urged in this journal many years ago. A better administration on actual service, such as Mrs. Young describes in the extracts quoted, might be carried perhaps without any alteration of law or custom. Dancing and amateur theatricals are regular recreations in some of our ships. Nothing, we imagine, but permission from the commanding officer, is requisite, and a disposition on the part of officers and men. It is this natural turn or disposition, however, which is at the bottom of much of what is complained of, and of much that is faulty. John Bull is not only sturdy, but very slow. He may move fast enough when set in motion with his object before him; but he is slow to be persuaded, slow to move, and strongly disposed to resist novelties which inter- fere with his habits, his rights, or his dignity. Mrs. Young describes the French camp at Gallipoli as well supplied with what a colonist would call "stores," where various articles of necessity and even of luxury could be obtained. The same private speculators subsequent- ly went to Varna. There was nothing but English habits to pre- vent an Englishman from doing the same, and upon a larger scale, with ample profit. No Englishman with ideas to go—or indeed with trading credit and knowledge fitting him to go—would go as a sut- tler or a storekeeper, much as such a class might be wanted. lie must be a supercargo at least, and " oblige " his " friends " by wholesale from " sample " in the cabin. The great scarcity and enormous price of common refreshments, according to report, goes far to excuse even official heads of departments, since the novelty of the matter has deterred or baffled commercial enterprise.

The slowness to change creates another national characteristic difficult to deal with, in the general regard for law and order, the indisposition to yield one's right, and the disposition to thwart or punish those who take upon themselves a power to which they are not entitled. It is said that medical ne- cessaries wanted at Gallipoli were plentiful at Malta. Very likely; but had the medical authority at Valetta taken upon himself to ship them, he would possibly have received a repri- mand, and possibly found them charged against him in account. The authority on board might have doubted about receiving them. The captain of the transport would have had something to say, if only to show he was " master" of the ship. Many vessels, from a change of circumstances after departure, would have been better

• 1. Minister at War. 2. Secretary at War. 3. Commander-in-chief of the Army. 4. Master-General of the Ordnance (Artillery and Engineers) 5. Commissariat—food, forage, and fuel. 6. Medical Department. 7. Transport Service.

in some other port than that to which they were bound ; but " deviation" from the policy would stare the skipper in the face, without reference to anything else. Theoretically, officers in cor- respondence with each other should have been stationed at differ- ent ports, with absolute power to order as oircumstances might arise. It may be questioned whether an English Ministry could give such power. It is quite certain that a great outcry would have been raised against the " dictators"; equally certain that every one, from a cabin-boy to the head of a department, would have done his best to thwart them. After all, in spite of dogged- ness, slowness, and stiffness, John Bull manages to get through as well as his neighbours. The French loss from sickness at Varna was greater than the English.