hues from Marmora and the Bosphorus, red granite from Egypt, porphyry from Asia, etc., most of them brought from Greek temples in Asia Minor; the whole effect, however, is very much marred by adhering to a punctilio in Mussulman rites. It is, as you know, the custom in mosques for the pulpit and altar to point towards Mecca; the direction of Mecca is south-east of the original altar, the chancel in short, therefore the raised dais, which is of considerable extent, and on which the altar stands, runs diagonally right across the mosque, making the whole building look askew. I must now finish my description, for since writing the above I have heard the sad news of poor Henry Giffard and his ship. In case you have not, I will tell you in a few hurried words the whole history. After the bombardment of Odessa, the fleet cruised off the neighbourhood; a heavy fog came on, and lasted sixteen days, so dense the men could not see the bowsprit ends of their own ships, and the Admiral actually fired away two tons of powder in signals to keep his fleet together. In this fog the Tiger got ashore; poor Henry, in order to lighten her, threw all his guns but one overboard, and set his boats adrift; in another half-hour they expected to get her off, when the fog suddenly cleared, and they found themselves close to a battery with troops drawn up ready to receive them. The battery opened upon them. Henry replied with his one gun, but to no effect; the first shot from the Russians carried off one of his legs and wounded the other, killing a middy, his relation, by his side; nothing was left for the crew but to surrender themselves prisoners of war. Two frigates came up afterwards, but although they have done their best towards burning the Tiger, so as to prevent her falling into the enemy's hands, they were unable to do anything else. The Retribution sent a flag of truce on shore, and the crew of the boat carrying it remained some time with the prisoners. They say they were all most kindly treated, and nothing could exceed the attention of Madame Osten-Sacken to Henry; she is the wife of the
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Commandant of Odessa, and Henry is staying in his house. His other leg is injured, poor fellow, and it is doubtful whether he will lose it also or not. What a shock for poor Ella 1 I do not know what she will do. If the Russians will exchange prisoners with us well and good, otherwise what will she do, poor thing? With regard to our own movements, the Light Division move up to Varna on Saturday with Lord Raglan; our own Division, consisting of the Highlanders (42nd, 79th, and 93rd) and a battery of guns, move up on Tuesday; the rest jfollow as soon as possible. The French are on the move also, but we shall be in the field before them; our cavalry will move forward directly they march. The Russians have invested Silistria, and are evidently doing their best to take it before the Allies come up. Lord Raglan has just received a dispatch from Omar Pasha, 2" reporting that the enemy have made two attacks upon the town and have been twice repulsed; if they take it eventually, we shall have to retake it; if they do not take it before we come up, there must be a general action in two or three weeks from now. Silistria is the strategical point contended for at present, and a most important one it is. What a scandalous affair this is about the King and Queen of Greece! ^^ their reign is at an end, however, but who is to replace them?... — Ever, my dear Lou, your affectionate brother,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Stephenson
Camp Scutari, May 30, 1854.
My dear Mother, — You have, of course, long ago heard the sad news of poor Henry.... Instead of your receiving better accounts, you will, I am sorry to say, have to read worse. An officer of our Brigade returned from Varna yesterday, where he met all the Fleet except the flying squadron, and then he had the worst possible accounts of poor dear Henry; mortification had set in, and there were no hopes. I hope my