ur poor fellows were beginning to
recover from their misery, and supplies, and even luxuries, were pouring
into the trenches, the Russians attacked the town and port of Eupatoria,
close to which the Allies had first disembarked, and which was now
strongly held by the Turks and commanded by the guns of the fleet. The
grey-coated battalions were driven back with considerable loss.

And meanwhile, through all the dreary weeks, Allies and Russians crept
towards each other, cutting new trenches, sapping in all directions, and
endeavouring to place their opponents at a disadvantage. On March 22nd
a huge sortie was made from Sebastopol upon the French line of
earthworks, while another column was launched at our right. Both
failed, and the Russians retired with a loss of 1300.

Spring found the Allies in far better condition than they were earlier
in the war, and particularly was this the case with the British.
Supplies were now abundant, and, thanks to private enterprise, a railway
extended from Balaclava to the camp, and so saved the labour of
porterage.

Accordingly the siege was prosecuted with renewed energy, and on April
9th another general bombardment of the fortress took place and continued
for ten days, ten awful days for the Russians, for a few hours had been
sufficient to reduce many of the fortifications, and, fearful of an
assault at any moment, large reserves had of necessity to be kept close
at hand. Through the ranks of these unfortunate but truly devoted men
the iron hail poured, tearing them here and there and toppling masses of
masonry on to them. In those terrible days 6000 or more of the enemy
were killed or wounded, and if Scutari had been a sight to bring tears
to one's eyes, then the Assembly Rooms and other temporary hospitals in
Sebastopol were perfect shambles, while the streets and the road from
the fortress were lined with unburied dead.

Thankful indeed must we of more modern days be for the safety which the
Geneva Convention gives. A red-cross flag over a hospital renders it
sacred, and, once wounded, soldiers of all civilised nations can rely
upon rest and freedom from further injury. Thus out of awful sufferings
and loss of life we have seen that a new era of good has arisen. A
Geneva Convention has sprung into being, and our army is provided with
special departments for transport, supply, hospitals, and other matters,
each ruled by a well-ordered system.

On May 22nd the French att