The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

U


APRIL 12, 1856•

paniment to the landscape, and might with more
propriety be called " A Tired Traveller " than pretend
to suggest the awful presence of the Son of God.
Mr. Woolmer's treatment of his subject resembles
one of Mr. Charles Kean's popular "presentations "
of Shaltspeare, where the scenery and appointments
fairly extinguish the personages of the drama, who,
instead of keeping the first place in the interest of
the spectator, become only moving, speaking parts of
a gorgeous spectacle, and sink into comparative
insignificance before what ought to be the mere ac-
cessories of a stage-representation. Mr. J. J. Wilson
has some breezy, refreshing bits of sea, among
which " Oil the Hermitage Rocks, Jersey " (No. 18.)
is especially to be noticed ; we seem actually to inhale
the cool sea-breeze and to feel the spray sprinkling
our cheek when looking at its clear, crisp water and
gusty sky. There are but few portraits, none, save
a cleverly-painted head in No. 84 by the President,
full of girlish mischief and fun, and a " charming "
(we nse the adjective, hackneyed as it is, in its
primitive meaning) lady in a riding-habit, by Mr.
Buckner (No. 31.), worthy of especial remark. It
would prolong our brief notice unduly, were we to go
into the demerits of the water-colour room, including
architectural interiors and sculpture.

ROYAL PORTRAITS.—Mr. Mitchell has conferred an
obligation on all loyal people by the publication of
three beautiful lithographic portraits, from paintings
by Winterhalter, of the Queen, Prince Albert, and
the Princess Royal. The artist has been much more
successful in these single figures than in his groups.
The likeness in each case is striking, characteristic,
and animated. The features are distinct, and the
expression conveyed with great skill and fidelity.
For their size and style they are the most pleasing
portraits of their illustrious originals we have ever
seen, and we recommend them to our readers with
full confidence that they will thank us for bringing
the plates to their notice. The portrait of the
Princess Royal will, from its novelty, attract most
attention. The face is extremely open, serene, and
pleasing. The outline is charmingly round, and the
brow broad and clear. In the general look there is
"Inch to remind us of both " Papa" and " Mamma,"
• on the whole the expression is rather, it strikes
Teutonic than English. If there be truth in
iysiognomy, this pleasing countenance indicates a
meet and even temper, a gentle disposition, and a
loveable nature. May the destiny of the
Princess correspond with her auspicious birth, and
-r personal graces.

BERANGER'S NEW SONG.

Nt'i recently written by Beranger, and addressed
) the Students," has been circulating in mann-

Apt in Paris, and appeared in the_ Times on
inesday. As it is thus cast broadcast over Europe,
concealment or suppression is now out of the ques-
We print a tolerably close adaptation of the
original ;

What? Foolish boys—beliere, once more,

You're free to utter Freedom's cry,
And fête, beneath the tricolor,
Him who again has bid it fly?
Yet my poor songs with love you name ?
Forget them—l've disowned them too:
Had 1 your faith, I'd curse my fame—
Ah ! pardon the poor minalrel. do!

How do the days you'd reproduce
Resemble those I used to sing :
I, who ne'er faltered in abuse
Of tool, toad, Emperor, Pope, or King?
One soldier, yes, I hymned; and why ?
His crown was gone, his chain in view.
St.. Helene venged our liberty—
! pardon the poor minstrel, do t

Nisard, Leverrier, Belmontet,
For Victor and for Aragol
Accept such substitutes u they—
I—Force's unforgiving foe ?
There's ONE in Heaven's eternal home 1
Loves He the spy and gaoler crew,
Is His the shrine swords guard in Rome?
MI! pardon the poor minstrel,clu I

Ay, battles, and a coat of blue
Thread-bared in fights, Beranger sings,
When our Republic's children true
Beat, twenty years, a League of Kings.
But yon smart Guard, yon watchful spy,
Wh4',l stab us for promotion—pooh !
Is he my genial soldier•boy
Ah ! pardon (he poor onoutrel, do !

To Poland—ltaly—we owe
A debt of blood! The cannons sound!
Let's march and pay the debt! Why, no,
So near our home there's slippery ground.
Take Freedom somewhat more afar—
The Turk to taste her charms we'll sue.
Nations, a Holy League you are !
Aii ! pardon the pour minstrel, do!

SLUILLET BROOKS.

THE CRIMEAN BOARD OF INQUIRY.
THE Board of General Officers appointed to inves-
tigate certain statements in the report of the
late Crimean Commissioner, met on Monday, in
the hall at Chelsea Hospital, for the despatch of
business. The hall was very crowded, many ladies,
H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, Admiral Sir
Edmund Lyons, Lord Elcho, General Freeth,
being among those present.

The members of the board entered the hall at a
quarter past eleven, accompanied by the Judge-
Advocate-General, Colonel Begot the secretary, dc.,
all being in full uniform.
The Earl of Lucan, upon being first called and
desired to state in what parts of the report he consi-
dered his conduct animadverted upon, endeavoured
to obtain a specific statement from the board that
his case should be taken separately, and separately
adjudicated on before any other case should be
investigated. After some discussion and considera-
tion, the board refused to promise anything more
than that each case should be separately reported on
to the Crown, but that they would willingly grant
Lord Lucan twenty-four hours to prepare himself
under these circumstances. This the noble earl
declined for the present, reserving to himself the
right of future application.
Lord Lucan then addressed the board at great
length. Pealing first with the statement of the

commissioners relative to the deaths in the cavalry
from October, 1654, to March, 1855, the noble
earl pointed out the general incorrectness of their
figures, as they bad included every horse killed in
action as if dying from disease, and that, therefore,
the percentage of deaths from disease was manifestly
much underrated. They had stated the deaths in
the light cavalry to be 47, and in the heavy brigade
to be 38 per cent., while the actual rate was upwards
of 50 and 65 per cent.

Again, the comparison of the losses of the trans-
port animals and the cavalry he considered most
unjust, as the transport stock was constantly reple-
nished by fresh importations of animals up to March ;
and of all the animals in the camp, upon Mr. Filder's
own admission, those of the transport were the first
and best fed as long as there was anything to eat,
and yet, with all this care and all these fresh impor-
tations, it appeared by the actual returns that thirty
per cent. of the animals died by the middle of January.
fhe returns of the posi ive number of fresh animals
received were so incomplete that it was impossible
to draw a fair comparison between the two forces.
Two facts were prominent, that on the one hand the
original force of cavalry was never recruited from
the day it landed in the Crimea, while, on the other,
the transport service was constantly replenished by
shiploads of animals daily landed, which, in spite of
all Mr. Filder's care, it was notorious died off so
rapidly that the cavalry at last were compelled to do
transport duty.
With respect to the hutting of the cavalry, which
the commissioners stated in their report " was in no
case commenced before the end of January or the
beginning of February, 11+35," Lord Lucan read a
divisional order, issued by himself immediately
on the removal of the cavalry from the heights
to their winter quarters on the sth of December,
1554, " Head quarters, Cavalry Division, Sadikoi "
ordering the assemblage on the morrow of all the

355

baggage animals for the purpose of bringing up the
butting materials from Balaklava. The next day
the baggage animals were despatched to Balaklava;
when they arrived the commanding officer was told
nothing could be done, "as his proceedings were
irregular!" Lord Lucan, upon this, wrote to the
quartermaster-general, desiring that a discretionary
power should be given him to obtain these stores.
This he was told would be irregular, till at length,
after some delays, and, in fact, only on the
arrival of Major Hall at the port, was the timber
issued. Then, as soon as the hutting was obtained,
a further delay was occasioned by want of nails, and
many days elapsed before the cargo of nails arrived
from/ Constantinople. Now, from the sickness of
the cavalry division it was impossible to build
stabling without assistance. Lord Lucan applied to
the quartermaster-general for Turks. Atter some
delay about 150 Turks were sent, but they were shortly
withdrawn for other fatigue duties, whereupon Lord
Lucas addressed a letter to the quartermaster-gene-
ral, pointing out that, in consequence of the with-
drawal of all Turkish assistance, the erection of the
stables would be seriously delayed.
On the 12th Dec., Lord Raglan called upon the
cavalry division to supply five hundred horses for the
transport service, thus, at one blow, putting a stop to
the carriage of hutting up from Balaklava and the
erection of stabling, and employing the cavalry upon
a most severe service and one totally foreign to their
duties. On the 16th, Lord Lucas issued a divi-
sional order, entreating commanding officers to use
every effort to make stabling for themselves, to drain
the earth in front of the horses, and to pave under
their feet so as to keep them dry.
After a short time the position of the cavalry be-
came so precarious that Lord Lucas addressed
repeated letters to the quartermaster-general, calling
attention to the lamentable state of disorganisation

into which the cavalry was rapidly falling,- and the
miserable plight of the horses, owing to the severity
of the service upon which they were employed ; but,
no relief being obtained, on the 17th Jan. Lord
Lucan addressed the following letter to Lord
Raglan :
Cavalry Camp, Kadikoi, Jan. 17, 18.55.
Sir,—lt is with much regret that 1 hod myself again
compelled to represent the fearful consequences to the
cavalry of having to continue in the discharge of transport
duties, and to make another appeal in their behalf to tLe
Seld•marshal.

Th.: horses continue dying fast ; the discipline aid
economical management of the regiments deteriorate • feel-
ings of disappointment and dissatisfaction are felt by tl.e

officers commanding brigades, regiments, and others ;and,
in addition, this army is losing a cavalry it will be difficult
to replace, while the country is suffering an enormous and,
in my opinion, needless pecuniary loss.
Since the 12th of December, when the cavalry were first

made to give commissariat transport, no less than 426
horses have died, many daily sinking under their load, and
then left helplessly by the way to perish. The mortality
and sickness are, indeed, so great that, unless the rep-
ments are relieved quickly of these (louts, a sufficiency of
horses will not survive to forage for the sick and weakly,
and the whole mast starve or be destroyed; while a cessa-
tion of these duties, with great care and nursing, night
yet, in my opinion, save 400 or 500, or more. When the
commissariat duties were first given to the cavalry I in-
dulged in the conident expectation that it was an extreme
temporary measure to meet an extraordinary unforeseen
difficulty in provisioning the infantry, not likely to last
beyond a few days; but it has now continued above five
weeks, and, however bad the state of the roads and weather,
without the intermission of a single day, and sometimes
when the provisions carried were not for immediate use,
but taken to the front to be stored, and during this time
baggage animals have been landed 200 or 300 at a time, to
an aggregate amount, I should suppose, of thousands, a ith-
out any apparent intention of relieving the cavalry of these
onerous duties.

Independent of the loss to the army of so important a
branch of the service, the pecuniary loss to the country
from the destruction of so many horses is enormous. Much
above 4110 are gone already; as many more may be expected
to go ; SO(.1 horses will have been worth 50,0001., and I wish
to direct the attention of the field-marshal to the fact that
whereas a troop-horse is worth 751., baggrge.ponies can be
procured in Asia Minor and elsewhere at 51. a head to any
amount; and as the pony carries on a pack-saddle two bags
of biscuit, a load requiring four troop-horses, two to ride
and two to carry, the pony costing 51. is equal to a train-
port. power from troop-horses of 3001. The saddlery,
from improper use, constant exposure to the weather,
without the means or time fur giving it proper care, is
suffering severely ; the discipline and economical arrange-
ments of the regiments are suffering from the fact that the
men, leaving camp early in the morning, and only returnir g
late in the afternoon, are scarcely ever seen by their trool.
officers ; the whole of the messing ii deranged ; and it is
found impossible to hold any parades, or have any inspec -
lions whatever ; and further, from the great number i f
men employed in this way and in foraging. it is not possi-
ble to make much progress in the butting of the horses, by
which they again have to suffer ; fur I cannot doubt that,
but for this constant occupation of the cavalry, the hutting
would ere this have been completed and the horses all
under cover.

Two days after the receipt of this letter Lord Raglan
relieved the cavalry from transport duties. This
letter the noble earl read with the view of proving
that the transport duty, besides depriving the cavalry

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