17th.-Sunday. Over to Scutari-saw the daily funeral take place about three o'clock p.m. Twenty-three were buried in one grave; also a Russian officer who had a coffin and grave to himself. The bodies were stitched up in canvass, like flitches of bacon, and brought out in two loads tied on an araba, drawn by two oxen. The first load consisted of the Roman Catholics-who were put at the bottom of the pit dug to receive them; the priest read the funeral service and then some earth was thrown in-the weight, as it fell, making their rigid limbs quiver. The Protestants were next brought out, and laid in a layer above; and when the service had been performed the pit was filled. Many of them had died from wounds, and the blood had stained the canvass. Two soldiers stood in the pit, and while putting in and packing the bodies, had frequently to tread on them-a sight not at all pleasantalthough one knew it could cause no pain. There was the usual 'firing party'—so called -in attendance, but they did not fire—either because it might disturb the patients, or because they had no blank ammunition. The

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former is a good reason for its omission; and the latter a bad one-for blank-cartridge might easily be got from Malta, or from the Turks.

The above may be considered as applying to every funeral which takes places at Scutari; as well as to the one which I saw. Officers have the privilege of a coffin, made of thin boards and gaping at the seams—and of separate graves. At the head of each grave a board is placed with the name of the deceased upon it, as a distinguishing mark.

The average number of deaths daily, is now about twenty; and they are buried in one grave. The burial ground is on the edge of the cliff, between the hospital and the Sea of Marmora, and the waves wash its base.

21st. Torrents of rain. It is most difficult to get anything done in this filthy Pera. The tradesmen won't work except when they like,

and have so much to do, that they do not care for orders, and turn out bad work at enormous prices. The bootmakers have the most business, as long boots are now essential to everyone's comfort, both here and in the Crimea; and officers will pay almost any price for them. They cost double the price or more, than they did twelve months ago. An acquaintance of mine bought twenty pairs of the large over-boots, which are worn here in wet weather, for twenty-five pounds, considerably more than their value. He took them up to Balaklava, and, in a very short time, sold them for sixty pounds, thereby realizing a profit of thirty-five pounds. This will show the price articles in request command.

CHAPTER XII.

THE TURKS.

PERA is a nasty place at any time, particularly in winter, and nothing would make me stay here, except to be at hand, and watch events in the Crimea, as I intend to be in at the finish; but it is useless going up there at present, as there is nothing going on, and the weather is detestable. Of late there has been great difficulty even in getting up the rations from Balaklava to the camp, and sometimes the troops have been on short allowance. Wooden houses are being sent out for them, but when they will be up in the camp it is impossible to say, as they cannot well be got

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GAME PLAYED OUT.

further than Balaklava until the railway is made; but that will not be done for the next three months, and the huts will be erected about the time the winter is over, and half the army dead for want of them. Our cavalry and other horses are dying fast from insufficient food and want of shelter against the inclemency of the weather.

Dec. 23rd.-The French have now a strong force in Constantinople and Turkey. Here they have their own police, a good number of convalescents, and some artillery. They have a cavalry force at Adrianople, and troops at Gallipoli.

A French officer said, the other day, to an Englishman, who afterwards told me when both were refused admission to a mosque, because they had no firman-that the time was not far distant, when the French would be issuing firmans to the Turks!

I think the game is pretty well up with the latter. It appears as if the sick man would be finished by his friends sooner than by his foe, who would have let him quietly go off, before he secured his property.