NOTEBOOK

Visited Redan, Malakoff, etc. and picked up cannon
balls and other light relics.

Russia claimed exclusive right to put a new dome on
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem, and
France claimed the same—England wanted a chance at
Russia—hence, the war. Sounds as absurd as the cru-
sades.

A large number of handsome young English and Rus-
sian young ladies visited the ship and spent the afternoon.
They were delighted at her fine appointments and great
size.1 If we could have brought them back we might have
taken them to Odessa. It was pleasant to hear our own
language again.

Several gentlemen insisted on our visiting the Emperor
with the ship—said they would insure us a superb recep-
tion by him and would not only telegraph but send a
courier to notify him we were coming. He is spending the
heated months at a little watering-place 30 miles from
here.

For certain reasons we declined, and everybody was
sorry enough, very naturally.

This has been the pleasantest afternoon we have had
for a good while.

Everywhere the prints of cannon balls are in the stone
walls—some as neat as if cut. Some balls still stick in the
walls, and from them iron stains run.

It (Sebastopol) is a completely destroyed town—not
one of its old houses was left standing in that fearful 18
months' siege.2

1 She had a register of eighteen hundred tons!

8 Surrendered Sept. 9, 1855. The Russian loss (defenders) 102,670.

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