The same remark is true of many other regiments engaged; but there are very few Irish in the Rifle Brigade, still fewer in the Highland regiments, and least of all in the Guards. The 21st North British Fusiliers contains many Irish and many natives of Gloucester and Somersetshire — in fact, a regiment is constituted of natives of the districts into which it sends its recruiting parties and with which it has, as it were, a comiexion, so that you will find a great number of the Royal Artillery come from the north of Ireland, and of Riflemen from Kent, and of Marines from the Midland counties and seaport towns of England, and of the 71st Highland Light Infantry from Glasgow. The names of the killed and wounded, though by no means a certain or accurate index of the districts from which regiments are recruited, generally furnish bases for a tolerably just approximation to the truth.
Considerable excitement exists among the crew of the Diamond at finding themselves excluded from the Crimean medal. They have been employed on shore since the commencement of the siege, assisting the operations of the army and supposing themselves attached to it, and were thus excluded from all the honours of the navy. They have toiled without ceasing through the whole winter, and have been under arms whenever the Russians advanced on Balaklava. They fail in obtaining their medal simply because they are nobody's children. They are not returned as engaged with the navy, neither do they appear on the muster roll of the army. The small part of the crew serving in the batteries before Sebastopol obtain the medal, but the majority, who were at Balaklava and the batteries about Balaklava, do not.
October 3. General Simpson was this day presented by the Sultan's envoy with the Order of the Medjidie of the First Class, and with a magnificent sabre of honour incrusted with diamonds and precious stones, and Marshal Pelissier received a similar mark of the consideration of the Ottoman Porte. It is fair to believe there was some sort of ceremonial at our quiet and unostentatious head-quarters on the occasion. The Admirals came over from Kamiesch and breakfasted with the General. Lieutenant Geneste came down on board one of the small war steamers fi'om the northward to Kamiesch, and visited head-quarters. He was exchanged or delivered up a few days ago by the Russians, who have treated him with their usual politic kindness. The weather is dark, and the clouds are lowering to-day.
A strong wind, amounting to half a gale, blows at times, mingled with rain. Everything is in readiness for the expedition, except the sea. October 4. The first brigade of the Fourth Division marched down to Kazatch this morning, and proceeded to embark on board the ships, to which they were told off as speedily as circumstances jjermitted. They were minutely inspected by Sir Henry Bentinck, K.C.B., commanding the division, who delivered a few words of advice, kindly meant and well received, before they left. Brigadier-General Spencer, commanding the expedition, accompanied them half-way towards the port. The brigade is in very fine order, and forms a body of 3300 men, many of them tried soldiers, and others fine strong men, able to do anything, and in high spirits and courage.
The Royal Marines began to embark on board the "St. Jean d'Acre," which came round outside Balaklava for them, and the P. Field Battery, Captain Johnson, moved down to embark on board the ships told off for them in the harbour. October 6. The preparations for the expedition and the embarkation of the artillery and stores continue. A large body of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, so long encamped on the heights of Balaklava, were marched down to-day to the water's-edge, and followed their comrades on board the " St. Jean d'Acre" outside, to which they were conveyed in the " Wallace" steam-tug. Her Majesty's steamer " Triton," Lieutenant A. D. W. Fletcher commanding, received orders to prepare to join the expedition, and Captain Leopold Heath, E.N., the Superintendent of Transports, shifted his flag to the " Bucephalus" transport, attended by his secretary, Mr.