Date: 25 June 1855
Recipient: Grace Fenton
Book: Annie Grace Fenton letter-book, Royal Photographic Society Collection, National Media Museum, Bradford

Istaria [sic] Bosphorus
Monday 20 something of June

Dear Grace

I told you in my last that I sh^d probably start by the Orinoco. Well! I received a message to say that the ship was to go next day that being the day appointed for the sale of my things[.] I had expected it w^d go suddenly for the vessels are often ordered off at one hour’s notice so I had made Sparling & William pack hard the night before as they thought very uselessly. I sold most of the heavy things but 1 horse w^d not go off & the best of mine too. There was only 10£ bid for him, & lots of others horses were sent up for sale some of wh were sold. There have been so many officers killed that there is a positive glut of all such things as are wanted in camp. I put up my van but only £26 was bid for it & I withdrew it very reluctantly as I really did not know how to get it on board[.] After the sale was over the agent of M^r Dix came & offered £30 for it but I refused as I sh^d have to make another when I returned. Finally I sold it him for £36[.] I then sent the horse to Hallewells to be sold when a chance occurred & then went to bid good bye to Edmund[.] I left him a tin containing several pounds of those beautiful biscuits, half a dozen Lb coffee & about a dozen of wine with several other things. He is quite hearty & in high spirits. Getting back to head quarters about 3 I received a message by telegraph that the vessel w^d leave Balaclava by at four. Trusting that the 4 w^d be 8 I packed my clothes, paid bills, & loaded the van & set off on my road to Primrose Hill in high glee cracking jokes with every one I met[.] I have as many acquaintances here as the parish pump. Just outside Balaclava I met Hapford [Stopford] who was going by the same ship. He pulled a long face & called out I was just 5 minutes too late. The Orinoco is off Well! we went on in more sober mood to my hut, unloaded the van, gave it our blessing as it went on its way to its new owner & began to think of what was to be done next. Having recommended the men to work hard & pack, so as to be ready for any chance, I went out to arrange about getting food for them & myself & as we were were [sic] at present in the wide world I had invitations from all sides, but I did not know what to do with them. I met Cap^t [sic] Harding the governor, & he asked me to dine, I declined. A little further I met M^r Fielder he has been very ill, so I stopped to ask him how he was getting on & in doing so mentioned my disappointment about a vessel. He said “I have a vessel going to Constantinople tomorrow[.] I will give you a passage & there you will most likely find the Orinoco[.] I eagerly accepted the offer, ran back to the hut, to set the men vigorously to work & then got them some soup made, & then went to tell Col Harding I was going to accept a dinner from him & a bed as well. It was now about 7 & I found him & his party lounging in his verandah waiting for dinner, we had to wait long till near nine & I got faint but we had a jolly meal & then went out to smoke & take coffee outside all of us in turn falling asleep. Next morning at 3½ I was up & c^d get no water to wash, nor a bit of bread to eat as is my usual custom here before going out early & I felt unwell being attacked with diarrhea [sic]. I got the boxes all put into a boat & with great exertion of the men, for I felt too ill to do more than to look on, & get all on board. We had scarcely got outside before I began to vomit & I felt it was not from sea sickness. By nine o’clock I was bad in the cholera, & there was no D^r on board, every body advised me to take different medicine so I tried some Rhubarb & peppermint but c^d not keep it on my stomach so I got them to make me some rice water & mixed lime juice with it, & while it was preparing drank as much lime juice & water as ever I c^d vomiting it all the while up again every 10 minutes but drinking again so as to keep up the supply of fluid to the blood. At ½ past 10 cramp began in my legs & I had to be held upright & rubbed. In a short time they began in my arms & fingers wh began to turn blue. I c^d hardly breathe & felt my eyes staring very much. I never felt much alarmed but thought that as it was possible I might be mistaken about my method of cure I had better give Sparling such directions as might be necessary especially as I c^d see that every body present had a much worse opinion of my chances than I had myself. At noon I felt that the tide was turned for my fingers recovered their colour, & the cramp became less violent. I kept on drinking the rice water & lime juice water & uncooked arrowroot mixed with water & by night the diarrhea [sic] was stopped tho’ the cramp continued till the middle of the next day. William & Sparling took it in turns to watch me, & I must say they took great care of me, as well as an old Gentleman of the name of Kirke who first suggested the arrowroot. I got out of bed the 2^d day to see the entrance to the Bosphorus & got laid on deck for I c^d not bear to stand. We lay to that night & next morning I was up at 5 to see the Bosphorus. I was a deal stronger, but still very green. I enjoyed the sight much but when ½ way down we met the Orinoco coming back. We puzzled ourselves with this till the vessel cast anchor off Sentario when I sent Sparling ashore to enquire. It was Sunday & most of the offices were closed but he learnt that she had gone up the bosphorus to Istania to coal & w^d be back next day to proceed on her route. I thought it better to lose no time so sent Sparling with the commissary’s interpreter to hire a barge to take us & our boxes up the the [sic] stream. He not returning I got uneasy & when a message came from shore to tell our cap^t to get ready to go to sea by 4 p.m. I set off in a caique with the interpreter to look for him. I found him sitting waiting for the advent of some Turkish boatmen who were so said their padrone at prayers. We then got several caiques & brought them to the vessel & feeling quite ill I left Sparling to see about the loading. As soon as the first boat had got 3 or 4 boxes in the boatman pushed off & w^d not come back. William came running to tell me but it was too late. The next boat I made Sparling get [letter-book ends here incomplete]

Joseph Fenton Transcripts

Date: 25 June 1855
Recipient: Grace Fenton
Book: Joseph Fenton letter-book, Gernsheim Collection, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, Austin

Istania, Bosphorus – June 25^th

Dear Grace,

I told you in my last letter that I should probably start by the Orinoco, well I received a message that the ship was to go next day & that being appointed for the sale of my things, I expected it would go suddenly for those vessels are often ordered off at an hours notice so I made Sparling & William pack hard the night before as they thought very uselessly[.] I sold most of the heavy things but 1 horse would not go off & my best too, there was only £10– offered for him & lots of other horses were sent up for sale none of which were sold [ – ] there have been so many officers killed that there is s perfect glut of such things as are wanted in camp[.] I put my van up but only £26– was offered for it[.] I withdrew it very reluctantly as I did not know how to get it on board[.] After the sale was over the Agent of M^r D came & offered £30 for it but I refused as I should have to make another when I returned [ – ] finally I sold it for £35 – I then sent the horse to Halliwell [sic] to be sold when a chance occurred & then I went to bid good bye to Edmund & I left him a tin containing several of those beautiful biscuits & 6 lbs – coffee & about ½ doz wine with several other things [ – ] he is quite hearty & in high spirits

Getting back to Head quarters by 3 I received a message from by Telegraph that the vessel would leave Balaclava by 4 trusting that 4 would be 8 I packed my clothes paid my bills & loaded the van & set off on my road to Primrose Hill in high glee cracking jokes with every body I met for I have as many acquaintances here as the Parish Pump [ – ] just outside Balaclava I met Stopford who was going by the same ship he pulled a long face & called out I was just 5 minutes too late[.] The Orinoco was off [ – ] well we went on in a more sober mood to my tent [ – ] unloaded the van gave it our blessing as it went on its way to its new owner & began to think what was not [sic] to be done

Having recommended the work & pack [sic] so as to be said ready for any chance I went out to arrange about getting food for them & myself as we were at present on the wide world I had invitations from all sides but I did not know what to do with them[.] I met Col Hardinge the Govenor & he asked me to dine I declined[.] A little further I met M^r Fielder he has been very ill so I stopped to ask him how he was getting on & in doing so mentioned my disappointment about a vessel he said “I have a vessel going to Constantipople [sic] tomorrow I will give you a passage & there you will most likely find the Orinoco[.] I eagerly accepted the offer ran back to the Tent set the men vigorously to work & got them some soup made & next went to tell Col Hardinge that I was going to accept a dinner from him & a bed as well [ – ] it was there about 7 & I found him & his party lounging in his verandah waiting for dinner we had to wait till nine & I got faint but wet [sic] had a jolly meal & then went out to smoke & take coffee outside all of us in turn falling asleep [ – ] next morning at ½ past 3 – I was up & could get no water to wash, nor a bit of bread to eat as in my usual custom here before going out early[.] I felt unwell being attacked with diarhea[.] I got the boxes all put into a boat & with great exertion of the men for I felt too ill to do more than look on got outside All on board [ – ] we had nearly got outside when I began to vomit & felt it was not from sea sickness [ – ] by 9 o’clock I was bad in the cholera & there was no doctor on board every body advised me to take different medicine

I tried so [sic] Rhubarb & peppermint but could not get keep it on my stomach so I got them to make me some nice water & mixed lime juice with it & while it was preparing drank as much lime juice & water as ever I c^d vomiting it all up again every 10 minutes but drinking again so as to keep up the supply of fluid to the blood [ – ] at ½ past 10 cramp began in my legs & I had to be held upright & rubbed, in a short time it began in my arms & fingers which began to turn blue. I could hardly breath [sic] & felt my eyes staring very much[.] I never felt much alarmed but thought that it was possible I might be mistaken about my method of cure[.] I had better give Sparling & William such directions as might be necessary especially as I could see that every body present had a much worse opinion of my chance than I had myself [ – ] at noon I felt the tide was turned for my fingers recovered their colour & the cramp became less violent. I had kept on drinking the lime water & by night the diarohea [sic] was stopped though the cramp continued until the middle of the next day[.] William & Sparling took it in turns to watch me & I must say they took great care of me as well as an old Gentleman of the name of Irish who first suggested the arrowroot

I got out of bed the 2^nd day to see the entrance of the Bosphorus & got laid on the deck for I felt I could not bear to stand[.] We lay to that night, & next morning I was up at 5 to see the Bosphorus[.] I was a deal stronger but still very green[.] I enjoyed the sight but when half way down we met the Orinoco coming back we puzzled ourselves with this till the vessel cast anchor off Sentario when I sent Sparling on shore to enquire[.] It was Sunday & most of the offices were closed but he learnt that she had gone up the Bosphorus to Istania to coal & would be back the next day to proceed in her route[.] I thought it better to lose no time so sent Sparling with the Commissary’s Interpreter to hire a barge to take us & our boxes by the stream [ – ] he not returning I got uneasy when a Message came from shore to tell our captain to get ready to go to sea by 4 P.M.

I set off in a caique with the interpreter to look for him & found him waiting for the Advent of some Turkish boatmen who were he said with their Padrone at prayers [ – ] we then got several caiques brought them to the vessel & feeling quite ill I left Sparling & William to see about the loading [ – ] as soon as the first boat had got 3 or 4 boxes in the boat man pushed off & would not come back[.] William came running to tell me but it was too late [ – ] the next boat I made Sparling get into first & followed by a 3^rd [ – ] he set off before I could put William into the 3^rd the 4^h boat had only 1 rower & William & I with the rest of our luggage had to get into it & lie down in the bottom for fear of upsetting it[.] I could not see any of the others & felt very anxious feeling that I was too ill to exert myself as much as was even necessary [ – ] we had to pull against the stream which is very strong [ – ] the old boatman in about an hour gave in & ran his boat ashore wanted to be paid for the whole journey & then to divide the load into two boats for the rest of the way[.] I refused the first proposition agreed to the second but when this was settled he & the new boatman began disputing about their share in the prospective pay this lasted about ½ an hour I standing in the sea & getting worser [sic] at at last another man rushed up transferred everything to his boat & after 3 hours work brought us to the Orinoco

Here I am resting we leave in a couple of days & in less than 3 weeks you may expect to see his shaddow – mean while God bless you

Thine
Roger Fenton