Written from "Scutari Hospital," referring to the British military hospital in Üsküdar, a district of Istanbul.
The letter is part of a collection, MA 1352, which consists of letters from Charles Dickens to the Baroness, to her companion Hannah (Meredith) Brown, or the latter's husband, William Brown; with 70 letters written by others to Miss Coutts or to Dickens in his capacity as her unofficial almoner; and a few others. See the collection-level record for more information.
Informing her that he arrived safely and has begun putting together the drying closet for the military hospital; saying that he believes the process of assembling it will take about a month; apologizing for not having written earlier and explaining that Lord William Paulet had said that he would write her; adding that everyone seems very eager to have the machine up and running; writing "I have not seen Miss [Florence] Nightingale as she is gone to [Balakleaven?]" (possibly a reference to Balaclava).