man. It is too ungenerous, it is too unworthy of Englishmen, that man after man should write to complain that he individually has not had his little crotchet attended to. Men must face the fact that it is not easy during the preparations for a rapid expedition to fish out the names and localities of every man who has ever set foot on the Gold Coast.

"Should you care to hear further from me, I think I can answer not a few of the practical objections that have been made; but in a day or two Sir Garnet will be on the sea, and he must trust to his own reputation and the generosity of his countrymen to receive with hesitation aspersions behind his back. Detailed reply is not possible for him during the busy work in which he is now engaged for the nation."

ON September 12th, Sir Garnet sailed from Liverpool. He had hardly left England when news arrived which produced an impression throughout the country that the enterprise was a far more necessary one than had at all been realised before. On August 14th, Commodore Commerell, in attempting to carry on a survey of the river Prah from the mouth upwards, had landed at the town of Chamah, and, after a conference with the natives, to all appearance friendly, had proceeded up the river. Advantage had been taken of the nature of the shore by native treachery, the boats had been fired upon, the Commodore himself had been severely wounded, and few of the men had escaped unscathed. Almost immediately afterwards, in an attempt to destroy the boats of the neighbouring village of Tacorady, the party of sailors who had been landed had been fired into from the neighbouring bush, and had suffered severely. There was no doubt that the effect of these disasters would be to

render all the tribes of the Coast distrustful of our power, and in a country where the most powerful com- mand the sympathies of all, to give the greatest possible advantage to the Ashantees, and disadvantage to ourselves in our dealings with the natives. It ought, perhaps, to be added, moreover, that during the two or three previous weeks, the greater part of a body of some two hundred marines who had been sent out with Colonel Festing had returned to England completely broken down by their short visit to the Coast. From the time of the return of these men onward the deadliness of the country began to be realised, and the most sinister forebodings were from this time forward entertained as to the fate of those who were going out.*

The ship had been prepared in a hurry. All the cabins had been recently repainted. She was badly caulked, and a very foul collection of bilge-water had been accumulated in previous tropical voyages. The journey, therefore, had its unpleasantnesses, and not a few of the party had been ill long before the African climate had had a chance of telling on them. Still it happened that among the officers not a few friends who had seldom had an opportunity of seeing much of one another were now thrown together under circumstances such as give a greater opportunity for intimacy in a few weeks than often occurs on shore in many months. Moreover there was very much more to be done which directly bore on the enterprise in hand than can often be the case on a

* See Appendix A for the list of the officers who sailed with Sir Garnet.

trip of the kind. The unique character of the enterprise, the peculiar position of so large a body of officers. not connected in the accustomed way with the routine duties of soldiering, going out in fact almost to the unknown-all these things tended to give an air of adventure to the voyage which had its effect upon the spirit of everybody on board, so that, despite the misfortunes of new paint and intolerable odours, it may be doubted whether a more really agreeable time was often enjoyed.

At Madeira, the news of the disasters of Chamah and Tacorady which had already reached England some days, was received on board.

At Sierra Leone, Sir Garnet landed and assumed his office as Commander-in-Chief of the West African Settlements.

The following letter, which refers to the events of the day, is now chiefly interesting as showing what at that time was the generally received idea about the future conduct of the expedition. The beginning of the letter, though it has now somewhat lost its original interest, is retained because it was one of the assertions made before we left England, that men of local knowledge had not been secured. The fact being that many who thought themselves specially qualified from local knowledge to be appointed to the expedition did not appear to be quite so admirable for the purpose when their claims were investigated. As the letter shows, not a few whose services were invaluable, and who did possess local knowledge, had been secured.

"Sir Garnet Wolseley and the officers who accompany him have reached the head-quarters of our West African Settlements. To-day is a busy one. Sir Garnet has first of all called on Mr. Berkely, the Governor-in-Chief, and presented the letters which appoint him Commanderin-Chief of all the settlements, which include Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Lagos, and the Gold Coast. He is also to be Civil Administrator of the Gold Coast. Then arrangements are being made for the enlistment from all neighbouring tribes of any men who are likely to be valuable on the Coast. Large numbers of artificers and of servants are already hired. The dark, nutty, oily faces are crowding on all hands eager to enlist, but it is very unlikely that any but the best will be accepted, for more than one man is with the expedition who knows well both Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast. Notably Commissary O'Connor knows by face and name every man, woman, and child in the neighbourhood. He was here in innumerable capacities for years, and his local knowledge has already proved invaluable. His loud cheery voice was recognized and welcomed by hundreds at once on our landing. Meantime, also, Major Home, R.E., is busy inspecting the artificers who have been engaged for him, and the stores of various kinds, which are better procured here than on the Gold Coast. Unfortunately many of the things which would be most useful on the expedition, require the work of Europeans, and it has