PREFACE.

In offering to the public the following pages, it may be necessary to state the moiives which

operated to my acceptance of that important command, which it will be their business to

disclose. Though not born in the camp, nor

altogether educated in the field, I have beer

early taught in that frankness which generally

characterises the soldier, and, I trust, it will be

found that, in all I describe, I have never devi-

ated from strictly acting on that honourable and

faithful basis.

I had reached the shores of Africa, in my tour

of service, well remembering on my passage the

labours and researches of the informed and the

brave who perished in the exalted struggle of

benefiting their country and the benighted

Africans ; while, at the same time, I could not

help reflecting on the disappointing results which

often attend the best directed human exertions. The brave and the scientific were gone ; their

country consecrated their labours, though par-

tially abortive ; and the enterprising mind felt

no alarm in tracing their progress, w^hile a chance