COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 191 



Vincent's wages were not paid, and if he went to Mr. 

 Flockhart he would get his money. 



Hunting days, seventy ; brace killed, eighteen 

 and a half ; brace to ground, eighteen ; days frost, 

 two ; days absent, nine. 



14th January. — Charlie married Agnes Guthrie, 

 third daughter of James Guthrie of Craigie, and 

 Elinor, daughter of Robert Stirling. Married in 

 Eton Place ; troop of Life Guards present. 



The Life Guards were sent to Egypt in 1882. 

 Charlie embarked in the Persian Monarch for 

 Ismalia, on ist September. He took "Congress" 

 and the chestnut mare with him. The squadron 

 consisted of seventy-five men and fifty horses. 

 About forty of these were bays and a few chestnuts. 



On 9th S eptember he wrote : — 



" I have not been ill for one second since we 

 started. This is a detestable boat, full of cock- 

 roaches, bad accommodation and execrable food. Then 

 the company is good and the liquor excellent. We 

 are 12 officers, 320 soldiers, 90 sailors, and some 

 ship's officers. We have stables at 6 ; breakfast, 8 ; 

 stables, 10-12 ; lunch, i ; stables, 2.30-3.30; stables 

 5-6 ; dinner, 6.30 ; bed about 9 — and they are real 

 stables too. It is so hot the men take their shirts 

 off, and the sweat pours off the horses. Ours are on 

 the upper horse deck, which is a little cooler than the 

 one below. We have only lost one horse at present. 

 He died yesterday of congestion of the lungs. We 

 have eight (altogether) unwell, and standing on 



