362 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



something wonderful, and they are indefatigable 

 walkers, never grumbling or turning sulky at hard 

 work, and doing as they are ordered without a 

 question. 



In a very smart skirmish which took place 

 in February, 1863, at Epe, a large village 

 about 30 miles from Lagos, on the Lagoon, 

 in order to save three officers of the navy 

 and a boat's crew from being cut off from the 

 shore, by overwhelming numbers of armed natives, 

 I found it necessary to make a flank attack on 

 the main body of about 1200 men, commanded by 

 the refractory Chief Possoo. There was a good 

 deal of thick bush, and I was enabled to approach 

 undiscovered, when my Haussas, who were only 

 forty in number, gave them a volley, taking them 

 by surprise, and causing a panic, which was imme- 

 diately followed by a stampedo. As they could 

 not understand an attack on the flank and rear, 

 they broke and scattered in all directions, when a 

 good deal of desultory skirmishing took place, 

 during which I received a very severe gun-shot 

 wound under the right ear. At the sight of ray 



