i 9 o 3 ] THE RELIEF EXPEDITION 115 



responsibility and energetically supported its President in the 

 campaign which he immediately opened with his customary 

 energy and pertinacity. Urgent appeals were issued \ a sub- 

 scription list was opened and graciously headed by H.M. the 

 King and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales; Mr. Longstaff again 

 came to the front with an addition of 5,000/. to his former 

 munificent donation ; Mr. Edgar Speyer most generously sub- 

 scribed a like sum. 



From this start the fund gradually grew by the arrival of 

 gifts from the most diverse and interesting quarters — from five 

 great City Companies, 1 from boys at school, from members of 

 the Stock Exchange collected by Mr. Newall, from sub- 

 lieutenants at Greenwich, from officers of a Gurkha regiment 

 in Chitral, from the New Zealand Government, from officers 

 in South Africa, and from a thousand private individuals who 

 gave what they could afford. But, great as was the interest 

 shown, as always on such occasions, its manifestation was 

 slow, and there were times when it seemed almost impossible 

 that the urgency of the case could be met. Sir Clements 

 Markham, however, refused to acknowledge defeat ; as usual, 

 having set his shoulder to the wheel, he worked on in good 

 times or bad with the same untiring zeal and singleness of 

 purpose, and, as all who know of this troublous time most 

 freely acknowledge, it was due to this alone that the sum of 

 22,600/. was eventually raised in time to make the despatch of 

 the projected relief expedition possible. 



Even this sum did not admit of elaborate plans in the 

 equipment of the relief expedition ; the greatest economy was 

 necessary. 



A stout wooden whaler named the ' Morgenen,' or ' Morn- 

 ing,' was purchased in Norway, and after being thoroughly 

 refitted and overhauled by Messrs. Green, of Poplar, was 

 stored with the requisites for the voyage. 



At an early date her commander had been appointed, and 

 this proved in every respect a most fortunate selection. 



1 Goldsmiths, Fishmongers, Drapers, Mercers, and Skinners. 



I 2 



