COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 173 



put on their uniforms in the train, and we arrived at 

 Portsmouth harbour about 2.30. 



" Prince Leopold was in the train. Went on 

 board at once and got luggage into cabins. Bill's 

 cabin, No. 25 in 'Pandemonium'; three places; 

 Langford (Marines), his companion, a nice pleasant 

 fellow. Cabin about 9 ft. high, and about 10 x 12. 



" ' Pandemonium ' is a large space in the middle 

 of the ship on third deck. When the ship is crowded 

 they sling cots in it ; at present it is vacant. The 

 air is pumped in by a steam-engine, and makes a 

 draught all through the ship. The lights in Bill's 

 berth are just above the water mark. 



" The Prince of Wales came on board with the 

 Princess, Prince Leopold, Mrs. Cornwallis West, 

 Prince Edward Saxe-Weimar, General Higginson, 

 etc. They mooned about the ship. Bill and I were 

 standing together. The Prince stopped and shook 

 hands with me, and said, ' Any one belonging to you 

 going out?' 'Yes, sir, my son.' He held out his 

 hand to Bill, and asked where and what regiment. 

 Bill on duty is very different from Bill at home. He 

 picked himself up to attention, and answered, ' Luck- 

 now, sir.' ' Yes, sir,' as sharp as a sergeant-major. 

 He said, ' I must keep up the credit of my regiment,' 

 and had a nice pair of white kid gloves, and his cap 

 on three hairs, but one tuft crept up behind in spite 

 of his diligent burnishing. The worst of it was we 

 could get nothing to eat as the bar was shut up. 



" We met Sir Henry Fletcher, George Moncrieff, 

 Sir Archibald Lamb (his brother is in Rifles), Lord 



