Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



for volunteers to go out to these distant hinter- 

 lands and raise a black force whereby we might 

 demonstrate more effectively than by the making 

 of treaties to whom Northern Nigeria and Borgu 

 really did belong. 



All this gave promise of some very interesting 

 work, and, as it was an untouched part of the 

 best game country in the world, of some very 

 interesting play in the intervals. There was 

 nothing much doing in the way of wars at the 

 time, and applications were numerous, which 

 resulted in the Colonial Office being able to pick 

 their men carefully, and a better lot in every way 

 I shall never meet again. Some were killed or 

 died of fevers in Nigeria, and a most surprising 

 number of the original Waffs (West African 

 Frontier Force) fell afterwards in South Africa, 

 so that of those I went out with in 1898 com- 

 paratively few are left. I applied and was 

 selected, mainly, I suppose, on account of my 

 previous wanderings, which were a guarantee 

 of good health and a certain amount of " bush " 

 experience. 



For a full account of the origin and subsequent 

 performances of the Waffs down to the relief of 

 Kumasi, in which they took such a leading part, 

 there is no more fascinating book than " From 

 Kabul to Kumasi, " by Brigadier-General Sir 

 James Willcocks, K.C.M.G., D.S.O. I intend only 



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