War 157 



provision of stores, the following extract from my diary 

 will show : — 



" Wednesday, 21st Jaoiuar?/ (IS 7 4i). — As an instance of 

 the way things have been managed, only twenty boxes of 

 medical comforts have been as yet sent up to Prahsue. When 

 these came to be opened, the first twelve boxes that were 

 opened contained nothing but certain utensils, usually con- 

 sidered as necessary articles in a bedroom ! Of the remain- 

 ing eight boxes, when those that were marked brandy (six 

 boxes) were opened, they were found to contain brandy bottles 

 filled with sawdust. The P. M. 0., on our leaving, ordered 

 our surgeon to take some port wine with him, but on open- 

 ing the cases they were found to contain but three bottles." 



These medical boxes had been for some weeks at 

 Prahsue, and yet no one had taken the trouble to examine 

 them ; and it was not till we arrived and required to 

 replenish our stores, that the discovery of their contents 

 was made. Yet no inquiry was instituted. The boxes 

 had not been tampered with on the voyage, but were 

 exactly as they had been forwarded from Woolwich. 



Another entry from the diary gives: — " 12th January. 

 Broke into a grave in the floor when stepping out of bed. 

 Went in up to my knee ! " This was rather gruesome. 

 We were sleeping in a native hut, and they have a custom 

 of burying their dead under the floors, which is decidedly 

 a trap for the unwary. 



" Monday, 14:th January. — Make a lamp out of a large 

 snail shell." 



On my return home to England, an old shepherd 

 of my father's made a very it propos remark. He said, 

 " They tell me. Master Pdchard, that them parts is all 

 forest, and that nothing else fjrows there. What do 



