CHAPTER II 



THE VOYAGE OUT 



On Saturday morning, October 29, 1887, Mr. 

 Chamberlain started from Birmingham by the 1 1 .20 

 train en route for Liverpool. A large number of 

 local Unionists assembled to see him off, and when 

 he arrived at the station accompanied by Mr. Jesse 

 Collings, M.P., Mr. R. Chamberlain, M.P., and Mr. 

 Powell Williams, M.P., he was greeted with hearty 

 cheering, his enthusiastic admirers shouting " God 

 bless you ! " " Good luck ! " and so forth. As soon 

 as he boarded the train there were, of course, loud 

 cries for a speech, and the right honourable gentle- 

 man, putting his head out of the window, addressed 

 the crowd as follows : 



" Gentlemen, — I am very much touched by 

 your kindness in coming down here this morning to 

 wish me ' Good-bye ' and ' God-speed ' (cheers). 

 I know that all in Birmingham, in common with 

 every patriotic Englishman, have deep interest in 

 the success of my Mission (hear, hear) and an earnest 

 desire that the good feelings between the two coun- 



