PURCHASES. 75 



doubtful event. I engaged a discharged soldier of the 

 91st, named George Martin, in the capacity of head 

 servant. This man hailed frem Haddington, and bore 

 an excellent character on leaving the regiment. He 

 was accustomed to the charge of horses, in which he 

 took a great interest. My most important purchases 

 in the sporting department consisted of a valuable dou- 

 ble-barreled rifle, with spare shot-barrels by Westley 

 Richards, which I obtained from Captain Hogg, and 

 two right good steeds, one of which was a very superior 

 coal-black gelding, which I purchased of Captain Wal- 

 pole, of the Engineers, for d£20, which was considerably 

 below its value. I named this horse Black Jack ; in 

 paces and disposition he very much resembled my la- 

 mented Colesberg, and he was altogether one of the 

 finest horses I ever mounted. His end was sudden and 

 severe ; for on a subsequent expedition, along with an- 

 other of my favorite horses, he was torn to pieces and 

 consumed by a troop of ruthless lions. The other horse 

 which I purchased was a gray; and as it is probable 

 that this horse may be introduced in future pages, un- 

 der the designation of the " Old Gray," I trust the read- 

 er will not be confounded with the idea of the resur- 

 rection of the original " Old Gray." 



On the morning of the 9th, I reached Fort Beaufort, 

 when I encamped at the mess-house of the 7th. I con- 

 tinued there until the morning of the 15th, when I re- 

 sumed my march for the interior. In Fort Beaufort I 

 purchased four right good horses from the ofllcers of the 

 garrison : one of these was a jet black steed, and was 

 named by his late master Schwartland. This horse 

 was one of the finest shooting-horses in Southern Af- 

 rica, and understood his work so well that he seemed 

 to follow the game with all the eagerness of a grey. 



