TREFACE. 



Devonport, in which places he was chiefly quartered, 

 was hateful to him ; and as leave of absence could be 

 often obtained, he availed himself of every opportunity 

 thereby afforded of visiting the wilder parts, and espe- 

 cially the coasts, of England, Wales, and Ireland. To 

 his regret circumstances hindered him from accom- 

 panying his regiment to the Mediterranean, whither it 

 was sent in 1855, and toward the end of that year he 

 gave up his commission. 



In February 1856 I first met Mr. Powys, to the 

 equal gratification, I think I may say, of each of us, as 

 well as of our friend Mr. Newcome, then living at 

 Hockwold Hall, where we were guests together; and 

 in the summer of that year Mr. Powys was able to put 

 into execution the idea he had long cherished of an 

 extended yacht-voyage to Southern Europe. Embark- 

 ing with a friend * on the ' Claymore,' they touched at 

 various ports on the coast of Spain, making some stay 

 in the Balearic Islands, and visited Corsica and Sardinia. 

 He wrote to me in October of that year from Cagliari, 

 giving a long list of the birds he had seen alive or dead 

 during the cruise. They thence sailed for Sicily, but 

 encountering a violent gale of wind, in which the yacht 

 received some damage, they had to put into Malta for 

 repairs. As the execution of these needed some time, 

 Mr. Powys betook himself to Tunis, where he passed 

 two months, enchanted with the zoological wealth of 

 the country and enjoying very fair sport. Thence he 



* The Honourable Hercules Rowley. 



