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nothing but salt pork and biscuit, as there appeared to be 
no stores from wbicL. they could get anything better to eat 
and drink. They begged for anything the steward could 
spare from the ship's provisions, thankful for some bread 
and cheese, and rejoicing over some bottled beer and soda 
water. There is supposed to be a contractor to provide 
fresh meat and vegetables from the shore, but the supplies 
are most uncertain ; and since the Ashantee war commenced 
have almost entirely failed. We found that the evening 
before we arrived, invalided troops had been sent off 
to Ascension and St. Helena to be picked up by the 
Union Company's homeward-bound boats ; and we 
rather chuckled, as one of the chief reasons for the 
passengers from Capetown preferring to sail in the 
'^Teuton" instead of our ship, was on account of our 
going round to the Gold Coast to pick up invalids, and 
now they would be very likely to drop in for the batch 
we had just missed. The few unfortunate bullocks that 
still remained alive were lowered into the Government 
cargo boats, manned by our allies the Fantees, who work 
the boats by small paddles, sitting in a most uncomfortable 
position on each gunwale — about sixteen or twenty to a 
boat. I and three other passengers went ashore to have a 
look at this famous spot, and were much amused at the 
niggers' alarm if one of the oxen moved a leg or raised 
his head ; the nearest paddler just rolled overboard, as a 
matter of course, and sometimes there were two or three 
in the water at once ; the rest paddled on unconcerned, 
and the others swam up, caught the boat, and scrambled 
into their places again ; they seemed as much in their 
element in the water as ashore, and, of course, were not 
afraid of spoiling their clothes. They paddle to the time 
of a monotonous chant, led by the fellow who steers, 
and joined in by all the crew. When we arrived they 
