Introduction. 
21 
where the P. and O. steamer, Onssa, awaited us. 
Embarking the same day, we pursued our course 
down the Red Sea, and reached Aden (the coal hole 
of the East), on the 2nd of January, 1863. 
Brigadier Coghlan, then political resident at Aden, 
and Colonel Playfair, assistant ditto, treated me with 
great kindness. Colonel Playfair had been appointed 
to the consulate of Zanzibar, and had arranged to 
proceed thither by the same route I was taking, a 
very fortunate circumstance for me, as I found him, 
not only able, but willing to assist me. We reached 
Bombay, the metropolis of Western India, on the i ith. 
I was delayed at this place for two months, during 
which time I was most hospitably entertained by the 
Rev. Dr. Wilson, of the Scottish Free Church, and 
the Rev. D. Williamson, of the United Presbyterian 
Church. I shall never forget the generosity of these 
gentlemen. 
In the meantime I was most anxiously looking for 
an opportunity of proceeding to Zanzibar. This pre- 
sented itself in the following way. A small steamer, 
the Pleiad, had been appointed by the Government 
to ply as a mail-boat between Zanzibar and the 
Seychelles, and she was to leave as soon as possible 
with Colonel Playfair to Zanzibar. Having a re- 
commendation from Sir Charles Wood, then Indian 
secretary, to the Governor of Bombay, the document 
was presented, and Sir Bartle Frere, with his usual 
courtesy, at once granted me a passage on board the 
steamer. We left Bombay on the nth of March. 
This was rather too late in the season, the north-east 
monsoon having almost ceased blowing, in conse- 
quence of which we had a tedious voyage of twenty- 
