78 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, fAuousr i, 1893. 
from the effect of my run up to his lodgings. I 
always had reason to believe nim a noble fellow, 
but this little incident impressed it more deeply 
upon me than before. I cannot tell what would have 
befallen me but for his kindness. 
« * • 
Colonel Churchill, Sir Edward Barnes's Mili- 
tary Secretary, called on me, by order of the General, 
and said the latter officer advised me on no account 
to accept the adjutancy, but desired to know whether 
I should prefer to be one of Sir Edward Barnes's 
A.D.C.'b, or to be made Staff Officer of Colombo? 
My reply was thoughtlessly given, expressing my 
feelings on tLe subject : I said I never wished to 
be an A.D.O. to any man in time of peace, but that 
if His Excellency would make me Staff Officer of 
Colombo, which involved constant active military 
duty, I should be very proud of the appointment. 
The garrison then consisted of — a troop of Dragoons, 
a detachment of Boyal Artillery, a detachment of 
Royal Engineers, a company of the Royal Staff 
Corps, 16th Regiment, a portion of this regiment 
detached, 78th Regiment, 83rd Regiment, 97th 
Regiment, Ceylon Rifles, Gun Lascars, Armed Las- 
coryns. Several detachments were drafted from these 
regiments, but still the garrison was large, and its 
duties were conducted on the most strict and rigid 
principles. A field officer and two subalterns were 
on garrison duty every day; guard-mounting was done 
with the utmost formality ; guards were " trooped " 
every morning, and not the slightest deviation from 
established forms was permitted without the field 
officer of the day being called upon to give his 
reasons in writing. The Commandant was present 
at guard-mounting about three days in each week. 
I do not believe that the garrison at Gibraltar could 
have been under stricter discipline than that of 
Colombo at this time. 
When I went to thank His Excellency for my 
promotion, imagine my surprise at his asking me to 
take up my quarters at King's House, and to become 
a member of his family. I began to think I had 
not done so far wrong in being honest and straight- 
forward in my dealings with men in authority. 
My error would have been in thinking that I should 
always meet with so great and noble-hearted a man, 
and such a true soldier as Sir Edward Barnes, whose 
equal, for largeness of views, generosity, and noble- 
ness of mind, I have never known in any position 
of life-, He was a Commander for whom any soldier 
would have considered it the highest privi- 
lege to have served even unto the death. It was 
impossible to ride in his cortege without being in- 
spired with the most devoted enthusiasm. How well 
any man who ever served under that oerfect soldier can 
realise the description the late Sir Robert Arbuthnot 
gave of a desperate attack which he once saw Sir 
Edward make on a French position. The scene of 
the attack was an orchard, walled all round, to 
which he took his brigade up in open columns of 
companies ; when at the proper distance he wheeled 
them into line, and then, having fired his men with 
his own enthusiasm, he rode his charger at the 
wall, and, cocked hat in hand, cleared it in the most 
splendid style. Sir Robert Arbuthnot said it was 
the finest sight and most effective attack he had 
ever witnessed. Sir Edward was, at the time, an 
exceedingly fine, handsome man. 
« * » 
I was a very active little sprite, and was never 
late tax one of those 6 a.m. guard-mounting parades, 
or for any duty, though I must not say how often, 
during those four years' tenure of office, I did not 
go to bed till after guard-mounting. One morning 
Sir Edward Barnes came down to the billiard-room, 
as he usually did, between 12 and 1 o'clock, where 
we all congregated after breakfast. Seeing me in- 
tent on a game, he said: 
" What are you doing here, youngster ? I thought 
you would have been at Negombo by this time." 
" What to do there. Sir ? " I asked. 
" What 1 Have you not received your orders from 
the Quartermaster-General 1 " 
" Jlo, Sir ; I have not eeea him 4o-*iy." 1 
"Go to bim at once, and be quick in whbt jron 
have to do." 
It was nearly 2 o'clock before the Qaartermaster 
General could be found. When I caught him he 
directed me to proceed to Negombo — an old fort 
twenty-three miles north of ( olombo — to make a 
plan of the barracks there and to prepare an esti- 
mate for their repair, so as to fit them for immediate 
occupation. 
This was rather a bore, for I was engaged to a 
very pleasant dinner party that evening, to which 
I knew the Governor and Lady Barnes were going. 
It was 2 o'clock when His Excellency saw me ride 
out of King's House grounds. I knew I could depend 
upon my grey Arab charger, bo the moment 1 got 
clear of the fort I started at a moderate hand-gallop, 
drew bridle for a minute or two at every siith 
mile, and foond that I reached Negombo within the 
two hours. There was no time to lose ; I hooked 
my reins to a tree in the barrack square, and took 
out my field book and tape ; measurements for th« 
plans were soon made, data for estimate all taken 
within the hour, my horse girthed up, and I in laj 
saddle on my retorn to Colombo. 1 allowed my 
Arab to go his own pace, which was always good, 
and found he had done the twenty-three miles home 
faster than on going out. I had uiy bath, dressed, 
and jumped into the buggy of one of the A.D.C.'i>, 
and arrived at the dinner party very nearly as soon 
as the Governor and Lady Barnes. 
The moment Sir Edward saw me be came up to 
me ; there was no mistaking when he was dis- 
pleased, though he had never found fault with uie 
before. However, I thought to myself, " I will have 
a bit of fun ; for I see you think I have neglected 
your orders, " I was not left long in doubt on that 
point ; for the following dialogue took place between u« : 
" Well, youngster, what the are you doing 
here ? I thought I told you this uioming to go to 
the Quartermaster-General for orders." 
" So I did. Sir. " 
"And what did he tell you to do'/" 
" He ordered me to proceed to Negombo, Sir, to 
take plans of the barracks, to report the number 
of men they could accommodate, and to submit an 
estimate for their repairs." 
" And what do you mean, Sir, by neglecting thoae 
orders ; you ought to have gone o£f instantly. Colone 
should have given you your orders yesterday 
eveaing." 
" I nave not neglected them, Sir ; I have Leen 
to Negombo, and your Excellency will have all the 
information yon require laid before you to-morrow 
morning." 
" Vou have been to Negombo?" 
"Yes, Sir." 
"And taken plans of the barracks?" 
" Yes, Sir." 
"And framed an estimate for their repair?" 
"Yes, Sir." 
" At what time did you leave King's House ? " 
"Two o'clock, Sir; reached Negombo at nine 
minutes to four; and left it at a quarter to five." 
" And what did you ride ? " 
" My own charger. Sir." 
I saw the satisfaction he felt by his expression ; 
he turned round, and although I pretended not to be 
looking at him, I saw the glee with which he was 
repeating my little exploit to our host, the 
Honourable Mr, Granville, and other members of 
the party. It was a fnir ride and amount of work 
against time, but much more credit was due to my 
dear little horse than to myself. 
I was only a pound or two over eight stone 
and never tired of riding if allowed to go the puce. 
This little incident pleased my patron immensely • 
he was Bi perfect borseman himself, and there was not- 
hing he liked better than to have things done quickly. 
Sir Edward Barnes was himself the best mounted 
officer I have ever seen, he rode a magnificent bay 
Arab charger with black points, whose coat shone 
like satin. Lady Barnes presented this Nigitte Arab 
to her husband ; he bad cost her between £400 
and 4^0, and was thought to be cheap »t tfeepriee 
