After my return from Upper Canada I rejoined the 1st Battalion of my regiment, and intelligence having arrived of the escape of Napoleon Bonaparte from Elba, 10,000 troops, chiefly composed of regiments recently arrived, and which had belonged to the army of the Duke of Wellington, were ordered to embark at Quebec, and were to receive further instructions on reaching the English Channel. Those troops were formed into three brigades, under Sir Geo. Murray, Sir Thos. Brisbane, and Sir Fredk. Robinson, with artillery, and equipped in all points ready to take the field. They sailed in the month of May, and expected to reach Europe in time to take part in the first battle with the army of Napoleon. When the fleet of transports reached the banks of Newfoundland it was enveloped in a dense fog, and the ships’ bells were constantly ringing to prevent their falling foul of each other. Suddenly they entered a clear atmosphere, which was caused by the presence of numerous icebergs of enormous size. The Commodore, Sir Geo. Collyer, in the “Liffey” frigate, sailed close to one of them, and his royal-masts only reached two-thirds of its height. It must have been 100 feet high, and ice is always two-thirds under water; its length was about three miles, and its enormous bulk may thus be conceived. It must have broken off from some very high cliff. It appeared clear as crystal, and numerous rills of water were flowing down its sides forming gullies. The clear atmosphere extended within a radius of about five miles; after which the ships re-entered the fog on the opposite side.
On entering the English Channel a frigate was waiting the arrival of the fleet, and gave the intelligence that the Battle of Waterloo had been fought only seven days previously. The strong regiments landed in France and joined the army of occupation at Paris. The 8th landed at Portsmouth and marched to Windsor, where it was quartered.
The 8th Regiment relieved the Coldstream Guards at Windsor, and in their campaigning costume their appearance did not satisfy the Princesses—daughters of King George III. It became necessary, therefore, to purchase some new articles of clothing at the cost of the soldiers. Those ladies, especially Princess Elizabeth, were very critical in matters of dress. Three officers happened to be walking in the Green Park without their swords, and noticing the approach of the Princesses, they turned into a side walk to avoid them. The ladies, evidently intentionally, also turned off into the same walk, and suddenly met the officers face to face. Neither party could avoid laughing. But the circumstance of their appearing without swords was afterwards mentioned to Sir Herbert Taylor, the King’s equerry. His Majesty was at this time insane, and occupied a padded room in the Castle, just over the terrace, in care of an attendant. The terrace was closed against the public, but the officers on guard, when visiting their sentries, frequently saw His Majesty at the windows. His appearance was most venerable, with a white flowing beard down upon his breast. Previous to his insanity it was related of him that he accosted a sentry on the terrace one morning, asking his name and if he had a family; the man replied, “Yes.” The King then said, “Come, along with me to the garden, and I will give you some cabbages.” “Please your Majesty, I must not leave my post.” “O, well, well, come when you are relieved, and I will fill your sack with cabbages.”
On home service few events occur worth recording. Remaining two years at Windsor, the regiment embarked at Portsmouth for Malta. After passing Gibraltar, while becalmed off Cape de Gat, on the Spanish coast, a number of turtles were observed floating on the water. I, with some other officers, got into a boat and rowed towards them. They were apparently sleeping, and eight of them were caught by the fins and captured. One of them, however, weighing about 200 lbs., caught three of my fingers in its beak and cut me severely. I was quite willing to let my antagonist escape, but my opponent would not consent, and he was hauled on board still holding his prey. Fortunately, there was a marlinspike on board and the fingers were released, thus affording an illustration of “catching a Tartar.”
Malta, with its magnificent harbour, is remarkable in many respects. Valletta, its capital, is built on a rock surrounded on three sides by the harbour, and is strongly fortified, as well as its three suburbs and dock-yard situated across the harbour. The parapets of the various fortifications by which all these places are enclosed are said to measure forty-two miles. The works are of great magnitude. When the island was held by the knights of Malta—formerly knights of Rhodes, and originally knights of St. John of Jerusalem—it is stated that at one period they had as many as 100,000 Saracens, prisoners of war, on the island, who were employed on these stupendous works.
The ditch between Valletta and its suburb Floreana is sixty feet wide and forty feet deep, cut out of solid rock, a sandstone resembling that at Bath. The catacombs between Valletta and Citta Vecchia, distant seven and a-half miles, are a perfect labyrinth of excavated galleries, and so many persons have been lost there that the dangerous passages have been walled up. Solid oblong masses of human skulls and bones have been piled in various places, and there are several spacious halls, supposed to have been used as places of concealment.
At Citta Vecchia an ancient church exists—a re-building of one erected on the spot stated by tradition to be the place where St. Paul had been bitten by a viper. And you see before you the channel “where two seas meet,” between the islands of Malta and Gozo; where they “cast out four anchors by the stern, lightened the ship, and wished for the day.” It is curious that Lord Nelson is supposed to have gained the Battle of the Nile by adopting this plan; for, when breaking through the French line of battle, the latter reserved their fire until his ships should swing round at their anchors; which, of course, having anchored by the stern, did not take place, and they lost their opportunity of raking his ships.
The Malta stone when first quarried is soft, but hardens by exposure. It is commonly worked in lathes in various beautiful forms, such as vases, balustrades, &c. The Palazzos of the Grand Knights are rich in architecture, generally quadrangles. The churches and public buildings are also very fine, and some of the monuments of the knights are beautiful; altogether the city is very handsome. The ditch, before referred to, had been converted by the knights into a beautiful garden, the soil of which had all been conveyed from Sicily in ships; and the walks had been so skilfully laid out as to convey a strong impression of extent.
While at Malta I was recommended for the appointment of Pay-master of my regiment, which I accepted, my prospects of promotion during peace being remote; and I proceeded to England, on leave of absence, on board a post office packet. This vessel was obliged to put in for repairs at Gibraltar, where she was detained eight days; affording me a fine opportunity for examining that celebrated fortress.
The neck of land which connects it with Spain is only 400 yards wide, over which the rock rises with a perpendicular face to a great height. Two wide galleries—one over the other—have been excavated along this north face, through which port-holes have been cut out at intervals for cannon, commanding the neutral ground. The east side is impregnable from perpendicular rock. The defences towards the bay on the west and on the south sides are very strong. The length of the rock from north to south is about three miles. Toward the centre the high ridge of rock dips considerably, and here a battery has been placed; on visiting which I found about 100 wild monkeys chattering. They jumped down the eastern face of the rock, catching stunted shrubs at intervals with their tails, until they reached the bottom. They are not allowed to be shot. The population of Gibraltar—about 16,000—is entirely dependent on rain for their supply of fresh water; but from flat roofs, and tanks under every house, besides large public reservoirs, they have sufficient and to spare for supplying ships of war.