On arrival at Cork they embarked on board the Troop-ship ‘Himalaya,’ and sailed at four in the afternoon. The officers who embarked were:—
Lieutenant-Colonel Warren; Majors, Stephens and Plumtre Glyn; Brevet-Majors, Nicholl and Sotheby; Captains, Slade, Dugdale, Somerset, Robinson, Cary and H. Lascelles; Lieutenants, the Honourable T. Scott, Stopford-Sackville,[325] Maberly,[326] Taylor, Hopwood, the Honourable A. Grosvenor, Thompson, (Adjutant), Harrington, Smyth,[325] the Honourable J. Constable-Maxwell,[325] Prideaux-Brune, Parke and Turnor; Sub-Lieutenants, the Honourable Otway Cuffe, Sherston, the Honourable E. Noel and the Honourable H. O’C. Prittie.
Captain Harvey (Paymaster), Quarter-master Stanley, Surgeon-Major Wiles and Surgeon Macrobin.
The ‘Himalaya’ arrived at Funchal, Madeira, on the 27th. Here they found in garrison at Funchal one of the regiments of Caçadores which had been brigaded with them sixty years before in the Peninsula. After coaling, the ‘Himalaya’ started on the evening of the same day, and reached St. Vincent on December 1, whence after coaling again, she started on the 2nd, and arrived at Cape Coast Castle on December 9. Here nothing was ready for their reception; and it was decided that the ‘Himalaya’ should put to sea again until the end of the month. Accordingly, on the 13th she started on a cruise. To be thus for three weeks longer cooped up on board ship under a tropical sun was a sore trial to the soldiers. However everything was done that could be done to amuse the men, and relieve the monotony of their enforced and unexpected cruise. A newspaper was started, readings and theatricals were extemporised, and a quasi band which had been got up (the band of the Battalion having been left at the Depôt) played daily. At last on December 30, the ‘Himalaya’ arrived at Cape Coast Castle, and the Battalion was allowed to disembark.
In the meanwhile Captain Robinson had been appointed Brigade-Major to Brigadier Sir Archibald Alison, commanding a brigade; and Captain Cope, who had been detailed for the Depôt, started on December 4 in the ‘Sarmatian’ (which took out the Brigadier and the 42nd Regiment), and having arrived at Cape Coast Castle on the 17th, awaited the arrival of the Battalion, and took over Captain Robinson’s company on its landing.
On July 19 the 3rd Battalion left Portsmouth by rail-road for Exeter, and on arrival there encamped at Duck’s Marsh, about two miles and a half from that station, until the 21st; on which day they proceeded by route march to Maiden Down; on the next to Merripit Hill, and on the 23rd to Yannaton Down, Dartmoor, encamping each day at their halting-places. They took part in the autumn manœuvres, being in the brigade commanded by Colonel Lord Alexander G. Russell.
On the conclusion of the manœuvres, this Battalion was present at the review and march-past at Roborough Down on August 22, before His Royal Highness, the Colonel-in-Chief. At its conclusion they marched seven miles to Plymouth, whence they proceeded at ten o’clock the same night, viâ Exeter, to Winchester, and arriving there on the morning of the 23rd, occupied barracks; detaching, on December 13, three companies to Portsmouth, who were quartered in the Clarence barracks.
The 4th Battalion continued in Dublin; but were concentrated from the various quarters they occupied, in the Royal barracks in July.
Having received orders to embark for India, the Depôt and Service companies were formed, and transfers made and received to complete its establishment for foreign service (886 non-commissioned officers and privates). And on October 19 and 20 the Service companies proceeded by rail to Queenstown and embarked on the 21st in the ‘Jumna.’ They started on the 22nd and arrived at Bombay on November 23. They landed on the 24th and 25th, and proceeded by rail to Deolalee.