Major-General WAUCHOPE, C.B., C.M.G., LL.D.
From a Photograph by Horsburgh, Edinburgh.

GENERAL WAUCHOPE

BY

WILLIAM BAIRD, F.S.A. SCOT.

AUTHOR OF
'JOHN THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, PASTOR AND PAINTER'
'ANNALS OF DUDDINGSTON AND PORTOBELLO'
'SIXTY YEARS OF CHURCH LIFE IN AYRE'
ETC.

EDINBURGH AND LONDON
OLIPHANT ANDERSON AND FERRIER
1900

TO THE
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE
WHO BRAVELY FOUGHT AT MAGERSFONTEIN
THIS MEMOIR OF THEIR LEADER
IS INSCRIBED

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAP.

[I.] THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL

[II.] CHILDHOOD—EARLY TENDENCIES—THE 'HOUSEHOLD TROOP'—EDUCATION—NAVAL TRAINING—THE 'BRITANNIA'—THE 'ST. GEORGE'—PRINCE ALFRED

[III.] ENTERS THE ARMY—THE BLACK WATCH—ASHANTI WAR—RETURN HOME—BANQUET AT PORTOBELLO

[IV.] DEATH OF WAUCHOPE's FATHER—ORDERED TO MALTA—REMINISCENCES—RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS—CYPRUS—APPOINTMENT AS CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO—REMINISCENCES—SIR ROBERT BIDDULPH—THE SULTAN'S CLAIMS

[V.] WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA—ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN EGYPT—TEL-EL-KEBIR—MARRIAGE—LIFE IN CAIRO

[VI.] THE EASTERN SOUDAN—BATTLE OF EL-TEB—ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE GENERAL GORDON—ASCENT OF THE NILE—THE WHALE-BOATS—BATTLE OF KIRBEKAN—RETURN TO CAIRO—MALTA—GIBRALTAR

[VII.] THE MIDLOTHIAN CAMPAIGN

[VIII.] THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS—INCIDENTS OF HOME LIFE—MILITARY LIFE AT YORK—APPOINTMENT TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN

[IX.] THE SOUDAN—BATTLES OF ATBARA AND OMDURMAN—ARRIVAL HOME—RECEPTION AT NIDDRIE—DEGREE OF LL.D.—PAROCHIAL DUTIES—PARLIAMENTARY CONTEST FOR SOUTH EDINBURGH

[X.] OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA—COMMAND OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE—DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA—THE SITUATION—BATTLE OF MAGERSFONTEIN—DEATH—FUNERAL—AFTER THE BATTLE

[XI.] CHARACTERISTICS

[INDEX]

ILLUSTRATIONS

[PORTRAIT] . . . . Frontispiece

[NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, FRONT VIEW]

[ANDREW WAUCHOPE, MIDSHIPMAN, AGE 14]

[ANDREW WAUCHOPE, AGE 30]

[NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, BACK VIEW]

[GENERAL WAUCHOPE ON HORSEBACK]

[THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD]

[THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN]

INTRODUCTION

On the 11th day of December 1899, amid the rattle of rifles, the fierce booming of cannon, and the sharp bang of exploding shells, a British force of Scottish Highlanders found themselves suddenly confronted in the darkness of an early African morning by an unseen enemy. All night they had been on the march, tramping the bare rocky veldt north of the Modder river, to attack, and if possible capture, the fortified and strongly entrenched position held by the Boer army of General Cronje among the rocks and cliffs of Magersfontein. This was full of difficulty and danger. But the relief of the beleaguered garrison of Kimberley was urgent, and if the work were to be done, it demanded the best the British army could achieve. Steadily and determinedly stepped out the men of the Highland Brigade, commanded by him they had long had reason to trust. As lieutenant, as captain, as colonel, they had followed him in many a well-fought battle, and now with Major-General Wauchope leading them in the darkness, no doubt or fear entered their breast.

But suddenly there was a flash of light from the rocks above, followed immediately by a long belching flame of fire from a thousand rifles in front. They had unexpectedly stumbled on the enemy. There was no time for reorganisation, and in the midst of an entanglement of trenches and barbed wire fencing, and exposed the while to a withering fire against which nothing human could stand, the Highland Brigade was mown down. Here it was, but well in front of his men, endeavouring to the last to cheer on his followers, one of the most gallant and daring of modern British generals fought and fell, a martyr for his Queen and country.

General Wauchope's tragic end was no unfitting conclusion to a life of devoted, arduous service. He died as he had lived, ever in the midst of strife, an earnest, brave, and self-denying man, thinking more of others than himself; graced with the dignity that comes from inborn gentleness of spirit, and ever in his conduct exemplifying the faith he professed. No wonder that when such a man fell, there was a wail of lamentation, not merely around his own home in Edinburgh where he was best known and loved, but throughout the whole British Empire.

The story of his life is one of incident and hairbreadth escapes, and it deserves to rank high in the military annals of our country; for among those who have helped to raise Great Britain to the honourable position she holds among the nations of the world, as the vindicator of freedom, as the protector of the weak against the strong, as the pioneer of commerce, and the disseminator of Christianity, there are few who have laboured more zealously or fought more bravely than he whose career we shall in the following pages attempt to sketch.

In biography there is perhaps nothing more alluring than to trace out traits in remote kindred, and to watch them coming forth with new accompaniments in later generations, to work out, as it were, the full story of the race, and probably to mark a climax in some chosen individual. Though we have not space to follow this out in the present case, the distinguishing characteristics of General Wauchope's ancestors may easily be discerned throughout his career; to them he doubtless owed that simple manliness which looked upon every man—whatever his station—as a brother; that unswerving courage in time of danger, that unflinching devotion to duty, that cheerfulness of disposition, which made him a general favourite; all sobered by a sense of the unseen and eternal which entered into the very heart of his life.

The author's efforts to gather the scattered material of so chequered a career have been met on all hands by so willing a response from those who could in any way claim the General's acquaintance, that his task has been a pleasant and a comparatively easy one. For interesting details and incidents coming under their personal observation, his best thanks are due to Admiral Lord Charles W. D. Beresford, C.B.; General Sir Robert Biddulph, G.C.M.G., G.C.B., lately Governor of Gibraltar; Sir John C. M'Leod, G.C.B.; Colonel R. K. Bayly, C.B.; Colonel Brickenden; Colonel Gordon J. C. Money; Major A. G. Duff; Captain Christie, and other of his brother officers who shared with him the dangers and toil of naval and military service, in various parts of the world.

He cannot too gratefully acknowledge the kind assistance heartily given by the Rev. George Wisely, D.D., Malta; the Rev. John Mactaggart, Edinburgh; and the Rev. Alexander Stirling, York, army chaplains. Their contributions have been invaluable.

So fully indeed has material been placed at the author's disposal, that the volume might have been easily extended beyond its present limits. But enough, it may be hoped, has been said in illustration of General Wauchope's career as a soldier, and his character as a man, to enable his fellow-countrymen to realise that in his lamented death the nation has lost one of its bravest and best.

CHAPTER I

THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL

Andrew Gilbert Wauchope came of a long line of ancestry, who have distinguished themselves as soldiers, as churchmen, or in the more commonplace capacity of country gentlemen.

The family history can be traced back for several centuries at least, as occupying in the immediate vicinity of Edinburgh the estate of Niddrie Marischal; and throughout the various troubles in which Scottish history has been involved, the Lairds of Niddrie had their fair share, forfeitures and restorations being an experience not uncommon in their career.

Glancing over their genealogy, one might almost say with truth that the Wauchopes have ever been a fighting race, holding opinions strongly, and as strongly asserting them by word or deed when occasion arose.

The very name of their estate has a smack of the military in it, if it is true, as Celtic scholars say, that 'Niddrie' is derived from the Gaelic Niadh and Ri—signifying, in the British form of Celtic, the king's champion. Then the addition to the word, as distinguishing it from several other Niddries in Scotland, of Marischal, Marishal, or Merschell appears to have been given to the estate from the fact that the Wauchopes of Niddrie were in early times hereditary bailies to Keith Lords Marischal, and later, Marischal-Deputies in Midlothian, in the reign of James v.

Whether it be true, as stated by Mackenzie in his Lives of Eminent Scotsmen, that the Wauchopes had their first rise in the reign of Malcolm Caenmore, and that they came from France, we shall not stay to discuss; but it is generally allowed that the name is a local patronymic, common in the south of Scotland, and that the Wauchopes of Niddrie Marischal belonged originally to Wauchopedale in Roxburghshire, where they were for long vassals of the Earls of Douglas.

The records of the earlier generations of the family having been lost, one cannot with accuracy say who was its founder, or when he lived. In James the Second's reign, for making an inroad into England, and again in Queen Mary's time, for espousing the cause of that unfortunate sovereign, the estate of Niddrie was confiscated and passed for a time into the hands of others, while the feu-charters that remained were afterwards destroyed when the English under Oliver Cromwell came to Scotland. But notwithstanding these misfortunes, there are documents extant which go to show that as far back as the time of Robert III., who began to reign in 1390, there was one Gilbert Wauchope holding the lands of Niddrie from that king, who is supposed to be the grandson of Thomas Wauchope in the county of Edinburgh, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

One scion of the family, born about the year 1500, in the reign of James IV. attained to considerable distinction as an ecclesiastic. This was Robert, the famous Archbishop of Armagh, a younger son of Archibald, the Laird of Niddrie. Defective in his vision almost to blindness, he was, notwithstanding this misfortune, possessed of great natural abilities, and by diligent study attained to high and varied accomplishments. So proficient did he become in the study of the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the Councils, that he was appointed Doctor of Divinity in the University of Paris; and in 1535, having attracted the notice of Pope Paul III., he was called to Rome, and employed by him as legate to the Emperor of Germany and the King of France, in both of which commissions he is said to have exhibited the highest qualifications as an ambassador. Some time after he was promoted to be Archbishop of Armagh, in Ireland. There he laboured with incredible pains to enlighten the ignorant natives, travelling about his diocese, and often preaching to them four or five times a week. Archbishop Wauchope found scope for his great talents at the Council of Trent. This famous council, called together by the Pope to counteract the influence of the Reformation initiated by Luther in Germany, met in March 1544, and continued its sittings till 1551. The archbishop not only took a part in its proceedings, but wrote a full account of them, a labour which, however, proved too much for his strength, for he died at Paris on his way home on 9th November 1551. He appears to have been held by his contemporaries in high admiration. Lesley says: 'Such was his judgment in secular affairs, that few of his age came near him,' and in his capacity as legate 'he acquitted himself so well that every one admired his wit, judgment, and experience.'

Sir James Ware, speaking of him in a similar strain, and alluding, like Lesley, to his having been born blind, says: 'He was sent legate a latere from the Pope to Germany, from whence came the German proverb, "a blind legate to the sharp-sighted Germans."'

Some ancestors

Robert's elder brother, Gilbert Wauchope, was meanwhile Laird of Niddrie, acquiring more property, extending his borders, and getting himself involved in the local feuds peculiar to the time of James V.; that king on one occasion, April 1535, having to grant a letter of protection in favour of him 'and his wife and bairns' against Sir Patrick Hepburn of Wauchtonne and thirty-four others for 'umbesetting the highway for his slaughter.' In this quarrel, even the Pope was called upon to interfere in the interest of peace and safety. In 1539 Paul III. put forth a mandate to the Dean of the Church of Restalrig, stating that a beloved son, a noble man, Gilbert Wauchope, lord in temporals of the place of Niddriffmarschall, within the diocese of St. Andrews, had represented to the Pope that some sons of iniquity, whom he was altogether ignorant of, had wickedly brought many and heavy losses upon the said Gilbert Wauchope by concealing the boundaries and limits or marches of the piece of land or place called Quhitinche, feued to him by the Abbot and Convent of the Monastery of the Holy Cross (Holyrood).... Therefore the Pope intrusted to the discretion of the said Venerable Dean and Commissary to admonish publicly in churches, before the people, ... all holders, etc., and to discover and restore these to the said Gilbert Wauchope or to the Abbot of the Monastery, under a general sentence of excommunication against these persons, till suitable satisfaction was made.

But the Reformation brought many changes, upsetting the laws, customs, and opinions held sacred for centuries. The sons no longer walked in the ways of their fathers, but began to think for themselves. And so we find that Gilbert, the son of the laird who had sought and obtained protection from the Pope, renounced the Pope and took an active part in promoting the Reformation. He was present at Knox's first sermon at St. Andrews in 1547. And at the conference of notables that afterwards was held, where Knox and his preaching were fully discussed, and Wauchope was asked what he thought of the Reformer, 'this answer gave the Laird of Nydre—"a man fervent and uprycht in religioun."' This Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie was a member of the famous Parliament, held at Edinburgh in August 1560, by which the Reformation was established.

Later on we have a George Wauchope, a celebrated Professor of Civil Law at Caen, in Normandy, who was a grandson of Gilbert, and who in 1595, when he was about twenty-five years of age, wrote A Treatise concerning the Ancient People of Rome.

But the early Wauchopes were a wonderfully varied class of men, who could take their share of fighting when necessary; and towards the close of the sixteenth century their feuds, their 'slauchters,' and political partisanship well-nigh led to their extinction. The feuds with the neighbouring Hepburns and Edmonstons were the occasion of many unhappy conflicts, while their adhesion to the cause of Queen Mary for a time brought ruin on the family. Professor Aytoun, in his poem of 'Bothwell,' referring to Bothwell's attempt to intercept the Queen on her way from Stirling and carry her to Dunbar Castle, says:—

'Hay, bid the trumpets sound the march,
Go, Bolton, to the van;
Young Niddrie follows with the rear;
Set forward every man.'

The estate of Niddrie is quite close to Craigmillar Castle, where Mary frequently resided, and in all probability the fascination of her character brought the Wauchopes into frequent contact with her, and led them to espouse her cause when many of the leaders of the Scottish nobility had declared against her. We find, therefore, that Robert Wauchope and his son Archibald are mentioned in the 'charge agains personis denuncit rebellis' in June 1587. This Archibald appears to have been a youth of wonderful pugnacity, and to have got himself continually involved in trouble with the authorities for breaches of the peace, out of which he as often extricated himself, with no little cleverness. Once, in 1588, for an attempted 'slauchter' of 'umquhile James Giffert, and Johne Edmonston,' the adjoining laird, he was arrested, tried, and warded in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh; but 'no pardoun being granted' by the king, 'and about a thousand persouns in the Tolbuith waiting upon the event, the candles were put furth about ellevin houres at night, and Nidrie and his complices escaped out at the windowes.' It is a curious reflection upon the Wauchopes of this time that their name should be associated with the wild Clan Gregor of Perthshire as disturbers of the peace. King James VI. was married in 1590 to the Princess Anne of Denmark. On the 1st May the king and queen landed at Leith, amid a great concourse of loyal subjects, 'and with volleys of cannon, and orations in their welcome.' James had been absent from Scotland more than six months, and it was remarked at the time, and came to be memorable afterwards, that these months were a time of universal peace and good order in Scotland. 'The only notable exceptions,' according to Spottiswood, 'had been a riot in Edinburgh by Wauchope of Niddry, and an outbreak of the Clan Gregor in Balquhidder.'

In connection with this, we find Wauchope charged by the Privy Council (7th January 1590), 'along with all other keepers of the places and fortalices of Rossyth and Nudry,' to deliver the same to the officer executing these letters, within six hours after charge, under penalty of treason; the said officer to fence the goods and rents belonging to Wauchope, which are ordered to remain under arrest at the instance of the King's Treasurer, 'aye and quhill he be tryit foule or clene of sic crymes quharof he is dilaitet.'

Attack on Holyroodhouse

Not to mention other scrapes of a similar kind, Archibald Wauchope was implicated in the attack on the palace of Holyroodhouse, 27th December 1591, and for this and other misdemeanours he was forfeited, along with the Earl of Bothwell and others, and had to leave the country for a time. He afterwards came to an untimely end by falling from a window in Skinner's Close in Edinburgh, about the year 1596.

It was apparently about this period that the old house or tower of Niddrie Marischal—'so commodious that it could garrison a hundred men'—was destroyed by the enemies of the family.

For some years the estate was in the hands of Sir James Sandilands of Slamannan, until 1608, when, through the good graces of James VI., it was restored to Francis, son of Archibald Wauchope, a restitution which was confirmed by Act of Parliament in 1609. Francis (usually styled Sir Francis Wauchope) appears to have done a good deal for the estate, but his son, Sir John Wauchope, may be regarded as the chief restorer of the house of Niddrie. He was frugal in his living, and he added several adjoining properties to the estate by purchase, and received the honour of knighthood from Charles I. on his visit to Scotland in 1633. He was an intimate friend of the notorious Duke of Lauderdale in their younger days, living with him, and spoken of as 'his bed-fellow.'

Sir John exercised great judgment in the management of his affairs; so much so, that in 1661 he acquired by purchase the border estate of Yetholm or Lochtour, in Roxburghshire, which has remained in the family ever since. He was present in London at the coronation of Charles II.; in 1663 he was elected a member of the Scottish Parliament, and one of the Committee for the Plantation of Kirks; and in 1678 was a member of the Convention of Estates.

Other lairds appear in succession as the years rolled on. There are Williams, Andrews, Gilberts, Roberts, following one another as the leaves succeed in the spring to those that have fallen in the autumn, but it is not our purpose to follow their story. One fought and fell at Killiecrankie with Viscount Dundee in 1689; another fought for the Stuarts at the Revolution, and afterwards rose to high command in the French and Spanish services; and though the Wauchopes took no active part in the Stuart risings of 1715 and 1745, their sympathies were all for the exiled race.

In Niddrie House there are to be seen full-length portraits of Charles I. and his queen; four small half-lengths of the Chevalier and his consort, and their two sons, Prince Charles Edward and the Cardinal York, as boys. These are understood to have been forwarded direct from the Chevalier himself to the Niddrie family as an acknowledgment of their loyalty, and the assistance—pecuniary and otherwise—which the royal line of Stuart had received at their hands.

A 'Minden' hero

To come to more recent times, we find that Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie—the great-grandfather of the subject of our sketch, born about the year 1736—was a captain in the First Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and fought at the battle of Minden in Westphalia, where in 1759 the French were defeated by an army of Anglo-Hanoverian troops. He lived to a good old age, for it was he who was alluded to by Sir Walter Scott in the ballad written on the occasion of the visit of George IV. to Scotland in 1822:—

Come, stately Niddrie, auld and true,
Girt with the sword that Minden knew;
We have owre few sic lairds as you,
Carle, now the King's come.

This Andrew Wauchope married, in 1786, Alicia, daughter of William Baird, Newbyth, and sister of the celebrated Sir David Baird, the hero of Seringapatam, who a few years afterwards—in 1805—commanded the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope which, after a decisive victory over the Dutch, received, on 6th January 1806, the surrender of the colony to Great Britain. There were nine children of this marriage, five boys and four girls. The eldest, Andrew, was killed in 1813 at the battle of the Pyrenees while in command of the 20th Regiment of Foot, and so the second son, William, succeeded to the property, old Andrew Wauchope having resigned it in his favour in 1817, retaining for himself the liferent.

William Wauchope, who had the year before married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Robert Baird of Newbyth, and niece of the then Marchioness of Breadalbane, was a lieutenant-colonel in the army. Curiously enough, William's younger brother, Admiral Robert Wauchope, was stationed at Cape Town at the beginning of the century, where he resided for many years with his wife. They knew the Dutch well, and were on the most friendly terms with both Dutch and English settlers in the colony.

William Wauchope died in 1826, leaving a family of two, the eldest of whom, Andrew Wauchope, born in 1818, being then a minor, succeeded to the property. His sister, Hersey Susan Sydney, was married in 1842 to George Elliot, captain, Royal Navy, eldest son of the Hon. Admiral Elliot. Andrew Wauchope, the father of the subject of our memoir, was for a time in the army—an officer in the dragoons; but, being of a delicate constitution, he retired after his marriage to reside at Niddrie, where he was long known and respected as a kind and indulgent landlord, ever ready to give a helping hand to his tenants or to religious and philanthropic objects. He did a great deal towards completing the extensive improvements begun by his father on the house and grounds of Niddrie.

The newer part of the house, forming the north-east wing, was erected by William Wauchope about seventy-five years ago. It contains some handsome apartments, and it is interesting to note that the celebrated Hugh Miller, when a lad, was employed (in 1823) as a mason at the work, and is said to have carved a number of the ornamental chimneys which form a distinctive feature of a most picturesque edifice. What the father began, the son ultimately completed. The park was extended, new approaches and avenues were formed, lodges erected, and gardens and vineries laid out—the whole place being transformed into one of the most beautiful country seats to be found in the county of Midlothian. These somewhat extensive works, resumed by the father of the General about the year 1850, were steadily carried on year by year until his death, 22nd November 1874, for he took much pride in the work, and made it his life hobby.

Sir William Wallace

So far this brief genealogy of General Wauchope's family has been traced through the male line, but it would be incomplete and lacking in public interest, did we not also refer to his descent on the female side from the family of Sir William Wallace, the champion of Scottish freedom. This interesting connection is traced to James Wauchope, the grandfather of the 'Minden' hero. In 1710 he married Jane, daughter of Sir William Wallace, Bart, of Craigie, near Ayr, whose eldest son, Andrew, succeeded his cousin in 1726, and in his line the property has remained to the present time.

Niddrie Marishchal, Front View

Over the fireplace of the dining-room of Niddrie House there is a painting on canvas inserted in panelling said to be a portrait of 'Wallace Wight.' It has been in possession of the family for nearly two hundred years, being mentioned in various inventories of the property from the year 1707. An interesting notice of it appeared in James Paterson's Wallace and his Times, and the family tradition is that it is a genuine portrait of the hero, the words inscribed above the likeness, 'Gvl: Wallas: Scotvs: Host: ivm: Terror,' certainly giving colour to the supposition. We are more inclined to think, however, that the portrait represents one of the more immediate ancestors of the Jane Wallace who brought the connection into the family—probably Sir William Wallace of Craigie, who distinguished himself as a loyalist in the civil wars. It certainly came into the family through the marriage of James Wauchope in 1710 with Jane, daughter of Sir William Wallace of Craigie, and if it does not represent the champion of Scottish independence, it is from the same source as a similar portrait preserved at Priory Lodge, Cheltenham, in the hands of a descendant of the Craigie-Wallace family.

It was when he was serving with his regiment at Monaghan, in Ireland, that the father of General Wauchope first met his future wife, Frances Maria, daughter of Henry Lloyd of Lloydsburgh, County Tipperary. They were married on 26th March 1840, and two sons and two daughters were the issue of the marriage. These were—

1. William John Wauchope, born in September 1841.

2. Harriet Elizabeth Frances, afterwards married to Lord Ventry of County Kerry, Ireland, by whom she has issue, five sons and four daughters, of whom her daughter, the Hon Hersey Alice Eveleigh-De-Moleyne, is the present Countess of Hopetoun.

3. Andrew Gilbert, the subject of our story, born at Niddrie on 5th July 1846.

4. Hersey Josephine Frances Mary, now residing in London.

A typical Scotsman, loyal to the backbone to the land of his birth, Andrew Gilbert Wauchope had always a warm corner in his heart for Ireland, and was ever ready to acknowledge, and indeed to boast of, his Irish extraction. Combining as he did much of the canniness of the Scot with that steady-going determination of purpose and fearlessness in danger peculiar to his countrymen, he displayed the Irish side of his character in that generous light-heartedness and impulsive good nature which often led him into self-denying deeds of kindness, and now and again into trouble. General Wauchope was, as we have seen, the heir to no mean family traditions. The record of the Wauchopes is one of patriotic energy through five or six hundred years of stirring Scottish history, many of them years of turmoil and strife; and the warlike spirit of the fathers, as well as their more peaceful characteristics, may be found not infrequently imaged in this last scion of the race.

CHAPTER II

CHILDHOOD—EARLY TENDENCIES—THE 'HOUSEHOLD TROOP'—EDUCATION—NAVAL TRAINING—THE 'BRITANNIA'—THE 'ST. GEORGE'—PRINCE ALFRED.

General Wauchope's boyhood was spent mostly at Niddrie, with occasional short visits in summer to the other property of the family at Yetholm, among the pastoral Cheviot hills.

A high-spirited, frolicsome boy, delighting in the open air and every kind of outdoor sport, 'Andy,' as he was familiarly called, found scope for his energies in the beautifully wooded park surrounding the house. Bird-nesting, rabbit-catching, and fishing in the burn which meanders through the estate, found him an ardent enthusiast, but often brought him into trouble with his father and mother. His bird-nesting feats, prosecuted with all the zest of a professional poacher, often resulted in the dislocation of his clothes, and shoes and stockings too often betrayed the fact that friendly visits to the burn were more frequent and prolonged than ought to be. Many a time Andy was thus in a sore plight. Drenched and torn, he would go to the kindly gardener's wife, to get the rents in his jacket sewed, his stockings changed, and his shoes dried, before venturing into the family presence. In his adventures over the property, the burn was never a barrier to his progress. It was the same with hedges, ditches, or stone walls. If he wanted to reach a certain point, he made a straight road to it over every obstacle.

Youthful tendencies

But the limits of the park did not always satisfy his roving desires. He soon made himself acquainted with the surroundings of his home. Craigmillar Castle was a favourite resort on the one side; the beach at Portobello gave him a taste for the sea and aquatic exercise; while the neighbouring little village of Niddrie was not long in making his acquaintance. Here he was known to every one, for Andy made himself at home in every cottage; and if the boys stood in some awe of him, and mothers blamed him for sending their sons home with their clothes torn, or their noses bleeding, still, for all that, he was always welcomed among them, sometimes with a 'jeelie' (jelly) piece or a new-baked scone!

Many a frolic he and the boys of the village were engaged in, if all tales were told, and sometimes Andy got credit for more than he deserved. Boys will be boys, but his boyhood early showed the spirit of the man, for to have a number of country boys together, and put them through military drill, was the height of his delight. He was a born leader, and he doubtless imbibed his love of soldiering from the frequent opportunities he had of seeing military manoeuvres in the Queen's Park, or more likely on Portobello sands, where at that time there was a great deal of drilling, both of the regulars and of the yeomanry cavalry. That the military instinct revealed itself early may be gathered from the following:—One day the village dominie, worthy old Mr. Savage, looking out of the school door across the road, saw the youthful form of Andy—then about seven or eight years old—on the top of the high boundary wall of his father's park, which at that place is nearly nine feet high. 'What are you doing up there?' shouted the dominie; 'get down at once, you young rascal, or you'll get killed!' But Andy only waved his hand as he shouted back, 'It's all right, Mr. Savage: I'm only viewing the enemy,' and off he scampered along the top of the wall!

Andy's 'household troop' was not a large one, but it sufficed. With Tom and Jim, the gardener's sons, and their sisters, Jess and Bella, assisted by a few male and female recruits from among the children of the other workers, with his sister Fanny and his cousins Elizabeth and Nina Elliot, now Lady Northesk and Mrs. J. Dacre Butler respectively—one of whom carried the banner, and another the drum—the youthful general managed to make a fair show. He drilled them well, and was naturally very proud of them. One day there happened to be company at the house. Andy, anxious to display his forces, marched them up to the front door, and there, seated on his little black pony 'Donald,' he put them through their facings, to the great entertainment of the visitors. He was not content with this, however. He must needs take the place by storm, and so, putting himself at the head of his troop, he gave the word of command, 'Forward, march!' and actually marched them into the hall, and through the dining-room to the terrace at the back of the house, bravely leading them on his pony!

The ice-house stood in the park not very far from the house. It was a vaulted chamber covered with turf, forming externally a mound which made a capital fort. Many a time was it the scene of mimic warfare, its defence or assault giving splendid scope for the youthful general's military genius,—brilliant attacks being as brilliantly defeated without any great loss of life!

Sometimes 'Andy's' attacks took a wider range, and nocturnal escapades of a frolicking nature are said to have been not infrequent. It is told of him that having gathered a few of the village boys together, they made a raid one night upon the workshop of the village joiner, and took away a number of odd cart-wheels lying about in the yard. These they fastened to the doors of some of the cottages, where they were found next morning, much to the surprise of the inmates, who had some difficulty in getting egress from their houses! Nobody, of course, could tell who was to blame; but, as our informant remarked, 'They a' kent wha did it: it was just some o' Maister Andra's mischief.'

One old woman in the village, whose temper was not very good, and who laboured under the conviction that her hen-house was from time to time robbed of its roosters, had made herself somewhat obnoxious, and it was determined to give her a real fright. So one evening, after all decent folks were supposed to be in bed, Andy and his company slipped quietly round to the hen-house, and presently there was a great commotion and cackling among the feathered occupants. The old lady in her bed heard it all, but was too frightened to come to the rescue. She was certain, however, that some of her favourite hens had been taken, and next day she went up to the laird at the big house to complain, and to ask compensation. Andy was with his father when the old woman was laying off her story, but betrayed no signs of his complicity in the transaction, wisely preferring to keep his own counsel in the matter. Of course the boys had taken none of her property. They only wanted to play a trick upon her.

Andy was, however, not a boy who would perpetrate any wilful mischief, or do anything that would cause pain. He hated cruelty, and once when he was accused of having killed the cat of an old servant of the family, who lived as a pensioner in the village, he heard the accusation with the greatest indignation. Going at once to Mary's house he strongly asserted his innocence, telling her with all earnestness, 'I'd rather shoot myself, as shoot your cat, Mary.'

Very early in life he evinced a strong desire to share in the sport of the hunting-field. His father would not, however, hear of it, and refused to allow him to get a proper rig-out. But Master Andrew was not to be balked in his ambition, for one morning, getting into a pair of his father's top-boots, many sizes too large for him, and securing the biggest horse in the stables, he boldly set off for the hunt. The appearance of such a mite with boots that would scarcely keep on his feet, on the back of a big hunter, created great laughter among the county gentry at the meet.

Early education

During these early years of Wauchope's life, so free from restraint, his education was being carried on at home under a tutor. At the age of eleven he was sent to a school at Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, but he did not remain there very long. He had a hankering for active life, and specially for the sea. It was accordingly resolved to prepare him for entering the navy as a midshipman, and he was sent to Foster's School, Stubbington House, Gosport. His experience here was also a short one, and was marked by an incident characteristic of his spirit of adventure and faithfulness to obligations; though in this case we must say the latter virtue was rather misapplied, and it might well be said 'his faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.' The boys at Foster's, evidently wanting to vary the monotony of school life—perhaps none of the brightest—thought it would be a good lark if one would run away from the school, and they resolved to draw lots who it should be. The lot fell upon young Andy Wauchope, and, like the loyal lad he was, he resolutely stuck to the agreement and ran off from the school, but of course he was promptly brought back by his people, and no doubt received the just reward of his frolic!

He used to say long afterwards that he had only been at two schools when he was a boy. 'At one of them he was said to be the best boy in the school, but at the other he was the very worst!'

With what would now be considered a very inadequate training, young Wauchope was on the 10th September 1859 entered as a naval cadet on board Her Majesty's ship Britannia, there to pick up in the rough school of a sailor's life that knowledge of the world, and particularly of his naval duties, which books and schooling had denied him. At the same time, though deprived of the advantages of Eton or Harrow, or any of the Scottish Universities, he had a much better gift than education—an immense natural shrewdness, and a persevering application, which afterwards made him a good French and German scholar. Among his shipmates on the Britannia he was a general favourite. He was only thirteen years of age, but appears to have been a plucky little fellow, full of life and fun, and quite capable of standing up for himself, or for a friend if need be; and in the thirteen months of his service in the ship he made several lifelong friendships. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, writing to us of that period, mentions that he and Wauchope joined the navy about the same time. 'I remember,' he says, 'our chests were close together in the Britannia. We separated when we went to sea, but we never lost the friendship we formed in the Britannia. We met often in different parts of the world, and I always found him the same sterling, honest, strong, and chivalrous friend, whose splendid characteristics had so impressed me as a boy. I have always regarded his friendship for me with sentiments of pride. He was very proud of being a Scotsman, and being an Irishman myself, we had many arguments—as boys will have—as to which nation possessed the most interesting personalities. We agreed cordially on every other point, but never once on this. The nation has lost one of its best in poor Andy Wauchope.' There are doubtless others of his Britannia shipmates surviving who could give similar testimony.

Enters the Navy

On the 5th October 1860, Wauchope received his discharge from the Britannia, and was entered as a midshipman on board H.M.S. St. George, and he mentions himself with what pride and satisfaction he found himself on that autumn day walking down the main street of Portsmouth in his new uniform to join the St. George. 'It was one of the happiest days of my life,' he says; 'a day in which I felt myself identified as an officer in Her Majesty's service, more particularly as on the way down to the harbour I was met and saluted by one of the marines.'

The St. George was manned by eight hundred men, and in 1860 was considered a well-equipped vessel, and as compared with the days of Nelson and Collingwood showed a great advance in naval strength and efficiency. At Trafalgar the biggest gun in the whole British fleet was only a fifty-six pounder, but the St. George had in addition to a number of that calibre several sixty-eight pounders, while her speed of ten knots an hour was considered highly satisfactory. Though these equipments would not bear comparison with present-day standards, the young midshipman was proud of his ship and proud of the service, and in after years could with no little exultation honestly say that, 'though armaments had changed, the hearts of oak remained as of yore; while the old red rag, which had withstood the battle and the breeze for a thousand years, was still able to claim the allegiance of its people.'

H.R.H. Prince Alfred

Wauchope's commanding officer on board the St. George was Captain the Hon. Francis Egerton—whose son, Commander Egerton, was killed at Ladysmith in November 1899—and among his brother officers were H.R.H. Prince Alfred, afterwards the Duke of Edinburgh, and latterly known as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, and Admiral Sir Robert Harris, now Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope station.

The St. George was commissioned at Portsmouth, and was transferred to Devonport early in 1861. She was then one of the noblest and most imposing-looking ships of the service, having the year before been thoroughly overhauled and converted from a one hundred and twenty gun ship to one of ninety guns. As a three-decker sailing ship she was considered one of the finest fighting vessels afloat, and her conversion to a steamship of the line had been attended with the most successful results. She was selected by Prince Albert for his son, the youthful Prince Alfred, who joined her as a midshipman a few months after Wauchope—on the 16th January 1861—as she lay in Plymouth Sound, under orders for a cruise to the British North American Stations and the West India Islands.

The greater part of the year seems to have been spent in and about Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, which became a centre for cruises in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Canadian ports. We have it on the authority of several of those who were midshipmen with the Prince, that they were a jovial, happy company, all on the most friendly terms with one another. The Prince, who was very fond of 'Andy,' as he was always called, showed him particular friendship, and the affection which as boys and shipmates they formed then continued more or less in later years.

The Prince came back to England in the month of August to spend a short holiday with his parents at Balmoral, but rejoined his ship, which was lying at Halifax, in October. His return was welcomed by his mates and by the citizens of that town; and the Governor, the Earl of Mulgrave, entertained His Royal Highness and the officers of the St. George at a state dinner on the eve of their departure for a cruise to Bermuda. Among the sunny islands of the South the ship and her crew were everywhere received with the utmost enthusiasm, the black and white population alike vying with each other in their demonstrations of loyalty; but the sudden death of the Prince Consort at the end of December compelled the return home for a time of Prince Alfred, who left his ship at Halifax on receipt of the sad news, with every expression of sympathy from his brother officers. In the spring of 1862 Wauchope's ship paid another visit to the West India Islands, taking up her station for some weeks with other six ships of the line at Bermuda, where the young 'middies' were entertained to a continued round of amusements and excursions.

A seafaring life, if often one of risks and toil, has its seasons of enforced idleness. Midshipmen's amusements and practical jokes are proverbial, and the quarter-deck of the St. George was not always free of them. Many pranks were played upon one another in idle hours by these sprightly young officers, leading sometimes to reprimands by their superiors; and young Andy Wauchope did not always escape the suspicion that he was an active leader in such ploys. It has even been hinted that he had on one occasion the pluck—or, shall we say, audacity?—to have a stand-up fight with the Queen's son. We do not vouch for the story; but of this we are certain, that, if he had a just cause of quarrel, he was not the boy to let even the prestige of royalty stand between him and the punishment due to the aggressor, whoever he might be.

Some years afterwards, in the winter of 1863-64, when Prince Alfred resided at Holyrood Palace, and was a student of Edinburgh University, he paid a friendly visit to his old shipmate at Niddrie, spending the day in pigeon-shooting. He and a number of his friends arrived in the forenoon on horseback, and the identity of the party not having been made known to the keeper of the Niddrie toll, through which they had to pass to reach the house, he peremptorily insisted upon payment. But being told that it was the Queen's son going to see the laird, his loyalty so much got the better of him that he would not take a copper.

After luncheon the party adjourned to the park to have some shooting. Mr. Wauchope, 'Andy's' father, was with them, and was persuaded to try a shot, but unfortunately the piece went off in his hand before he could take aim, and one of the footmen in attendance was hit in the arm by the charge. Mr. Wauchope was so distressed over the accident that he vowed he would never again take a gun in his hand.

ANDREW WAUCHOPE, Midshipman, Age 14.

But it was not in the navy that young Wauchope was destined to distinguish himself. It has been said that the severity and even harshness of the naval discipline gave him a distaste of the service, and drove him from it. Possibly some remarks he made on one occasion as to his having been unjustly punished for some petty offence may have given some colour to this supposition. We rather incline to accept the explanation of a brother officer, who asked him afterwards why he left the navy. His reply was, 'for no reason except that his father wished him, and that his father desired that he should have a naval training before he entered the army.'

The St. George

The experience gained at sea was certainly not lost, for his father's wisdom furnished him with a dual equipment which in after years was not infrequently of value. The injustice of the punishment he received when in the St. George, whatever it may have been, certainly impressed itself upon him to this extent, that later in life he made it a rule never to punish a soldier until thoroughly satisfied of his guilt, and he always was inclined to give a man the benefit of a doubt.

The St. George returned home in the beginning of July 1862 from her long cruise in American waters, and with her return young Wauchope closed his naval career. The official Admiralty record simply states that 'on the 3rd of July 1862 Midshipman Wauchope was discharged from the service at his own request, in order that he might qualify for the army.' His whole naval experience, therefore, covered a period of scarcely three years, but it gave him a knowledge of men and things, and a knowledge of the world, better, perhaps, than any study of books could afford.

CHAPTER III

ENTERS THE ARMY—THE BLACK WATCH—ASHANTI WAR—RETURN HOME—BANQUET AT PORTOBELLO.

Young Wauchope had not long to wait for a commission. At that time positions in the army could only be got by purchase and strong influence, but he was fortunate in being enrolled as ensign, in November 1865, in the 42nd Highlanders, one of the most popular and distinguished of Scottish regiments, and familiarly known as the 'Black Watch.' He was only nineteen years of age at the time when he joined the regiment at Stirling Castle, and is described by one of his superiors as then 'a merry, rollicking lad, full of life and fun.' 'Andy,' as he used to be called by the officers, and 'Red Mick' more frequently by the men, was a general favourite; and, notwithstanding his natural lightness of heart, he had soundness of brain and judgment enough to know that promotion would only come to him by diligent study and close application to his profession. His commanding officer, Sir John M'Leod, appears, at all events, to have been struck with the young man's energy of character and indefatigable 'go,' for he describes him as at that time 'a particularly energetic young lad, who thought nothing of walking from Stirling to Niddrie to see his old father whenever he could get a few days' leave at a week-end.' This, he explains, was not at all from motives of economy, 'but merely to walk off superfluous energy.' Assiduous in the matter of drill, Wauchope soon became as proficient as his instructor, for he took a thorough pleasure in the exercise. The innate smartness and recklessness of the red-polled ensign at once endeared him to a grave old Crimean drill-sergeant, who forthwith charged himself with his training. Concerning this latest accession to the commissioned strength of the Black Watch, the man of stripes was wont to say—'That red-headed Wauchope chap will either gang tae the deil, or he'll dee Commander-in-Chief!'

The Black Watch

Though the worthy sergeant's prediction has in neither case been verified, young Wauchope, though at first inclined to consider his superiors a trifle slow, soon fell into the steady sober ways of the 42nd, then as now noted for the gentlemanly conduct of its officers, and the upright character of its rank and file. 'Step out, shentlemens; step out. You're all shentlemens here; if you're not shentlemens in the Black Watch, you'll not be shentlemens anywhere.' Such was the opinion of their old Highland sergeant as he put them through their drill. We have been told that at that time one might be a year among the officers and never hear an oath uttered, while smoking and drinking were scarcely known. Wauchope was thus fortunate in being, at a critical period of his life, associated with men who shunned what was vulgar, and whose influence over him was for good. In military matters he early manifested the inquiring mind. Points in drill or tactics, which he might not at first understand, set him thinking, and he would not rest till he got an explanation of their meaning and object. Captain Christie, then adjutant of the Black Watch, lately governor of Edinburgh Prison, was early taken into the young ensign's confidence in difficulties of this kind. Having been through the hard fighting and the terrible scenes of the Indian Mutiny, the captain was made frequently to 'fight his battles o'er again,' explaining the methods and tactics by which decisive results were attained in the various engagements. Never what may be called a great reader of books, Wauchope had two, however, placed in his hand by his adjutant when in Stirling Castle, which he studied assiduously. These two books—Macaulay's Essays and Burke's French Revolution—he read and re-read, borrowing them several times, and there is little doubt that the perusal of them made a deep and lasting impression upon his mind, going a long way towards the formation of that strong political sagacity, administrative ability in civil affairs, and military genius which were displayed on many occasions in his after-life.

In 1867 Wauchope went to Hythe, where he passed in the Military School of Instruction first-class in musketry, and in June of that year was promoted to be lieutenant. So proficient was he found in the matter of drill that, in spite of his youth, he was appointed to the important position of adjutant to the regiment in 1870, though still retaining the rank of lieutenant, a position which he held with the utmost credit for the next three years. During this time he served successively with the 42nd in garrison duty at Edinburgh, Aldershot, and Devonport.

Leaving Edinburgh in 1869 by the transport Orontes, from Granton to Portsmouth, the regiment reached Aldershot camp on the 12th November, and was stationed there for two and a half years. After taking a part in the Autumn Manoeuvres at Dartmoor in August 1873, they were stationed for a few months at the Clarence Barracks, Portsmouth. His duties during all these years were of the most arduous and trying description, but his singularly lovable and attractive nature made him so many friends that difficulties disappeared before his cheerful countenance. Speaking of this period in his career, Colonel Bayly, afterwards his commanding officer, says—'It was very early in his subaltern career that Wauchope was voted for the appointment of adjutant, and he made one of the best that had ever been appointed. His charm of disposition enabled him to gain the love of his men, whilst his tact and firmness enabled him to enforce the necessary discipline.'

Ashanti war

On the outbreak of the Ashanti war on the west coast of Africa in the autumn of 1873, young Lieutenant Wauchope found his first opportunity, in active foreign service, of showing the metal of which he was made.

The king of Ashanti—Koffee Kalcallee—the head of a strong warlike kingdom on the north of the Gold Coast, had long asserted his authority over the neighbouring provinces of Akim, Assin, Gaman, and Denkira, down to the very coast where the Dutch and English had settlements. The transfer, in 1872, of the Dutch possessions adjoining Cape Coast Castle to Great Britain for certain commercial privileges, gave King Koffee of Ashanti the opportunity for asserting what he considered his lawful authority over the Fantees or adjoining coast tribe. This, however, was only a covert excuse for striking a blow at British rule on the Gold Coast, and in January 1873 an army of 60,000 warriors—and the Ashantis, though cruel, are brave and warlike—was in full march upon Cape Coast Castle and Elmina. The British force on the spot under Colonel Harley was only a thousand men, mainly West India troops and Haussa police, with a few marines; and though the neighbouring friendly tribes, whose interest it was to remain under the British protectorate, raised a large contingent for their own defence, this was a force that could not be relied on. By the month of April the Ashantis had crossed the river Prah, the southern limit of their kingdom, and were within a few miles of Cape Coast Castle, and matters were looking serious. With the aid of a small reinforcement of marines, the enemy were fortunately kept at bay until the 2nd October, when a strong force arrived from England, which turned the tide against King Koffee, and ultimately swept him and his warriors back upon his capital. This expedition, under Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff and a body of five hundred sailors and marines, not only held their own, but by the end of November, after much hard preliminary work, had forced the king to retreat to Kumasi. Wolseley, finding the expedition a more arduous one than was at first expected, had meantime asked for further reinforcements, and on the 4th December the Black Watch, accompanied by a considerable number of volunteers from the 79th, left Portsmouth, arriving on 4th January 1874 at their destination. Sir Garnet had now at his disposal a force consisting of the 23rd, 42nd, and 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, detachments of Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Royal Marines, which, with native levies, formed a small but effective army wherewith to advance into the enemy's country.

This was no light task, more especially when the dangerous nature of the climate is taken into account, and the necessity there was that the enterprise should be accomplished, if at all, before the rainy season, with all its concomitant malaria, set in. To pierce into the heart of a country like Ashanti, with its marshes and matted forests, its pathless jungles and fetid swamps, with a cunning foe ever dogging their steps, was the service imposed on this brave little army of British. As Lord Derby remarked at the time, this was to be 'an engineers' and doctors' war.' Roads had to be made, bridges built, telegraphs set up, and camps formed. But by the energy and skill of General Wolseley, ably supported by such men as Captain (now Sir) Redvers Buller, Colonel (afterwards Sir John) N'Neil, Lieut.-Colonel (afterwards Sir Evelyn) Wood, Colonel (now Sir John) M'Leod, and others who have since risen to distinction in the army, the enterprise was successfully and brilliantly accomplished within a month. The Ashantis were forced back upon their own territory in a number of engagements, until at last their capital was seized and burned to the ground.

Wauchope's black boys

Lieutenant Wauchope's share in this expedition was highly creditable to his bravery and military skill. Accompanying Sir Garnet Wolseley at an early stage of the struggle, as one of the staff, he resigned his adjutantship of the Black Watch, and was afterwards fortunate in obtaining special employment as a commander of one of the native regiments formed at Cape Coast Castle, namely, Russell's regiment of Haussas, the Winnebah Company. To form such crude material into a well-disciplined body of soldiers seemed at first a well-nigh hopeless undertaking. Their fear made cowards of them all. The very sight of a gun terrified them, and for long they held their arms in such superstitious dread, that they would hang them up in the trees and actually worship them. But Wauchope's admirable drilling qualifications stood him in good stead. He took, we are told, a great pride in the training of his 'black boys,' as he called them, and infused into them much of his own daring spirit. This appointment separated him for a time from his own regiment, but on the Black Watch arriving afterwards at the Gold Coast, he had frequent opportunities of fighting by their side.

In the advanced guard, the 42d Regiment and Russell's Haussas, under Colonel M'Leod, having crossed the Adansi hills, reached Prah-su on the 30th January, and occupied a position about two miles from the Ashanti main position at Amoaful. Surmounting innumerable difficulties, and carrying all before them, the Highlanders by their dash and intrepidity were a splendid example to those led by Wauchope, who sometimes had difficulty in inspiring his men with courage enough to face their much-dreaded enemy. In scouting and clearing the ground his men were, however, invaluable, and if we consider the dense undergrowth that covered the country traversed, this was a work of great importance. By one traveller we are told 'the country hereabout (at Amoaful) is one dense mass of brush, penetrated by a few narrow lanes, where the ground, hollowed by rains, is so uneven and steep at the sides as to give scanty footing. A passenger between the two walls of foliage may wander for hours before he finds that he has mistaken the path. To cross the country from one narrow clearing to another, axes and knives must be used at every step. There is no looking over the hedge in this oppressive and bewildering maze.' It was in such a position as this that the battle of Amoaful was fought. The enemy's army was never seen in open order, but its numbers are reported by Ashantis to have been from fifteen to twenty thousand. After a stubborn day's fight in the entanglement of the forest, the Ashantis were finally defeated with great loss.

Attack on Kumasi

On the 1st February, the day following this important engagement, orders were issued for an attack upon Becquah, towards which Captain Buller and Lord Gifford scouted at daybreak. The attack was intrusted to Sir Archibald Alison, who had under his orders the Naval Brigade, one gun and one rocket detachment, Rait's Artillery, detachment of Royal Engineers, with labourers, 23rd Fusiliers, five companies of 42nd Highlanders, and Russell's regiment of Haussas, with scouts. This force was divided into an advanced guard and main body, and Wauchope was again honoured with the post of danger, his regiment of Haussas being in the advanced guard along with the Naval Brigade and Rail's Artillery, all under the command of Colonel M'Leod. After a toilsome march through the bush under a tropical sun, the town of Becquah was reached, and a sharp but decisive engagement took place, the main brunt of which fell upon Lord Gifford's scouts and the Haussas. Still pressing on, the intrepid little army, through many mazy trampings, arrived at Jarbinbah, every inch of the ground being disputed by the enemy. Here Wauchope was wounded in the chest by a slug fired down upon him from one of the tall trees in the swampy ground in front of an ambuscade; but, serious enough though it was, and causing much loss of blood, it did not prevent him sticking to his post and looking after his 'black boys.' After this battle King Koffee sent in a letter to Sir Garnet Wolseley, with vague promises of an indemnity, hoping to prevent the invading army approaching his capital; but his previous prevarications did not admit of his tardy proposals being for a moment entertained. The king, realising this, resolved to dispute the passage of the river Ordah. The stream was about fifty feet wide, and waist-deep, and the enemy, to the number of at least 10,000 men, were posted on the further side. Russell's regiment of Haussas was, on the afternoon of the 3rd February, at once passed to the other side of the stream as a covering party to the Engineers, who were ordered to throw over a bridge. They rapidly made entrenchments, and cleared the ground on the north side, so that the whole advanced guard might successfully cross. In this affair Lieutenant Wauchope acquitted himself with much coolness and bravery, notwithstanding his wounded state, Colonel M'Leod reporting the regiment as 'being in front the whole day, and having behaved with remarkable steadiness under trying circumstances, reserving their fire with remarkable self-control.' This shows a decided improvement in the discipline of Wauchope's 'black boys' from a former despatch, where their firing was characterised as 'wild.' By daybreak on the morning of the 4th February the bridge over the Ordah was completed, amid drenching rain, which had continued all night, and the whole available force was successfully passed over in spite of the vigorous resistance of the Ashantis, who, with drums beating and great shouting, were endeavouring to circle round the British. 'For the first half-mile from the river the path rose tolerably even,' says one report; 'then after a rapid descent it passed along a narrow ridge with a ravine on each side; dipped again deeply, and then finally rose into the village. To the south-west of the village, extending almost to the village itself, and for a considerable distance along the road, the enemy had made a clearing of several acres, by cutting down a plantain-grove. Colonel M'Leod steadily advanced along the main road under cover of a gun, after a few rounds from which the Rifles made a corresponding advance; then the gun was brought up again, and another advance made; and in this manner the village was at last reached and carried.' The Ashantis fought well, and with a vigour and pertinacity which won the praise and admiration of the Highlanders. The soldiers were put to their mettle, and even the Haussas, as if catching the fierce courage of the Scotsmen, laboured with vigour and energy not eclipsed by any in the field. The dislodgment of the enemy was not effected, however, without considerable loss, Lieutenant Eyre being killed, while Wauchope received a second severe wound, this time on the shoulder.

Kumasi captured

The battle virtually decided the fate of Kumasi and King Koffee. On the news of the defeat of his army the king fled, no one knew whither, and the victorious General Wolseley, with his troops, entered the blood-stained capital in the evening. Attempts were made to negotiate with the king. He preferred to keep in hiding, and after two days' stay in his capital in order, if possible, to compel him to come to terms, it was at length resolved to destroy the place and at once retire to Cape Coast Castle. Kumasi was burned to the ground on the 6th February, and the British troops having accomplished their purpose retraced their steps, and notwithstanding the swollen state of the rivers—for the rainy season had just set in—their destination was reached in twelve days. No time was lost in getting the troops out of the influence of the deadly climate, and accordingly by the 4th March the whole expeditionary force was embarked for home.

Wauchope's wounds, thanks to a good constitution, readily healed, and by the time of his arrival at Portsmouth he was fairly convalescent, though every effort made to extract the slug had been unsuccessful. He left his favourite Haussas—his 'black boys'—with every manifestation of regret, at Cape Coast Castle. Nor was the regret only on his side, for we learn from one of his brother officers that 'they looked up to him as a father, and would willingly have followed him through any danger, even to death itself.'

Home again

For his conspicuous bravery in the various engagements in Ashanti, Sir Garnet Wolseley's despatches brought Wauchope under the favourable notice of the Government, and he was awarded the Ashanti medal and clasp. On the return of the troops, they were received with the utmost enthusiasm, commanders and men being fêted and thanked, both at Cape Coast Castle and in England, for their brilliant services. The expedition entered Portsmouth in March 1874, with loud demonstrations of welcome, the Black Watch especially coming in for a large share of popular attention.

Sir Garnet Wolseley had in London and elsewhere a repetition of the extraordinary reception he and his followers had experienced at Cape Coast Castle on their triumphal return from Kumasi.

A civic banquet was given in April by the Lord Mayor of London in the Egyptian Hall, at which nearly three hundred guests sat down, including nearly all the officers of the expedition. Among those present were the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke of Teck, besides a number of members of the Cabinet. But although the bulk of the honours naturally fell to Sir Garnet Wolseley and the senior officers of the expedition, and Wauchope's name scarcely appears in these public demonstrations, his friends in Scotland had their eye upon the young lieutenant who had in a few short months carved out for himself a distinguished reputation, and had added to the laurels of the house of Niddrie. The people of Portobello specially determined to show their appreciation of his gallant services by a public banquet, and though at first the natural modesty of the young soldier shrank from such a recognition of his services, after some persuasion he consented. The banquet took place on the 12th June in the Town Hall. There was a large gathering of the principal inhabitants. Provost Wood presided, and was supported by, among others, Sir James Gardiner Baird, Lord Ventry, and a number of county gentry.

In proposing the toast of the evening, Provost Wood took occasion to say:—'We are met to do honour to a soldier who volunteered to serve on the staff of General Wolseley in the recent war. At that time it was thought that British troops would not be required, but that the friendly natives, commanded and disciplined by British officers, would be able to cope with the savage Ashantis. Lieutenant Wauchope, on his arrival at the Gold Coast, was appointed one of the officers of the Haussas—a body of natives who proved themselves superior in courage and endurance to any of our African allies. Commanded and led by British officers—the chief being the gallant Lord Gifford—these troops did much valuable service. They formed the van of our advancing army, and were frequently engaged in the most severe and wild fighting. Our guest, in his ardour to see active service, had voluntarily separated himself from his own regiment. Yet he was destined to share with them the dangers and glory of the war. The War Office, finding that the Ashantis were more formidable than was at first expected, and that our native allies were less to be relied upon, resolved to send out British troops. This meeting must feel proud, as an assemblage of Scotsmen, that the 42nd Royal Highlanders was one of the chosen regiments, and our guest must have felt gratified when he found he had an opportunity of fighting beside his own regiment at Amoaful; and at that place, while leading on his Haussas, our gallant guest was wounded. He did not, however, fall to the rear, but continued to push forward, and, along with the glorious 42nd, he entered the now famous city of Kumasi. I need scarcely recall the events of the campaign—how a very small British army, with little assistance from native allies, in the course of a few weeks beat and shattered the enormous Ashanti forces, and compelled the hitherto unconquered Ashantis to sue for peace, and give freedom and security to the country round. It has always been the pride and the pleasure of the people of this country to do honour to those who have fought and bled for their country's cause, especially so when that cause is associated, as it was in this instance, with the spread of civilisation and the prevention and prohibition of slavery and cruelty. The newspaper reports showed us that the Lothians had gallant representatives at the Ashanti war, and the people of Portobello felt proud to see the old and honoured name of Wauchope prominently noticed. We also felt a desire to give expression to the sympathy and respect we entertain for the house of Niddrie by a public demonstration in honour of a young scion of that house, who has proved that he has within him a dauntless spirit worthy of his ancient lineage. We desire this evening to congratulate our guest, that a kind Providence has guarded his life, and protected him through the imminent risks of a pestilential climate and the dangers of a wild war; and we hope yet to see Lieutenant Wauchope rise to that high position in the service which his talents and abilities so eminently qualify him to fill.'

Banquet at Portobello

Lieutenant Wauchope's reply was characteristic of the man. He was not quite so much at his ease, or felt he was in his proper place, as if he had been at the head of his Haussas. 'He thanked the Provost for the too flattering words in which he had referred to his services. He had not deserved such great honour at their hands. His services as rendered to the State were poor and insignificant—very much so indeed. But he felt himself standing on firmer ground when he remembered that he was an officer in the 42nd Royal Highlanders. He recognised in the entertainment a desire to mark their appreciation of the conduct of the regiment to which he had the honour to belong. He had no hesitation in saying that the 42nd deserved well of its country, and he thought that it had added honour to its history.

'They were all well aware that the Ashantis had invaded our allies' country, and had perpetrated many horrible cruelties. Our representative on the coast sent remonstrances and threats, but these were all in vain until backed by picked battalions. Two hundred marines were first sent out. They landed at a most unhealthy season, and most of them died. Sir Garnet Wolseley then arrived on the scene, accompanied by British officers, and the result was that the Ashantis were driven back beyond the river Prah, and within fifteen miles of Kumasi. On the 4th February, King Koffee gave instructions to his bodyguard that any man who ran away would have his head cut off. But even King Koffee himself had to run before the British bullets. He did not think that the lives that were lost, or the money that was spent, were given in vain, because it would show those barbarous nations that the glory of old England was not to be trampled upon with impunity—that if people would invade our territory and commit murders and crime, the retribution would be terrible. The British lion took a long time to rise. He was a grand old animal in his way; but when he did rise, the vengeance would be speedy. He believed that the King of Ashanti bitterly regretted the day that he first invaded the British Protectorate.' He thanked the company for the high honour they had done him, and concluded with a few jocular remarks as to his connection with the town and district. He could assure them, he said, that if fortune should smile on him, and if on a future occasion he should return from some campaign as a successful soldier, he should be disappointed if he was not entertained by them in a similar manner. He was proud of the district—of the county which gave him birth. He had often said to himself that he would spend the latter days of his life in Portobello. It might be that yet he would take the position of a town councillor of the Burgh. He had no doubt he would make a most excellent civil magistrate, and be a terror to evil-doers! In afterwards replying to the toast of the House of Niddrie, Lieutenant Wauchope referred to the long connection it had with the district, and 'expressed the hope that as it had never brought dishonour upon its name, it would never do so in the future. So far as in him lay, he would always try to sustain its honour.'

It is perhaps not wise to attach too much importance to after-dinner speeches, but there is a ring of sincerity of purpose in these last words, which in the light of after events gives them an importance they might not otherwise have. Wauchope lived up to his ideal standard of a chivalrous knight, and nobly upheld the honour of his name. What Chaucer five hundred years ago wrote of his imaginary knight, we to-day may say of our real one:

'He nevere yit no vileinye ne sayde
In al his lyf, unto no maner wight,
He was a verray perfight gentil knight.'

Father and son

Wauchope's father was unfortunately unable to be present on so auspicious an occasion on account of the state of his health, but he was much gratified by this public recognition of his son's services. The latter, still in indifferent health, with the slug-wounds in his chest giving him no little trouble, had, however, a long period of rest, and was much of the time at Niddrie. His attention to his father was very marked while at home—father and son being frequently seen arm in arm walking through the grounds.

CHAPTER IV

DEATH OF WAUCHOPE'S FATHER—ORDERED TO MALTA—REMINISCENCES—RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS—CYPRUS—APPOINTMENT AS CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO—REMINISCENCES—SIR ROBERT BIDDULPH—THE SULTAN'S CLAIMS.

In November 1874 Wauchope had the misfortune to lose his father, for whom, especially since the death of his much-loved mother in the summer of 1858, he had the closest affection, never permitting any opportunity to pass without visiting the paternal roof. Though Mr. Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie was only fifty-six when he died, he had for some years been very much of an invalid, and was latterly unable to take any active part in public business. He spent much of his time in and about his house and grounds, taking a considerable interest in their improvement; but outside he was well known for his efforts to improve the position of those dependent upon him, and for his quiet but consistent Christian character.

He attended for several years before his death the Free Church at Portobello, then under the ministry of the Rev. Robert Henderson Ireland. There was no more regular attender of the church than Mr. Wauchope, who was generally accompanied by one of his daughters, and by his son Andrew when he happened to be at home, and to the last the friendship between Mr. Wauchope and his minister was of the most cordial and kindly nature. We believe he often expressed his sense of the benefit he derived from sitting under Mr. Ireland's ministry.

On Mr. Wauchope's death Lieutenant Wauchope's elder brother, William John Wauchope, then a Major in the Enniskilling Dragoons, succeeded to the estates, and in some measure this change altered his relationship to the old home. It could not now be the same to him as formerly, though he was on the most friendly terms with his brother, and not unfrequently spent some of his time at Niddrie and Yetholm.

There is little doubt that his father's death, coupled with his own precarious state of health, brought to his mind a deeper conviction of the seriousness of life, and led to his forming more pronounced views of religious truth. But Lieutenant Wauchope, having creditably won his spurs and fought and bled in his country's service, was not the man to rest upon his laurels. He was ready, notwithstanding former wounds, for further service when the occasion might arise.

Ordered to Malta

In November 1875 he again joined his regiment at Malta, where it had been stationed for nearly a year. His arrival among his old comrades was the occasion of a cordial welcome at the Floriana barracks, and he at once threw himself with spirit into the whole work and drill of the regiment, taking a lively interest in the welfare of the men and also of their wives and children. A brother officer who was then also a subaltern, and had joined the regiment at Malta a few months later, says: 'Wauchope was the "Father of the Subalterns" or senior Lieutenant, and right well he "fathered" newly joined youngsters, always ready to help them in any way—lending them ponies to ride and play polo on. I was always,' he continues, 'associated with him on the mess committee, and served under him, and what struck one most about him was the thoroughness with which he tackled whatever was on hand.'

As regards the rank and file, he was a very brother to many of them, as the following from one of the colour-sergeants will show:—'Lieutenant Wauchope was always a favourite with the men, and in Malta he took a deep interest in them and did much for them, always manifesting a kindly sympathy towards any who were married without leave, or who happened to be involved in any trouble which entailed a deduction from their pay. On pay-day, while the sergeant was paying the men, Wauchope would often sit at the table looking on, and note any who got only a few coppers on account of stoppage for support of wife and family, or for other reasons. He would quietly tell them to wait a little till the company was all paid. Then he would speak to each separately, giving them a word of sympathy or admonition, along with a piece of money, expressing the hope as he dismissed them that they would try to do better in the future. This was so unusual as between officers and men that it had a wonderful effect upon them.' Even in their recreations and amusements he showed an interest, and encouraged them in every possible way. 'He kept a small yacht while at Malta, and he was in the habit of inviting the sergeants to an afternoon's enjoyment in cruising about the harbour for an hour or two.'

Life in Malta

With him, care for his men was his first thought; and in commanding the G company of the 42nd in Floriana barracks, another of his sergeants observes 'that even in the hot summer afternoons, when the men were lying down in their beds, he used regularly to sit on the barrack-room table lecturing them on minor tactics, often, I fear, more to his own satisfaction than to their edification!'

Of this period of Wauchope's life we have a most interesting sketch from one who had ample opportunities of seeing his conduct, and forming a judgment upon the motives and disposition of heart and mind which governed his actions. Dr. Wisely, who has for many years been army chaplain at Malta to the Presbyterian soldiers stationed there, formed a close and intimate friendship with the young lieutenant on his arrival in the island. He saw much of him, and their acquaintance was renewed on several occasions when Wauchope happened afterwards to be there. His opinion is therefore of some value. 'It is,' says he, 'almost a quarter of a century since I became acquainted with the late General Wauchope. He was then about thirty years of age; and although he had been in the Black Watch for twelve years or more, and had also for a considerable period been adjutant of the regiment, he was still only a subaltern, and it seemed quite uncertain when he would get his company. Promotion in the 42nd was at that time very slow, and I asked him whether he had ever thought of changing into some other regiment, where he might have a better chance. His answer was a very emphatic "No." He wished to remain in the old corps and take what came.

'Wauchope held some special appointment at home, and his regiment had been in Malta for several months before he joined them after the Ashanti war. He had been severely wounded in that war. A leaden slug, fired by one of the savages hidden among the branches of trees, entered his breast, and it was a marvel he was not killed on the spot. He told me he bled like an ox. His account of how the blood at last stopped was somewhat curious. His old colonel, Sir John M'Leod, came to see him after he was wounded, and on leaving he presented him with a copy of the Book of Psalms. Wauchope said that he began wondering whether "old Jack," as he familiarly called his commanding officer, whom he greatly venerated, was in the habit of carrying about copies of the Psalms in his pocket to give to officers when dangerously wounded, and it struck him in such a ludicrous light that, after the good colonel was out of sight, he burst into such a fit of laughing that he could not stop—and that, he said stopped the bleeding! Sir John and Wauchope had a great respect for each other. Wauchope looked up to Sir John with admiration bordering on awe. The colonel regarded his lieutenant as a model officer. He told me that Wauchope's character commanded universal respect, and that his high moral tone and the thoroughness with which he discharged all his duties gave him an influence which was invaluable.

'On his arrival in Malta he was appointed musketry Instructor at Pembroke Camp. The men's shooting did not come up to the standard which it was thought it ought to reach; and one day Sir John said to me: "Wauchope is making himself perfectly ill with his anxiety about it. If he would only be anxious twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four I would not mind so much, but he is anxious all the twenty-four hours of the day!"

'At that time, however, Wauchope was anxious not only about his professional duties, but he was concerned about himself, for he knew that his life was a most precarious one, scarcely worth a day's purchase. The slug which pierced his chest had not been extracted. It kept moving about, and at any moment might cause death. This he knew full well. He consulted the best surgeons in the island, but they were unable to do anything. It was not, I believe, till about a year afterwards that the slug was at last extracted by an Edinburgh surgeon.

The drawn sword

'During this period of Wauchope's stay in Malta, when there was, as it were, this drawn sword hanging over his head, although he maintained a quiet exterior, he felt that there was but a step between him and death. I saw a great deal of him then. He had brought a letter of introduction to me from his law-agent in Edinburgh, my old friend the late Mr. Colin Mackenzie, W.S., and from the first he honoured me with his confidence. He spoke freely of the possibility, not to say the probability, that his time on earth might be short, but he showed no craven fear. He said he wished to know as much as he could about the world into which he might soon be going—that "undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns." I have seldom met a man further removed from fanaticism, and at the same time so full of reverence. From his earliest days he seems to have feared God. He had not, however, escaped from the doubts and difficulties raised by the sceptical spirit of the age. He shrank from taking a leap in the dark. He wanted to be sure that there was no mistake, and he took the best means of becoming sure. "If any man will do His will," Christ says, "he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." This is what Wauchope did. He put the desire to do God's will into every duty which fell to him. He followed on to know the Lord, and he came to know the truth of the Gospel, not only as a truth of faith, but a truth of personal experience.'

Lieutenant Wauchope was home on furlough more than once during the period of the 42nd regiment's stay in Malta, extending to nearly four years, and it was on one of these visits to Edinburgh he was operated upon successfully, as mentioned by Dr. Wisely.

Though still only a lieutenant, he was appointed to the command of E company in July 1878, while in Malta. With a wider range of duties and greater responsibilities, this appointment gave him much satisfaction, and he set himself to the task of making E company the company of the regiment, sparing neither time nor money to advance its efficiency, and at the same time to add to the comfort and pleasure of his men. To be one of Wauchope's company was considered a high privilege. Two months afterwards—in September—he received his full commission as captain. In addition to the yacht in which he would give them occasional cruises, we are told by one of his men that 'the company had a good boating-crew, and at a cost of about £20 he had the best boat built for them that Malta could produce. On one occasion, when they had some races, Captain Wauchope steered them in a match with the 101st regiment, but not to victory. Wauchope's boat, named "The Black Watch," was beaten, but he was the first to declare that the race was lost owing entirely to his bad steering.'

Occupation of Malta

The occupation of the island of Cyprus by Great Britain in 1878 gave Wauchope a splendid opportunity for the exercise of his talents, not only as a military man, but in the capacity of a civil administrator and judge. The island was taken over from the Turks in July of that year. Their government of it for centuries had been a curse to the people and a curse on the land, and it had lapsed into one of the forgotten spots of God's earth. The advent of British rule proved the beginning of a new era for both its Greek and Turkish population. Endowed with a healthy climate and a fertile soil, Cyprus—once so fruitful and prosperous—may yet rank as one of the most flourishing dependencies of the Crown. It is full of romance, for its lovely scenery and relics of the past well entitle it to be called 'an Enchanted Island.' With mediæval traditions of its occupation by the Crusaders, and with its still older classical reminiscences of the heathen worship of Aphrodite, supplanted by the early conversion of its people to Christianity through the visit of St. Paul, St. Mark, and Barnabas, not to speak of its repeated conquest by Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Venetians, and Turks, there is no more interesting island to be found in the Mediterranean.

Captain WAUCHOPE at the Age of 30.

In July 1878 a regiment of Scottish Highlanders was sent to occupy this fair island of the Orient in name of the Queen. The Black Watch from Malta, in the transport Himalaya, landed at Larnaka, and were distributed at various points for garrison duty, under the direction of General Sir Garnet Wolseley, as High Commissioner. Wolseley, having divided the island into districts, deputed the civil administration of these to a number of the most skilled of the military officers of the regiment. To Lieutenant Wauchope, then thirty-two years of age, was given, with the title of captain, the charge of the town and district of Papho—the ancient Paphos, where the Apostles' journey through the island closed, and where Elymas the sorcerer was struck blind for a time. As assistant-commissioner Wauchope was well supported by Lieutenant A. G. Duff, a young officer of his company, who furnishes us with some particulars of their duties and difficulties there. The post was anything but a sinecure. He had the superintendence of the revenue under Sir Robert Biddulph, then Financial Commissioner of the island. In this important office he set himself with all the earnestness of his nature to the correction of abuses, the suppression of crime, and the establishment of law and order, out of which only can freedom and security be attained. We have it on the authority of Mr. F. H. Parker, the District Judge of Limasol, that 'not only was he a most efficient governor, but in those days, when Ottoman judges sat in the Daavi (District) Court, he presided as a just and capable judge. Though more than twenty years have elapsed since then, the inhabitants,' he says, 'irrespective of creed or nationality, still look back on his civil administration with admiration and deep respect. Even to this day his decisions in disputed land or water rights are relied on as res judicata, and he invariably decided these after minute and personal local inquiries.' During his two years' service on the island—from 17th June 1878 till July 1880—Wauchope acquitted himself with much judgment and discretion, and the honours thrust upon him were worthily achieved as they were gratefully given. But while Captain Wauchope's administration in Cyprus was marked with justice, it was sometimes of a kind that did not always give satisfaction. His punishment, for instance, of heinous crimes was considered by the natives to be of such severity that a complaint was lodged with the Colonial Office against some sentences where he had ordered the delinquents to be flogged. On inquiry being made of him by the Colonial Office as to what he had to say in the matter, his reply was that 'flogging was the only thing for them, as they richly deserved more than the punishment they had got, and he thought it was better for them than hanging'!

Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral

His duties did not end in military, or administrative, or judicial service, for sometimes he had even to act as chaplain in cases of emergency, as the following instance will show. A day or two after they landed, Sergeant M'Gaw of the 42nd—who had gallantly won the Victoria Cross at Amoaful—took ill under the excessive heat and died. The regimental chaplain was not present, but Wauchope followed the funeral with his company, and at the grave, stepping forward as the body was about to be committed to the dust, feelingly addressed his men in a few appropriate words of exhortation, and concluded, to the surprise and gratification of all, with an earnest extempore prayer. Tears, we are told by one who witnessed the occurrence, were in the eyes of many a stalwart soldier that day, and the incident made a deep impression at the time and was never forgotten by them. A sequel to Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral may here be mentioned as another instance of Wauchope's thoughtful care. Some time afterwards it was discovered that the Cypriote farmer on whose land the sergeant was buried, had removed the little wooden head-mark, and not unnaturally ploughed up the land and destroyed all trace of the grave. The Government was asked to take action, but declined to interfere. So Wauchope and some others went on a moonlight night, and after taking measurements from a certain tree, discovered the grave, dug up the remains, removed them to Kyrenia, and placed them in what is now known as the Black Watch cemetery. A pure white marble sarcophagus now covers Sergeant M'Gaw's grave.

After the long reign of Turkish misrule it will be easily understood that Commissioner Wauchope and his colleague Lieutenant Duff did not all at once find things easy. On the contrary, they found it very hard work. The rascality of the natives was as idyllic as innocence. Murder and theft were so common that they were scarcely considered culpable, and this in what has been called an 'enchanted island,' full of every beauty to satisfy the eye, and every fruit to satisfy the taste. Even ten years after the occupation by the British, and notwithstanding all our efforts to restore order and justice, W. H. Mallock, describing his visit to Cyprus in 1888, says that 'he found there more crime in proportion to the population than in any other known country in the world.' In Nicosia the prisons were full of persons, male and female, confined for murder, theft, etc. 'In the country districts,' he says, 'the cause of murders has generally some connection with sheep-stealing or disputes about boundaries and water rights, or matters equally simple. In the towns the Turkish murders nearly always originate in some ordinary fit of sombre but sudden passion, and the Greek murders in some half-drunken brawl. Curiously enough, a number of these last take place at weddings. Wine has flowed; quarrelling has arisen out of laughter; knives have flashed, and in a second or two one knife has been red with blood. Yet amid so much crime there exists among this degraded people a whimsical simplicity almost justifying a smile.' One instance, as given by Mr. Mallock, will suffice to illustrate this. One of three men implicated in a murder fled to the hut of a shepherd, and begged to be kept there in hiding. The shepherd, who had only a slight acquaintance with the man, asked why he wished to be hidden. On this the murderer, more like a child than a man, explained everything in the most naïve manner possible. The shepherd looked grave. He said that this was a serious matter, and that under the circumstances his protection would have to be paid for. The murderer replied that the booty had not yet been divided; 'I have no money,' he said, 'but save me and I will steal a sheep for you!'

A Cyprian judge

It was among criminals such as these, and a population with the vaguest possible notions of morality, that Wauchope had to deal out justice. How did he accomplish his task? His friend and colleague, now Major Duff, tells us: 'His administration of justice was a marvel, and astonished both Turks and Greeks. He would frequently sit a whole day in the Konak or court-house, dispensing even-handed justice. All the evidence had to be taken through an interpreter, involving much delay, and frequently he sat in this way under high fever. I have sometimes taken his temperature to find it at 105°, but he bore all physical pain without a murmur, and no complaint ever passed his lips.' Papho was considered the most lawless district in the island; and the administration of justice, in both civil and criminal cases, in the hands of Captain Wauchope and Lieutenant Duff, with the aid of an interpreter, involved painstaking discretion of no ordinary kind. 'The Cadi—a Turkish judge—had a seat on the bench along with them, and his opinion was always taken, though not always followed. One incident comes to my memory relating to an execution. We had passed sentence upon a murderer, but were in a difficulty about the gallows, and did not know what to do for want of a suitable rope, but fortunately H.M.S. Raleigh unexpectedly put in an appearance in the bay, and the bluejackets readily came to our aid in rigging up a makeshift gallows. The ceremony, however, was not marked with complete success, as, at the first effort, the rope broke; but death had supervened, so that it was of no consequence, as the operation did not require to be repeated. There must have been some flaw in the rope, as it had been previously tried with a very heavy man's weight. We never had any difficulty in the administration of justice. Wauchope's impartial and thoroughly sound sense of judgment as between man and man, always stood him well with clients and malefactors.'

One case came before him which in this connection is worthy of being recorded. A Turk of infamous character, who had been guilty of horrible crimes, but had escaped punishment under the Turkish rule, was brought before Commissioner Wauchope on a charge of murder. The murder was clearly proved, but doubts were entertained whether the Commissioner would sentence a Mohammedan to be hanged. No such instance had ever been known in the island before. Wauchope did not flinch. He pronounced the sentence, and the murderer was publicly executed. The Commissioner took the precaution, however, of having a company of his Royal Highlanders on the ground to see that there should be no disturbance or any attempt at rescue, and all passed off peacefully.

Commissioner at Papho

Besides the judicial functions of the Commissioner of Papho, there were the fiscal duties of Government. Taxes had to be collected, and these, with the relative duties of finance and the management of the post office, were entirely under the personal control of Wauchope and his colleague. The latter service alone must have involved considerable labour. Besides this, they had at Papho one company of the 42nd, camped some little distance out of the town, but near enough to be readily available when required. So busy were they kept with these varied onerous duties, that Wauchope and his friend, frequently working at high pressure, had few opportunities for recreation. But notwithstanding the pressing requirements of the moment, and the somewhat circumscribed social aspect of the place, they were on the best of terms with some of the leading native gentry: the Greek bishop was particularly friendly, and they often dined with him at his palace. A worthy old fellow he appears to have been, who could enjoy a good dinner with a prime bottle of Cyprus wine. In recognition of his great kindness to them Major Duff mentions that they 'gave him in return such a banquet on St. Andrew's night as seemed to gladden his soul.'

Of amusements, or anything in the way of English sports, there were few or none, even had time permitted. Still, they would not have been British if they had not introduced among the natives some sports from the old country. They accordingly started pony races for the zaptiehs or police of the district. 'Our chief difficulty,' says Major Duff, 'was to get the Turks and Greeks to run together in the same coach, and for this difficult task Wauchope was eminently qualified, as, in addition to all his many sterling attributes, must be added that of being a student of human nature, without which he never would have been the leader of men he unquestionably was.'

So much did Captain Wauchope accomplish during his term of office at Papho, that Dr. Wisely informs us 'the inhabitants looked on him as an angel from heaven—and well they might, when they contrasted his righteous rule with the wretched rule of the Turkish officials who had tyrannised over them. Yet Wauchope was by no means an easy-going ruler. He investigated with the greatest patience every case that was brought before him, and spared himself no pains to get at the truth. This made such an impression upon the Turks, as well as upon the Greek-speaking community, that all classes alike respected him, and when the time came for the Commissioner to retire from office, there was a universal desire expressed that he might be retained.'

We have been favoured with similar testimony from Sir Robert Biddulph, sometime High Commissioner of Cyprus, lately Governor of Gibraltar, who informs us that 'in carrying out his duties Captain Wauchope showed much administrative ability, as well as great tact and judgment in dealing with the inhabitants. This enabled him to steer a clear course through the political agitation which broke out in Cyprus early in 1879, and which had many adherents in Papho. When Sir Garnet Wolseley left the island at short notice in May 1879 in order to command the troops in Natal and Zululand, his departure, coinciding with the attacks made in Parliament on the Cyprus administration, caused several of the civil commissioners to send in their resignations.' Colonel Biddulph, who had been sent from Cyprus to Constantinople in March 1879 to negotiate with the Porte concerning the 'tribute,' was in June following instructed by the Home Government to return and assume the government of the island as High Commissioner. On his arrival he was met by Captain Wauchope, who had come with several of the other commissioners to wish him good-bye before leaving the island. Sir Robert at once realised the gravity of the situation. 'I told them,' says he, 'that I could not consent to their leaving all together at this crisis, and Wauchope willingly consented to remain for, at all events, some months longer. In September I went home for two months on private affairs, and Wauchope then went home with me, having resigned his appointment with my consent.'

The Sultan's claims

In the interval, certain questions as to personal claims by the Sultan to property in Cyprus were presented to the British Government, and it was decided to appoint a qualified British delegate to investigate these claims on the spot. On the recommendation of Sir Robert Biddulph, Lord Salisbury appointed Captain Wauchope for this somewhat difficult duty, and he and Sir Robert returned to Cyprus together in November of the same year. In his official capacity Wauchope explored the whole of Cyprus, making full inquiries wherever he went as to the properties alleged to belong to the Sultan, and gathering much information as to the condition of the people in the rural districts, and the state of agriculture generally.

'The investigation of the Sultan's claims,' says Sir Robert Biddulph, 'occupied several months, during which time Captain Wauchope again displayed great tact and judgment in this very delicate matter, and maintained at the same time very friendly relations with the Turkish officer who was sent by the Sultan to support his claims. This was the more remarkable, because every one of the Sultan's claims was rejected.'

The Government recognised the thoroughness with which Captain Wauchope had accomplished his task, by conferring upon him, immediately on his return home in August 1880, the Order of St. Michael and St. George.

CHAPTER V

WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA—ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN EGYPT—TEL-EL-KEBIR—MARRIAGE—LIFE IN CAIRO.

Shortly after Captain Wauchope's return home from Cyprus another opportunity for foreign service presented itself in South Africa, and he lost no time in offering himself to the War Office. He was accepted for staff duty, and received a commission to go out at once. So limited was the time given him for preparation that he had not even an opportunity to go to Aldershot, where his baggage was lying, to make up his kit, but he telegraphed from London to the quartermaster of the regiment—Captain Forbes—to throw him in a small kit into a bullock-trunk and forward it to Southampton at once, as he was off to South Africa next day.

The Transvaal

The country had drifted almost unconsciously into a trouble which has since cost so much in loss of life and treasure. The South African Republic, or the Transvaal, was founded some sixty or seventy years ago by Boer farmers from Cape Colony, who, being dissatisfied with British rule and its interference with them and their peculiar notions as to slavery, sought to establish an independent state for themselves where they might without hindrance carry out their ideas as they pleased. They, in fact, sought liberty to make the natives their slaves. Conflicts were, of course, the natural outcome of their attempts to acquire the land beyond the Vaal; but notwithstanding this, the new settlers in 1840 were so far established in possession, and their numbers had so much increased, that they formed themselves into a Republic for mutual protection. At that time the possibilities of the future importance of this part of South Africa, or indeed of our colonies there, were not sufficiently realised by either our Government or our people at home. Neither the Transvaal Republic nor the Boers seemed to be any concern of ours. It was left to a few Scotch missionaries such as Moffat, Livingstone, Stewart, and Mackenzie to make these known, and to endeavour to educate and civilise the degraded natives in the science of social life and in the truths of Christianity. In this effort they met from the first the virulent opposition of the Boer settlers, who neither wanted the natives to be educated nor to be Christianised.

Acts of oppression naturally brought their own retribution. The natives rose against their oppressors; feuds, murders, and thefts were acts of daily occurrence, until at last the infant Republic became so involved in native wars and internal troubles, that with a view to restore peace and order and to prevent anarchy and bankruptcy from spreading into Cape Colony, the British Government was constrained to interfere. In this intervention many of the Boers cordially acquiesced, and welcomed the protection of our troops, the more so that the financial difficulties of their independent action were in a measure cleared away. On the other hand there was a strong party among them who, in spite of mismanagement and debt, thought they could carry on a free Republican Government. The security of the British colonies was, however, of paramount importance, and it was deemed advisable in their interest as well as in the interest of the Transvaal Boers themselves that the Transvaal should have the benefit of British protection. Accordingly its annexation to the British Crown was in 1877 proclaimed by Sir Theophilus Shepstone, followed by the appointment of Sir W. Owen Lanyon as British Administrator. This necessary step by no means pleased the Boer faction who had attempted to rule, and they did not cease to agitate for the restoration of the old order of things, bad as these were. For a time English money and English enterprise worked wonders: markets were created for produce, and land rose in value.

In December 1880, however, a majority of the Boers took up arms against the British authority. They invested towns held by Imperial troops, and surprised a detachment on the march. The situation was becoming critical. The Government, which at the time was deeply engrossed in other matters, did not sufficiently realise the gravity of the situation, for although troops were at once despatched to the assistance of those at the Cape, these were insufficient, and arrived too late to be of service. The Boers, ever on the alert, had seized the passes of the Drakensberg Mountains, and had strongly fortified themselves at Laing's Nek. Here they were attacked by Sir G. P. Colley, but without success. He was defeated with considerable loss, and shortly afterwards, attempting to check the enemy at Majuba Hill with a small force of six hundred men, he was again defeated with loss and was himself killed in the action.

The Boer Treaty of 1881

Immediately on receipt of this news Mr. Gladstone's Government gave instructions for an armistice in order to see if satisfactory terms could not be arranged for the restoration of peace. After a month's negotiation a treaty was made giving the Transvaal self-government in internal matters, but reserving all rights connected with foreign affairs, Great Britain to be recognised as the Suzerain, including the right to move Imperial troops through the country in time of war.

This restoration of independence to the Boers was viewed both at home and in Cape Colony not only with grave suspicion and distrust, but with high indignation; and so strong was this feeling against the home Government that in a great popular demonstration at Cape Town the effigy of Mr. Gladstone, the Prime Minister, was publicly burned, and the British lion was caricatured, while many English residents in Pretoria and other towns left the country rather than remain under the oligarchical government of the Boers. So ended this part of the Transvaal drama.

The action of the British Government was at the time attributed to various motives. By some it was considered the magnanimous action of a strong power, willing to help a weak but struggling state in its efforts at self-government; by others it has been described as a pusillanimous shrinking from a stern duty which it owed to its colonies around the Transvaal. President Brand declared the treaty to be 'in his opinion the noblest act England has ever done'; but the Boers themselves considered the peace as the result of their own efforts and of Britain's fear to prosecute the war. The after results have been most calamitous, and go to show the folly of not facing and overcoming the beginnings of a corrupt system.

Captain Wauchope returned on the conclusion of peace in the summer of 1881, having been only a few months abroad, and without engaging in active service. He was chiefly employed on the line of communication as one of the staff. His return home was accompanied with anything but feelings of respect for the Government which had so ingloriously stopped short in their work—a feeling very generally shared by the officers and men. Some years afterwards, when alluding to this episode in his life at a meeting in Edinburgh, he said of it:—'I was in the Transvaal during those terrible times in 1881 when we suffered the terrible disgrace from which all our after-troubles there arose. It was the vacillation and weakness and change of policy that caused all the trouble then.'

But while in one part of Africa a temporary peace had been patched up, in another part of that great continent, and that the most ancient, events were in the beginning of 1882 hastening to a rupture which was destined to open up a fresh field for the active military genius of young Wauchope. Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, and in some respects the cradle of European culture, which had long been oppressed by Turkish tyranny, was showing signs of vitality, and was recognised as still a country capable of great resources, and having considerable commercial importance. The opening of the Suez Canal had much to do with this; and Britain having a large stake in the Canal as a means of communication with her Eastern possessions, was naturally interested in the well-being of the country through which it passed. Nominally a viceroy of the Sultan of Turkey, the Khedive of Egypt ruled despotically, and did little for the people he ruled. Discontent was general; and to screen themselves, those in authority endeavoured to create a feeling of antipathy against the Europeans residing and trading in Egypt. A party of military adventurers, headed by Arabi Pasha, and secretly abetted by the Sultan of Turkey, had seized the reins of government, and endeavoured, with the aid of the army, to drive all Europeans out of Egypt, and secure the control of foreign traffic through the Suez Canal to their own advantage. Arabi commenced the erection of forts at Alexandria, to command the harbour. This and other war-like preparations were made in defiance, it was said, of the authority of the Khedive, who was merely a puppet in Arabi's hands.

Bombardment of Alexandria

On the 11th June 1882 a large body of Arabs made a murderous attack on the European residents in Alexandria, and so serious was the matter considered that a week or two after, the Ambassadors of the Great Powers met in conference at Constantinople to take the crisis under review. As no redress was forthcoming, Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour, commander of the British fleet in Egyptian waters, having ascertained that work on the new fortifications at Alexandria was being continued, notwithstanding promises made that all such operations would be suspended, sent to Arabi Pasha, who was nominally the Egyptian minister of war, an ultimatum that unless the work ceased immediately the fleet would open fire upon the forts. The reply was a denial that any such work was being carried on. Three days afterwards the Admiral discovered that his ultimatum was treated with contempt, and that guns bearing upon the harbour had been mounted since the date of his message. He at once prepared a proclamation calling upon the Egyptian authorities to surrender the fortifications within twelve hours, otherwise they would be demolished by the fleet. On the 11th July the bombardment commenced, and nearly the whole of the fortifications were soon laid in ruins. Next day hostilities were resumed, but, on a flag of truce being hoisted, the Admiral ordered firing to cease. On the morning of the 13th it was found that, under cover of the flag of truce, the Egyptian troops, headed by Arabi Pasha, had evacuated Alexandria, leaving it to be pillaged and fired by a riotous mob of Arabs, who massacred a large number of Europeans. To protect life, and save the place from total destruction, Admiral Seymour landed a force of seamen and marines, who kept the city in order until the arrival of British troops a few days afterwards.

In the course of the following fortnight a force of about 16,000 occupied Alexandria, Ramleh, and the delta of the Nile, under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley. Meantime Arabi Pasha had occupied Cairo, which was strongly fortified, while he had formidable entrenched camps some miles south of Ramleh, and also at Port Said and Ismailia on the Suez Canal, and at Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir, on the sweet-water canal route between Ismailia and Cairo.

Throughout the whole business the authority of the Khedive was not only ignored, but remonstrances from foreign powers were of no effect. Arabi was determined to make himself ruler of Egypt, and to assert his position by force of arms. His formal dismissal as Minister of War, on 22nd July, was the last weak attempt by the Khedive to maintain his sovereign authority. But Arabi paid no attention to it, and continued his warlike preparations. His position at Kafr-dawar was strategically a strong one, for he was entrenched there at a point where the isthmus, running inland between Lake Medieh and Lake Mareotis, is only about four miles broad. He thus commanded both the Mahmoudieh Canal and the railway to Cairo, which ran past his camp. Arabi's intention was to hold his own at this position till the annual rise of the Nile was at its fullest in August, when he counted upon being able to flood the country, and seriously impede hostile operations against him.

The rising had now assumed all the character of an organised rebellion, and was a standing menace to British commerce passing through the Suez Canal; and as the crisis came to be more clearly realised in this country, further relays of troops were despatched. In the subsequent operations against Arabi the Black Watch took a prominent part. After its return from Cyprus and Gibraltar in 1879, the regiment was brigaded for a time at Aldershot. It was then located partly at Maryhill barracks, near Glasgow, and at Edinburgh Castle, under the command of Colonel R. K. Bayly. Captain Wauchope served at Maryhill from May 1881 till August 1882.

The 42nd leaving Edinburgh

On the outbreak of hostilities in Egypt the regiment, which was then about 800 strong, received orders to embark for the East. The Maryhill contingent, in which he commanded the E Company, left by train for Edinburgh on the 4th August 1882, and arrived in the capital amidst much enthusiasm. After two days in Edinburgh Castle, the whole regiment was entrained for London on the 6th August, their send-off from the city being one of the most extraordinary ever witnessed. Wauchope himself, ten years afterwards, at a meeting of the old members of the Black Watch in Glasgow, when he had become Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, said 'he would never forget the scene.' 'He had of late,' he said, 'seen great excitement in the political world, he had seen political leaders received in Edinburgh (referring to Mr. Gladstone and the Midlothian election of 1892), and no doubt at times there had been a pretty brave show, but the people's heart never went out to these leaders as it went out to the 42nd when they were leaving Edinburgh Castle for active service in Egypt in 1882. It seemed to him as if every man and woman in Edinburgh was out to see them off. He would never forget that scene of enthusiasm and farewell, and he felt convinced that it affected the whole regiment, more than the eye could see or words could express. On the lips of many a brave man before that campaign was over, the last words had been "Scotland for ever," and he had no doubt their last thoughts were of their homes and native country.'

Having embarked at Gravesend in the transport Nepaul, Wauchope, with his regiment, landed at Alexandria on the 20th August, and proceeded to Ramleh, where they formed a part of the Highland Brigade under General Sir Archibald Alison. Here Wauchope very soon found his field of action in more than one engagement, and had one or two hairbreadth escapes. On one occasion a body of the rebels held a portion of the city, from which they were to be dislodged. Wauchope got the order to clear the streets. Coming to a house, from every window of which rifles were pointed, he halted his men, but only for a moment. Sword in hand, the captain rushed in, followed by his men. A rifle was pointed full at him, and but for the presence of mind of one of his followers, it would have ended his career. Dashing in front of his officer, the soldier threw up the rebel's rifle just as he fired, the bullet passing through Wauchope's helmet.

Tel-el-Kebir

The occupation of the Canal and the various ports upon its banks were important steps in Sir Garnet Wolseley's endeavour to secure Zagazig, some forty-five miles from Ismailia, the key to the railway system of Egypt. Arabi had also realised its importance, and in order to retain it at all hazards and to prevent the British advance in that direction, had strongly fortified himself at Tel-el-Kebir, about fifteen miles eastward.

On the 20th August, Port Said, Kantara, Ismailia, and the Suez Canal were taken possession of by the British. A few days after, a determined stand was made by the Egyptian army, about 10,000 strong, a few miles from Ismailia, but they were utterly defeated by Sir Garnet Wolseley, who was now reinforced by the Highland Brigade.

This was followed up by a renewed attack on the British position at Kassassin Lock on the Ismailia Canal three days later, when the Egyptians were again repulsed with great loss.

On the evening of the 12th September, the British army at Kassassin Lock struck camp. It had been well reinforced, and counted 15,000 men in cavalry, infantry, and artillery, and was now in a position to attack Arabi in his stronghold at Tel-el-Kebir. On the verge of a broad, dreary desert, with lines of entrenchments and redoubts well mounted with guns, and held by a large force, no better position, it is said, could have been chosen for offering resistance to any army approaching the Delta, or the capital of Egypt, from the Suez Canal.

After an all-night march, Sir Garnet Wolseley found himself within striking distance of the enemy's trenches before the first streaks of dawn appeared on the eastern sky. The Egyptians were taken by surprise, but the alarm once given, they sprang to their feet to face the attack; and immediately, along the whole front of their line of defence, was poured upon our troops a fierce artillery and rifle fire, which, however, was so ill directed that it did no great harm. With the utmost coolness, the British were formed for the assault. The Highland Brigade in the centre, with bayonets fixed, was supported by cavalry on both flanks With a loud cheer the Highlanders stormed the entrenchments, driving everything before them. The struggle was short but decisive, not more than twenty minutes elapsing between the first onset on the trenches and the capture of the main or inner fortress. The odds were as two to one—26,000 Egyptians to 13,000 British—but the zeal and soldierly qualities of our men, with the confidence they had in their leaders, proved the mettle of which our military are made. Where all did well, it seems invidious to distinguish. But of this fine force—perhaps the finest ever seen in Egypt—it was generally admitted that to the Highland Brigade and the Royal Irish Rifles special honour was due. This important engagement, in which forty guns were captured, 2000 Egyptians fell, and 3000 were taken prisoners, opened the way to Cairo.

Through all the campaign, Captain Wauchope, with the E Company of the 42nd, had bravely borne his share of the toil and dangers of the situation. At Tel-el-Kebir, he was among the first to enter the enemy's trenches sword in hand. The encounter was a fierce one while it lasted, and it was a marvel how he escaped injury in such a mêlée. But though the impetuosity of the charge bore down all before it, when the fight was over, it was found that no less than 200 of his men had fallen.

After Tel-el-Kebir

Wauchope's first care was to see that the wounded were attended to, for his interest in his men was ever uppermost in his mind. He liked to treat them as brothers as well as subordinates, sharing with them the roughest work and the greatest dangers; and now particularly, when many of them were bruised and bleeding, he had all a woman's sympathy, and did his best to alleviate their sufferings. He went carefully over the ground after the battle, searching out from among the dead such of his men who might be alive, relieving some with a draught of water from his bottle, and seeing that they were removed to shelter, where they could be surgically attended to; in some cases, tenderly helping to carry them himself off the field. Such scenes always filled him with sadness, as they did the heart of Wellington, who was wont to say: 'Take my word for it, if you had seen but one day of war, you would pray to Almighty God that you might never see such a thing again.' The horrors of war make most brave natures shudder.

Immediately after the capture of Arabi's camp at Tel-el-Kebir, at the next halting-stage in the army's progress to Cairo, the 42nd was marched into the square of a cavalry barracks to wait for a train being made to enable them to follow the retreating enemy to Zagazig—an important railway junction on the way. They were in very rough quarters, but were glad to get any sort of shelter from the scorching sun. One of the staff-sergeants, wearied out and oppressed with heat, stumbled into a room which, unknown to him, happened to be occupied by Captain Wauchope and his subordinate officer, Lieutenant Duff. 'As I attempted to withdraw—for I had entered not knowing they were there'—said the sergeant, describing the occurrence, 'Captain Wauchope at once called out in a kindly voice, "Come in, Pinkney, come in and sit down, you have as much right to be here as we have."'

But though this was so, Pinkney, who was not one of his men, did not fare so well on another occasion when his presence stood in the way of the convenience of the men of his company, Captain Wauchope having then no hesitation in leaving him to shift for himself. We give the story in the sergeant's own words:—'Shortly after this, we were marched down to the railway and literally packed into trucks. I being a staff-sergeant, and in a sense "nobody's child," crawled into one marked E. It was Wauchope's, and as all his men could not find room, I was ignominiously ordered out by the same gallant gentleman! We were very good friends, but as I did not belong to his company, he could not allow me to interfere with their comfort!'

Sergeant Pinkney also relates an incident of the same day illustrating Wauchope's thoughts on the inhumanity of war. 'We were all sitting together on the mud floor of the room where we were sheltering, discussing the events of the morning. "Andy," as we all loved to call our captain, had not, for a wonder, been wounded, but a Remington bullet through the scabbard of his sword had bent it nearly double, so that he could not return the weapon. Another bullet through his helmet had disarranged the pugaree and heckle, of which he was so proud. He drew my attention as armourer to the condition of his scabbard, and I took it into my hand and broke it across my knee, so that he could sheath his sword, though some eight inches of the blood-stained blade were exposed. While I was next adjusting his pugaree, he suddenly exclaimed, "I say, Duff, what brutes we men are." We were silent for a minute, and then seeing our surprised look, as we stopped our work, he continued, "Do you know, I felt this morning just as if I was on the moors, and for a while I was quite as anxious to make a good bag; man, Duff, we are terrible brutes, after all!"'

Niddrie Marischal, Back View

The same day Wauchope's regiment proceeded to within a few miles of Zagazig, reaching that place in the morning of the 14th September. Here they seized the railway stock, and went on to Belbeis, an important junction on the edge of the desert. There they remained under the utmost discomfort, without tents and without equipage, until the 23rd September, when they moved forward to Ghezireh, near to Cairo, and were again quartered with the Highland Brigade, under Lieut.-General Sir E. Hamley.

The subsequent occupation of Cairo, the arrest and banishment of Arabi Pasha, and the restoration of the Khedive under British protection, are matters of history. The war was closed, but still much required to be done to restore order and peace, and so the expeditionary force became an army of occupation.

Captain Wauchope, after a few weeks' encampment at Ghezireh, on the west bank of the Nile, was moved with his regiment into Kass-el-Nil barracks, where they were to be quartered for the winter. A time of peace succeeded a time of sharp fighting. But whether fighting or at peace, Wauchope gave himself no rest. His military duties might be heavy enough, but his self-imposed exertions in looking after the wounded and the sick were varied by efforts to find amusement and recreation for those who were well.

For his services in this campaign, Captain Wauchope received the medal with clasp, and the Khedive's Star, as the public recognition of the British and Egyptian Governments.

Return to Scotland

His stay in Egypt was unexpectedly interrupted by the serious illness of his elder brother, Major William Wauchope, which eventually resulted in his death on the 28th November 1882. Returning home a few weeks before that sad event, he was fortunately enabled to look after the settlement of family affairs and the future management of the estates.

The death of his brother without issue made a considerable change in his position, and when he arrived at Niddrie early in December, he was welcomed as the new laird with every expression of goodwill. Though he had been little about the old place for years, the tenants and servants had warm recollections of 'Andy' as a good, kind, genial soul, and they all hoped that he might now return to occupy the ancestral home, and settle down among 'his ain folk.'

As a pledge that such a consummation might be looked for in the near future, and taking advantage of his casual visit home, he was married on the 9th of December to Miss Elythea Ruth Erskine, second daughter of Sir Thomas Erskine of Cambo, Fife, to whom he had for some time been engaged.

The wedding had been arranged to be celebrated at Cambo in a quiet way, as our informant said, 'without any fuss'; but though this was so, Captain Wauchope found to some extent the adage verified, that 'the course of true love never did run smooth.' In arranging for his marriage in the stormy month of December, he did not at all events lay his account with the elements. These did their best to frustrate the happy event.

Marriage

Cambo is situated two or three miles distant from Fife Ness, the extreme eastern point of the county of Fife. It is now easily accessible by the railway skirting the northern shore of the Firth of Forth, connecting Thornton Junction and St. Andrews, by way of Anstruther and Crail. But at that time the railway was not completed further than Anstruther on the one side and St. Andrews on the other, and Cambo was about eight or nine miles from either place. Starting from Edinburgh on the morning of the day fixed for the wedding, Captain Wauchope should easily have arrived at Cambo in the forenoon, but a protracted snowstorm of several days had completely blocked railways and roads. Thinking he would be more likely to get a conveyance to carry him to his destination if he went by St. Andrews, he took that instead of the route to Anstruther; but on arriving at that ancient city, he was chagrined to find that the roads were so completely blocked with snow that no one would venture the journey for him. Taking his luggage to the Royal Hotel, he tried all his persuasive powers with Mr. Davidson, the genial host, to get a carriage, or even a dogcart, ready for him without delay. But the storm still raged, and he was told that the roads were quite impassable either for driving or riding, and he would require to remain where he was for the night. 'But,' said the would-be and now desperate Benedict, 'I must get to Cambo, as I am to be married to-night.' The hotelkeeper assured him that in the circumstances it was impossible, but promised to do the best he could for him the next morning if the weather moderated. At length, convinced that nothing more could be done, the disappointed swain was obliged to bow to the inevitable, and eat his solitary dinner with what resignation he could command. It was a severe trial of patience, but there was nothing else for it, and so he remained overnight in the friendly shelter of the 'Royal,' in the hope that he might get release the following day. Sir Thomas Erskine, meanwhile, expecting the bridegroom to come by way of Anstruther, where the roads happened not to be so badly blocked, had sent a carriage with the young bride to meet him there. But no Wauchope appeared, and the young lady had to return home without tidings of her lover. The disappointment of all may be better imagined than described, and the wedding was of course postponed sine die. The following morning the storm had somewhat abated, but the snow-drift still lay deep on the roads, making them quite impassable for wheeled vehicles. Davidson, true to his word, however, gave him the best horse in his stable, repacked his luggage in carpet-bags slung across the back of another, and with a groom in attendance Wauchope courageously faced the elements to meet his bride. It was a toilsome business, and not without danger. At Browhill, some two miles from St. Andrews, the block was so deep that they were compelled to make a detour, or 'a flank movement,' as he afterwards described it, across the fields, but in doing so they came to grief. The horse which Wauchope rode stumbled and fell through the accumulated snow into a deep ditch, where it was well-nigh smothered, and the combined efforts of Wauchope and groom utterly failed to extricate the poor animal. At length assistance was procured, a number of farm servants from the neighbourhood giving willing help, and after a good deal of exertion it was at length got out, while the groom, wiping the perspiration from his brow, declared, 'This is terrible work, captain; it's worse than Egypt yet!' The remainder of the nine-mile journey was completed in safety. Love had triumphed. A warm welcome greeted the belated bridegroom at Cambo, and though 'one day after date,' the marriage cheque was duly honoured!

The hopes of his friends at home that he might now give up active service, and become a local county magnate, were not, however, to be realised. Captain Wauchope, accompanied by his young wife, returned to Egypt a few weeks after their marriage, to take up his military duties with the Black Watch; and there, in the quaint old Oriental city of Cairo, they spent together the first and, alas, the last year of their married life.

Life in Cairo

Perhaps no other town under the sun has so many different characteristics as Cairo, and certainly few places afford such strong contrasts. It is at one and the same time an official capital, a city of immemorial antiquity, a garrison town, a health resort, an Oriental centre, and the Paris of the Dark Continent. Half the hidden charm of Cairo and its surroundings, it has been said, consists of the strongly incongruous sights that meet an observant eye: the modern woman leaning on her bicycle, and steadfastly looking at the unchanging eyes of the Sphinx, or a laughing party of officers and Americans in the shadow of the Great Pyramid, or among the tombs of the caliphs, its Oriental bazaar crowded with British soldiers and sailors: an old world and a new. Chief among the attractions of Cairo is its climate, combining almost continuous sunshine, comparative warmth, and an air of pure and tonic qualities.

Mrs. Wauchope resided during these months at the Grand Hotel, within comparatively easy distance of Kass-el-Nil barracks, where the captain's daily duties lay, and amid new surroundings found much to interest her, while she materially helped him in his work among the men of his regiment.

Unfortunately, though the climate as a rule is excellent during the greater part of the year, sanitary arrangements and modes of living were not then, whatever they may be now, such as to prevent the evils to which most Eastern cities are subject. Cholera, one of the scourges of the East, broke out in Cairo among the Copts in the summer of 1883, and, spreading among the better classes of society, even found its way among the British soldiers. Their removal from Cairo for a time was considered absolutely necessary; but before this could be effected, the Black Watch had suffered considerably from the epidemic. As soon as possible, however, cholera-camps were formed at Suez in July, where the greater part of the regiment remained till the beginning of September. During this time Captain Wauchope, with the rank of brigade-major, was left in charge of the Kass-el-Nil barracks with a small detachment; and surrounded as they were with an epidemic which was then cutting down hundreds of poor natives, without adequate means of relieving the distress, he was much moved by what he saw, and did his utmost to help. His first care was of course for the soldiers under his command. They did not altogether escape, and in a number of cases that occurred he was assiduous in his attention. Regardless of danger to himself, he would go back and forward between the hospital and the barracks, giving all the comfort and material assistance that were required.

But it was not merely in his co-operation with medical men and nurses that Wauchope's aid was given: he was a valued co-worker with the chaplain, assisting him in visiting and addressing meetings. The Rev. John Mactaggart, who was then acting with the 42nd in Egypt, says, 'He was always ready to aid me, and willingly responded to any reasonable request for money on behalf of the men, such as in helping to defray expenses incurred in holding social, temperance, or religious meetings.' 'I remember,' he continues, 'in the summer of 1883, the cholera, after raging for weeks among the native population, attacked the British troops. As a precautionary measure, these were dispersed and located at considerable distances from Cairo, the Black Watch being sent to the brackish lake near Suez. Captain Wauchope's sympathetic nature was deeply stirred by the many sad sights around him in Cairo, where he remained through it all with a small company of the regiment. Two of his men were stricken down, one immediately after the other, with the fell disease, and not being able myself to attend to them at once, he was full of anxiety about them, and could not rest till he got me to see them at the barracks, quite heedless of danger to himself.'

To many a poor fellow he was throughout all this trying time a friend indeed, counselling, helping, and encouraging wherever he had the opportunity.

At the evening voluntary meetings in the barracks, too, he frequently took a part with the chaplain in the religious services. His consistent manly conduct and the quiet, unobtrusive profession of his faith at this time, not only endeared him to many, but gave him a wonderful influence for good which it is difficult fully to estimate.

A Cairo mob

Every one has his own characteristic: Wauchope's was consideration for his men. 'Years ago,' says a friend, 'I was in the street in Cairo with him, when there approached us a bareheaded Highlander, running for his life, and pursued by a crowd of Arabs armed with sticks. Captain Wauchope halted the fugitive, turned about, ordered him to fall in in front, and thus we marched to the barracks, the mob howling behind. The Captain handed the man over to the sergeant of the guard, and notified his intention of giving evidence in the orderly-room next morning. A few days later I was to meet the Captain at the club and take a drive with him. On arrival there, I found a note directing me to come to the hospital. The orderly led me to a ward, but I could see no Captain. I interviewed the orderly again, and he told me to go to the far end and I would find him. There, on the bed of his colour-sergeant, retailing the day's news, sat the officer commanding his company. On my approach, with a cheery adieu and a promise to come back again on the morrow, Wauchope rose and went for his drive.'

Mrs. Wauchope was sent home in the summer of 1883, as it was not considered safe for her to remain in Cairo, and she was joined by the Captain in November. They took up their residence at Niddrie for six weeks, afterwards going to Cambo on a visit. Towards the end of January they proceeded to London, where Mrs. Wauchope gave birth to twins—both boys. The joy of this event was, however, speedily followed a few days after, on the 3rd February, by the death of Mrs. Wauchope.

It was a terrible blow to the Captain, and though he bowed submissively to the will of God, he none the less felt his loss keenly, and for a time was inconsolable.

The children were taken to Cambo, where, under the charge of Lady Erskine, they were tenderly nursed and cared for, while Wauchope himself sought in renewed activity to forget, if possible, the misery of his bereavement. When they were three years old both the children unfortunately caught scarlet fever. One, a specially promising child, died, and the other was left a hopeless invalid.

CHAPTER VI

THE EASTERN SOUDAN—BATTLE OF EL-TEB—ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE GENERAL GORDON—ASCENT OF THE NILE—THE WHALE-BOATS—BATTLE OF KIRBEKAN—RETURN TO CAIRO—MALTA—GIBRALTAR.

Though peace had been restored to Egypt by our arms, and security of life and property was being established and upheld by the presence in the country of the army of occupation, new troubles were brewing in the upper waters of the Nile. General Gordon, as the representative of the Khedive in the far-away capital of the Soudan province of Upper Egypt, was endeavouring to maintain law and order in the midst of turbulent tribes of wild Arabs. Disaffection and rebellion against Egyptian authority broke out on all sides, and the first murmurings were heard of a new power emerging out of the African darkness, threatening to overwhelm and sweep before its fanatical sword every evidence of modern civilisation. The rise of the Mahdi as a religious and political force was one of the most extraordinary movements of modern times, and can only find a parallel in that of Mohammed himself, whose follower the Mahdi or Prophet of God professed to be. With a success at first truly marvellous, he managed so to impress his claims to sanctity upon the Arab tribes of the Soudan, that they flocked to his standard in thousands. Cleverly seizing the occasion of discontent at excessive taxation and the destruction of the slave trade, which, under European influence, the Egyptian government had attempted, the Mahdi el Muntazer raised the cry of revolt, and openly proclaimed himself, by the grace of God and his Prophet, master of the country. His fanatical pretensions, carrying the weight of religious sanctity, bore down all opposition for a time. General Gordon was sent to stem the torrent, and reaching Khartoum on the 18th of February 1884, bravely held it against overwhelming numbers for eleven months.

The British authorities who were responsible for Gordon's appointment, but who were unfortunately not equally alive to the danger of his position, resolved at length upon an expedition for his relief, to proceed by the Red Sea to the port of Suakim to operate in the Eastern Soudan, between the sea and the River Nile, where a number of Egyptian garrisons were being threatened by the rebellious tribes under Osman Digna. British troops in and about Cairo, Alexandria, and other stations were at once despatched under the command of Sir Gerald Graham to quell the disturbance. Wauchope, who had received the appointment from Lord Wolseley of Assistant-Adjutant and Quartermaster-General to the expedition, left England on short notice, and, accompanied by Sir Redvers Buller, arrived in the Red Sea towards the end of February, in time to take his share in active operations against the enemy, who were strongly fortified and in possession of Tokar.

Battle of El-Teb

The expeditionary force was landed at Trinkitat, a port on the Red Sea, some miles south of Suakim, and Tokar being inland, a long and fatiguing march had to be undertaken to reach it. When half-way they encountered the Arabs in a strongly entrenched position in the desert at the wells of El-Teb, and here, on the 29th February, a fierce conflict took place, the Arabs fighting with great determination. The Black Watch and the York and Lancashire Regiment took a prominent part in the battle, and suffered severely. To the former fell the main attack on the right and centre of the enemy's position, where their chief strength lay, protected as it was by skilfully constructed rifle-pits, defended by resolute men, ready to die rather than yield.

Captain Wauchope escaped with his life as by a miracle. Being on horseback, charging the enemy's guns, he was a prominent figure in the fight, and was unfortunately struck down by a musket-shot, which entered the lower part of his body. He was only saved from instant death by the friendly intervention of his binoculars, which were hanging by his side, the bullet striking the glass and smashing it to pieces. He was carried off the field, and at once attended to. But the wound was of such a serious nature that little hope was entertained of his recovery. The battle over, and the Arabs completely routed, the British force proceeded on their way to Tokar without further opposition, and relieved the small garrison there. Wauchope and the other wounded men were taken back to Trinkitat and put on board ship for Suez.

When sufficiently recovered to be able to be removed from the hospital, he rejoined the Black Watch at Cairo in the month of April. The binoculars which, it may be said, saved his life at El-Teb have been carefully preserved, and may now be seen in their shattered condition among other relics and war trophies in Niddrie House.

For his gallant conduct at the battle of El-Teb, Wauchope received a favourable mention in General Graham's despatches, which procured for him the medal and two clasps, and what was perhaps of more importance, the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel.

He suffered long and severely from the wound he had received, but he was much benefited in health by a visit which he made to his old friend Sir Robert Biddulph at Mount Troodos in Cyprus during the summer of that year.

In the autumn came further rumours from the Soudan of the rising power of the Mahdi, and the danger with which General Gordon was threatened of being overwhelmed in the capture of Khartoum. It was now resolved that active and immediate steps should be taken in order if possible to relieve him, notwithstanding that the distance was great, and the road perilous, and to a great extent unknown. The Black Watch was called upon once more to undertake this difficult task, and officers and men responded to the call with enthusiastic delight. The regiment at Cairo numbered about 700, and at an inspection there by General Sir Garnet Wolseley on 16th September, he complimented Colonel Bayly and the officers and men under him on the highly efficient state in which they then were, and the pride with which the people of England had followed them in the gallant upholding of 'the honour of their splendid and historic regiment.' 'I do not think,' he continued, 'there will be much fighting in the coming campaign, but there will be very hard work, and I shall want you to show that you can work hard as well as fight. If there is any fighting to be done, I know that I have only to call on the Black Watch, and you will behave as you have always done.'

Relief of Khartoum

The sequel proved this to be a true forecast. The expedition was beset with difficulties from first to last, and the labour involved was enormous—the pity of it being, that after all, the result was not commensurate with the cost, and was altogether disappointing. With Cairo as their starting-point and Khartoum as their goal, the intervening space of over fifteen hundred miles, with its sandy plains, its waste howling wilderness, held by hostile tribes of Arabs, had to be covered by our troops. This was a work of no ordinary kind, and involved not only skill in planning, but persevering toil in execution, which tried to the utmost the stuff our soldiers are made of. The Black Watch, led by such men as Colonels Green, Bayly, Kidston, Coveny, Eden, and Wauchope were a host in themselves, and abundantly justified the confidence reposed in them by the commander-in-chief. The expedition started on 5th October by rail to Assouan, where they hoped immediately to begin the ascent of the Nile by steamers and barges. Unfortunately, one or two cases of smallpox here broke out among the men of the 42nd, and the regiment was compelled to go into quarantine for four weeks. They pitched their camp within a palm-grove close to Assouan on the banks of the Nile, and the tedium of enforced idleness was relieved by preparation for the arduous task before them. Colonel Wauchope energetically exerted himself during these weeks, and in the off hours of drill encouraged the men not only in out-door sports of all kinds, but was active in getting up theatrical and other entertainments for their amusement. In this way the time passed pleasantly until the regiment was released from quarantine on 12th November, when the real forward movement for the relief of General Gordon commenced, so far as the Black Watch was concerned. Embarking at Philae, famed for its ancient island temple, in steamers and barges, the voyage of two hundred and fifty miles was safely accomplished to Wady Halfa, after which, avoiding the second cataract of the Nile, the journey to Sarras was made overland. Here there was considerable detention waiting the arrival of a large flotilla of 800 whale boats—which had been commissioned from England by Lord Wolseley for transporting the troops up the river. Regiment after regiment were here embarked to fight the cataracts, the rapids, and the shallows of the mysterious river whose source had for ages been hidden in the dark recesses of the African Continent. Surely no stranger or more gigantic armed force ever floated on its waters either before or since the days of Egypt's ancient greatness!

The Nile Expedition

As it was, the British soldier—'capable of going anywhere and doing anything'—had for the nonce to convert himself into a boatman; and that he had much to learn in this capacity may be gathered from one of the jokes familiar to the expeditionary force, to the effect that one day a man at the helm, on receiving the order 'put your helm down,' immediately proceeded to place the tiller in the bottom of the boat, and innocently awaited further orders! The boats provided were about thirty feet long, seven feet beam, and with a draught of two and a half feet. As the boats were destined each to be self-supporting, they had, when finally loaded, supplies of ammunition, ordnance, and commissariat stores for fourteen men for one hundred days. But it was not unusual for the boats to be carrying practically one hundred and twenty days' rations and other stores, and reserve ammunition for fourteen men, with a crew of eight men in each boat. Great caution and skill were necessary in an expedition so full of novelty and danger, and if accidents did happen, it is no matter of surprise, considering that it was through an almost entirely unknown country and among hostile tribes their course lay. With a falling river, too, the dangers and difficulties were increased, for boats were frequently striking sunken rocks, and springing leaks, which necessitated their being hauled up on the river bank, unloaded of their tons of stores, and then repaired by the soldiers themselves, for there was no one else to do it. In some places there was barely room for a loaded camel to pass between the perpendicular rocks; in others, where the path was wider, the rocks had been prepared for defence by loop-holed stone sconces. There was no order or regularity in the formation of the rocks. 'They seemed,' said one eye-witness, 'to have been upheaved in a mass, in some great volcanic convulsion, and to have fallen one upon another in every direction.'

Throughout this remarkable voyage Colonel Wauchope's early naval experience stood him in good stead. Having the command of the E company of the Black Watch he had charge of sixteen boats, with ten men in each. He divided the company into two parts so that each section might have free scope, and collisions be avoided; and, thanks to his ever watchful eye and naval skill, the soldiers in the boats speedily became expert sailors. From the Rev. Mr. Mactaggart, who accompanied the expedition at the special desire of Colonel Wauchope, and was in his company, we give the following narrative. 'According to Lord Wolseley's orders, each boat was to have been provided with one or two Canadian steersmen, but in some way it was found impossible to get this, and after two days' delay we succeeded in getting away with one Canadian in every second boat—eight men instead of thirty-two; much therefore depended on Wauchope himself. Before starting on several occasions, I remember he had all of us assembled on the river-side, and gave out minute instructions theoretically and practically how to enter the boat, how to sit on the bench, how to handle the oar, and how to splice a rope. His instructions were always much needed and most excellent. Then as to loading and unloading, he would demonstrate how this could most easily be done, and with least danger. He was careful to emphasise his caution as to managing the boats in the strong eddies and currents of the stream, and above all to avoid racing or endeavouring to get ahead of each other. With a vein of humour in his voice, and yet meant as a serious joke, he would say—"Mind you, my men, no Derby racing!" On one occasion, in pulling the boats over a strong current, two boats' crews were necessary to get one at a time over it, but through some hitch one of these with its contents would have been irretrievably lost but for his opportune energy and pluck. The men, exhausted with the heavy strain upon them, slackened the rope, and in a moment the boat had turned and was being carried back. Wauchope at once seized the rope, and held on to it tenaciously, though drawn in among the rocks at the edge of the rapid, and had his hands very much lacerated for his pains.'

Fighting the Cataracts

Many incidents—some amusing and some serious enough—occurred in these daily battles with the river; but Wauchope was ever in the thick of it if a difficulty occurred; and while as commander he was prompt in giving his orders, he was never above giving his men a helping hand when needed. 'It was during our toilsome ascent of the third and fourth cataracts,' says another comrade of the expedition, 'a staff officer was detailed in charge of different districts up the banks, whose duty it was to guide and instruct the boats in their passage up the rapids, or, as the men put it, "to worry and irritate the troops." On one occasion Colonel Wauchope's boat was in trouble, and the staff officer was shouting any amount of advice gratis from the bank. Thinking apparently that enough notice was not being taken of his instructions, he called out, "You No. 2 boat there, do you know who I am? I am Colonel Primrose of the Guards." This immediately drew the following answer from a wild-looking, red-headed, and half-naked worker in the boat, "And do you know who I am, sir? I am Colonel Wauchope of the Black Watch, so honours are easy!"' Though otherwise kind to a fault, in the matter of discipline he was firm as a rock in adhering strictly to orders. Indeed at this juncture he was invaluable to the regiment, for he acted at the same time both as president of the canteen and mess; and as one of his brother officers informs us, 'it was only through his continual forethought that we were able to obtain supplies for our daily wants.' 'A favourite dinner on the Nile,' says one of his men, 'which was looked upon as a great luxury, was one pound of bacon per man, in place of the usual tinned meat, as by dint of self-denial a bit of it might be saved for breakfast next morning. This was served out by the captain, and great was the consternation one day in the drum-major's boat when the cook fell overboard with the boat's rations in his hand. The man was secured, but the bacon went to the crocodiles. The matter being reported to Colonel Wauchope, it was hoped the rations might be replaced. But not having seen the accident, he was obdurate. The ration had been issued and could not be replaced, so the unfortunate boat's crew worked hard all that day on biscuit and tea only. Evening came, and tea was being made when word was passed along the bank that the drum-major was wanted by Colonel Wauchope. Hope sprang up that he had relented at the eleventh hour; but no such luck. To his honour be it said, however, he divided his own pound of bacon with the drum-major that night, and it was his all, for officers and men fared alike at that time.' Still they knew their commander, and no grumble was heard. Though he might be strict, they all felt he had their interest at heart.

The rough work of fighting the cataracts was telling sorely upon uniforms and shoes, some of the men being actually in rags. They had proceeded as far as Ambu-Kui, and the necessity for having new boots was so pressing, Wauchope set out two or three miles inland to where there was a bazaar and bought for his men all the boots and shoes he could get. The old dervish from whom he purchased them assured him with all seriousness of their excellence, saying, 'Well now, oh ye faithful, if you buy them you can go straight to Paradise'—a recommendation of his goods which the colonel enjoyed immensely.

Battle of Kirbekan

Struggling on from day to day in their toilsome up-river journey, one hope animated every breast, that the gallant general holding his own with defection and treachery among his native troops in Khartoum, and a fanatical horde of Arabs under the Mahdi outside its walls, would be able to hold out until the arrival of the British force on its way to relieve him. General Gordon was in a most critical position. The enemy being numerous, and ever increasing, hemmed him in on all sides, while famine was pressing him even more seriously within. It was a long road, and bravely Lord Wolseley encouraged his troops to renewed exertions. In the first week of January 1885 the leading companies of the 42nd Highlanders arrived at Korti, and on the 13th January the headquarters rowed into Hamdab with fifty-four boats. By the 20th the whole regiment was once more together at Hamdab, and with the South Staffordshire, the 2nd Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, one squadron of the 19th Hussars, an Egyptian Camel Corps, and a section of the Engineers and Bluejackets, formed the Nile River Column, under Major-General Earle. Making a further advance, the difficult Edermih Cataract was surmounted on the 25th January, and the Kab-el-Abd Cataract two days after. But it was only by the daring skill of the Canadian voyageurs and the constant toil of the whole force that the boats were got successfully over, for now the currents of the river were getting more difficult to face. At the fourth or Bird Cataract they began to feel the enemy in stronger force, and at Kirbekan, some seven miles further on, the ground overlooking the Nile was found to be fortified with every determination to resist the passage of the boats. The troops were accordingly formed for battle, and the British line under General Earle advanced upon the entrenchments. Finding it impossible, however, to dislodge the Arabs by musketry fire alone, orders were given for the Black Watch to carry the position by the bayonet. The regiment responded gallantly to the order. The pipers struck up, and with a cheer the Black Watch rushed forward with a steadiness and valour that were irresistible, and which called forth the enthusiastic admiration of the general. From the loop-holed walls of the enemy the rifle puffs shot out continuously, but, undaunted by danger, the 42nd scaled the rocks, and at the point of the bayonet drove them from their shelter.

Colonel Bayly of the 42nd, who commanded the left-half battalion, has favoured us with the following account of Wauchope's intrepid daring in this action. 'Kirbekan,' he says, 'was one of the last fights at which I was present with him. He was in command of a company of my half battalion in the attack on the Arabs' position, a high, precipitous rocky range rising from the river's bank. We were fully engaged, when Wauchope, asking my leave, descended the precipitous bank of the river, then in full flood. Returning in a few minutes, he said he could take the company over the rocks, and with perhaps a little wading he could turn the flank of the kopje held by the enemy. This he did, and rolled the enemy up to their final stand, a roughly built stone shanty, where General Earle (who was in command) and Colonel Coveny met their deaths. And here Wauchope himself was badly wounded.' Meanwhile the cavalry had captured the enemy's camp, and the Staffordshire regiment had gallantly stormed the last remaining ridge. The battle of Kirbekan was won on the 11th February.

Wauchope was assisted down from among the high rocks by his friends Captain Stewart and Mr. Mactaggart, the chaplain, and had his wound attended to by Dr. Harvey and Dr. Flood. They found his shoulder very much shattered, and were of opinion that his arm would have to be amputated. He himself was apparently not conscious that he was dangerously wounded, and endeavoured to treat the matter lightly. Having persuaded the doctors to delay the operation till next day, we are told he seemed after a little to be more concerned about the condition of his brother officer, Lord Alexander Kennedy, who had also been severely wounded in the action, than about himself. After further consultation, to the great relief of Wauchope, it was determined to give him a chance of saving his arm. The wound was carefully and successfully dressed. This disablement, however, reduced him from the position of an active leader in the expedition to that of a mere spectator. He was quite laid aside for a time, and compelled to remain in one of the boats floating on the Nile—no pleasant experience for one of his active temperament.