me away from Africa as they had been to hurry me out there.

In August I spent three very enjoyable and instructive weeks as the
guest of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Germany, while the
manoeuvres at Hanover and Schleswig-Holstein were taking place.

Shortly before leaving England for Madras, I was asked by Mr.
Childers, the then Secretary of State for War, whether I would accept
the appointment of Quartermaster-General at the Horse Guards, in
succession to Sir Garnet Wolseley. The offer, in some ways, was
rather a temptation to me, for I had a great wish to take part in the
administration of our army; and had it been made sooner, before my
arrangements for going to Madras had been completed, I think I should
have accepted it at once; as it was, I begged to be allowed to join my
new command, and leave the question of the Quartermaster-Generalship
in abeyance until it was about to become vacant. This was agreed to,
and I started for Madras, taking my wife and two little daughters with
me, the boy being left at school in England.

On arriving in Madras, on the 27th November, I had the pleasure
to find myself associated as a colleague in Council with Mr.
Grant-Duff,[1] who had recently been appointed Governor of the
Presidency. We spent a few pleasant days with him and Mrs. Grant-Duff
at Government House, before proceeding to deposit our children at
Ootacamund, that Queen of Indian Hill-stations, which was to be our
home for four years. We spent Christmas there, and then went to Burma,
visiting the Andaman Islands on the way. We had on board our ship some
prisoners destined for that convict settlement, amongst whom cholera
unfortunately broke out a few hours after we left Madras. They were
accommodated just outside my wife's cabin, and their cries and groans
were most distressing. Very little could be done for them on board,
for the Native Doctor accompanying us possessed no remedy but castor
oil! and as the disease was spreading rapidly, I took upon myself to
have the party landed at Vizagapatam.

The cholera patients were put into tents on the sea-shore, under the
charge of a medical officer, and every arrangement possible for their
comfort and relief was made before we proceeded on our journey.

During our stay at Port Blair, the Head-Quarters of the Andaman
Administration, we were the guests of the hospitable Superintendent,
Lieutenant-Colonel Protheroe, who had been one of the political
officers on my sta