ho was also seeing the Rifle Brigade off
with a party of relatives whom I took over the _Kildonan Castle_.

Here I may mention, to show the different rates of speed, that the
_German_ carrying the Rifle Brigade, actually arrived at Capetown some
hours after the _Briton_ (in which I myself left later on for South
Africa), although it started ten days before us. I have very pleasant
recollections of being associated with Major Edwards of the Berkshire
Regiment in embarking the Reserves of the 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards in
the _Goorkha_, which ship I had been superintending for so long; I was
able to get their Commanding Officer, Major Kincaid, two good cabins,
for which I think he was much obliged to me. These Reserves were going
to Gibraltar to pick up the main Battalions of their regiment which
took part later on (3rd and 4th November) in Lord Methuen's actions at
Belmont and Graspan.

After the 27th October the transport ships left Southampton in ones
and twos, and we were not so hard pushed; in fact, the work was
becoming rather monotonous, till, on the evening of the 2nd November,
our Secretary, Mr. Alton, R.N., rushed up to me with a wire telling me
to be prepared immediately to leave for the Cape. I was very pleased,
and thought myself extremely lucky to get out to the scene of war with
a chance of going to the front; and after saying a hurried good-bye to
all my friends I left Southampton on the 4th November in the _Briton_;
my father[1] saw me off and gave me some letters of introduction; Lord
Wolseley also kindly wrote about me to Sir Redvers Buller; all my old
colleagues of the Transport Service gave me a most cordial send-off,
and we steamed out of the docks about 7 p.m. in heavy rain, which did
not, however, damp the enthusiasm of hundreds of people who waited to
see the last of us. In saying farewell to the Transport Service I
could not help thinking how much courtesy and assistance we transport
officers received from the captains and officers of all the ships
under our inspection, and how much we admired their keen feeling and
hard work in the interests of the public service. I hope this may be
recognised when war rewards are given.

[Footnote 1: General Sir Owen Tudor Burne.]

Our voyage was a good one, being calm enough after the first day, and
all going well up to Madeira (where I landed for the sixth time) as
well as on the onward voyage in which we went through the usual
routine of ship life