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.' [Sidenote: 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 {49} 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 {50} 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