The actual advance of the 1st division may be said to have commenced on the 17th of June, when the gallant bluejackets and Marines (the Naval Brigade), one troop of Lonsdale's Horse, and one troop of Royal Engineers effected an important though short movement from Fort Pearson, the so-called base, to Fort Chelmsford; while the 57th Foot and Barton's Contingent pushed on to Fort Crealock. General Crealock, with his headquarters, arrived at Fort Crealock on the following day, and on the 19th reached Fort Chelmsford. The road at starting from Fort Pearson led up a steep ascent and across a table-land, gradually sloping towards the west, with occasional slight undulations, until it came to the steep and almost cliff-like descent into the valley of the Amatikula. Here frequent outcrops of sandstone and quartz were noticeable to the engineers, whose professional enthusiasm was excited at seeing before them the materials for building a permanent fort in the district. Crystalline pebbles were plentiful, and the soil, which was in some places of a reddish hue, was at other points a pure white silver sand, both, however, being covered by a considerable layer of vegetable mould. Many beautiful flowers gladdened the eye on the march, amongst which were tiger lilies, convolvuli, primulas of a rich deep yellow, and another species having the appearance of a foxglove opened back. In the valley of the Amatikula were some thorn-bushes of osier-like growth, which the natives use for fencing their kraals, and these bore large purple bell-shaped flowers. On the coast grow some of a similar nature, and a full mile further on were white primulas, large yellow daisies, and small red and blue flowers not unlike forget-me-nots. After this came some rough marching, excessively trying to the waggons and oxen, over very steep hills, through patches of tiger-grass, and across ravines forty and fifty feet deep, with almost precipitous sides, at each of which it became necessary to unload the more heavily-laden waggons and carry the contents up by hand. All the hills were exceedingly rocky, being composed mostly of granite, but in some instances of nearly pure quartz, thickly clothed, however, with trees whenever the inequalities of the ground and surface allowed the soil to accumulate. The greater number of these trees were acacias in full bloom, their red, white, and yellow blossoms, and those of other flowering trees standing out in rich masses of gorgeous and Turneresque colour. Late in the afternoon the column arrived at the camping-ground near Fort Crealock, where the works were proceeding rapidly towards completion, and every preparation was being made to reconnoitre on to the Umlalasi. The laager was formed above a rocky pass, having at the bottom pools of water in splendid granite basins. Out of these two small streams issued, one running west and the other east, and falling ultimately into the Umlalasi and the Umlatoosi. The next day a patrol