men and material I took with, me on my sporting
excursions the better sport I always got, and the freer
and more independent I was to carry on the chase. I
need now only say I acted on this conviction, and I
think, I may add, I managed it successfully; for there
are now but few animals to be found in either India,
Tibet, or the Himalaya Mountains, specimens of which
have not fallen victims to my gun. Of this the paternal
hall is an existing testimony. Every year after
the war I obtained leave of absence, and every year I
marched across the Himalayas, and penetrated into
some unknown portions of Tibet, shooting, collecting,
and mapping the country wherever I went. My messmates
wondered how it was I succeeded in getting so
much leave; but the reason was simply this, and I
tell it that others may profit by i t :—The Comman-
der-in-Chief, Sir William Gomm, observing to what
good account I always turned my leave, instead of
idling my time away, or running into debt, took great
pleasure in encouraging my hobby; and his Staff were
even heard to say it would be a pity if I did not get
leave, as so much good resulted from it.
The 3d September 1854 completed my tenth years
servitude in India, and on the succeeding day, the 4th,
I embarked on board one of the P. and 0. Company’s
steamers at Calcutta, and left the Indian shore for
Aden; but previously to my departure I purchased various
cheap articles of barter, all as tempting and seductive
as I could find, for the simple-minded negroes of
Africa. These consisted principally of cheap guns, revolving
pistols, swords, cheap cutlery of all sorts, beads,
cotton stuffs of a variety of kinds, and sewing material,
&c. &c. See., to the amount of £390 sterling. Arrived at
Aden, my first step was to visit Colonel Outram, the
political resident, to open my views to him with regard
to penetrating Africa, and to solicit his assistance to
my doing so, by granting introductory letters to the
native chiefs on the coast, and in any other manner that
he could. But to my utter astonishment and discomfiture,
with the frank and characteristic ardour which
has marked him through life, he at once said he would
not only withhold his influence, but would prohibit
my going there at all, as the countries opposite to
Aden were so extremely dangerous for any foreigners
to travel in, that he considered it his duty as a Christian
to prevent, as far as he was able, anybody from
hazarding his life there. This opposition, fortunately,
only lasted for a time. After repeated supplications
on my part, the generous kind nature of the Colonel
overcame him, and he thought of a pretext by which,
should anything serious happen to me, there would not
remain any onus on his conscience.
The Bombay Government at that time had been induced
to order an expedition to be organised for the
purpose of investigating the Somali country—a large
tract of land lying due south of Aden, and separated
only from the Arabian coast by the Gulf of Aden—
and had appointed three officers, Lieutenant Burton to
command, and Lieutenants Stroyan and Herne to
assist in its conduct. To this project Colonel Outram