ATTACHED TO THE FRENCH MILITARY STAFF IN ALGERIA—THE MINIE RIFLE—INTERVIEWS WITH THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND OTHERS—WAR AT THE CAPE—I OFFER MY SERVICES—RED-TAPE DIFFICULTIES—START FOR THE CAPE.

In the year 1847 I was attached to the French staff in Algeria, and during several expeditions, both against Arabs and Kabyles, I became deeply impressed with the great superiority of the Minie rifle over the old smooth-bore. On my return to England I did all I could to enforce on the military authorities the advantages of this new weapon.

The Duke of Wellington gave me to understand, in several interviews he honoured me with, that he was perfectly satisfied as to the principle on which the Minie was constructed, but hesitated in giving effect to this opinion, on the conviction that the rapid twist of the rifling would so increase the recoil as to render this new weapon useless to the British soldier.

His Grace frequently observed, “Englishmen take aim, Frenchmen fire anyhow;” and no man could stand fairly up to harder kicking than old Brown Bess already gave.

General Browne, to whom the Duke handed me over for any further information I might have to impart, thought, after lengthened investigation, that the weapon was a good one for taking long shots from ramparts, but scouted the idea that it would ever be useful for active service in the field.

Colonel Airey, to whom General Browne confided me, asked if the Duke had really examined the gun; and on my assuring him that he had done so on several occasions, expressed his surprise at his Grace’s having had so much patience. This naturally brought my interviews to a close with the military authorities.

Shortly afterwards the war broke out at the Cape, and the British army was, as usual, being kneaded into shape. The process, however, was so disintegrating, that the authorities at home were anxiously looking out for fresh food for powder. I therefore volunteered my services, under the condition that the men that served under me should have the Minie rifle. After much consideration, I was kindly told that I might order two hundred rifles at my own expense; and the military authorities would allow me to enlist two hundred volunteers—also at my own expense—and afterwards give us a free passage to the Cape, to go and shoot, and be shot at by, the Kaffirs.

I accepted the offer as to the rifles, but declined to enlist the men in England. I need not say, that having no staff to aid me in enlisting, and no barracks to put the men in, the task was impossible. It was finally agreed that I was to engage the men at the Cape, and clothe them, the Government giving rations and pay as in the army.

I at once ordered fifty double-barrelled rifles of Messrs Barnett & Sons, Tower Hill, London, and one hundred and fifty single barrels on the same principle, of Messrs Hall, Birmingham. The rifles were soon ready; but the military authorities insisted on lengthy trials to burst them—to prove, I suppose, that they would be more dangerous to those who used them than to those they were used against. The cartridges also underwent innumerable trials: it was supposed by long-headed gentlemen at Woolwich, that the iron caps in the base of the bullets might be so struck that a spark could be emitted, the cartridge explode, and the engineer be hoisted by his own petard. Colonel P—— of the 12th gravely surmised the possibility of one man communicating the danger to another; upon which Mr Jeffrey, of marine-blue fame, laughingly remarked that the battalion in that case would begin file-firing by shooting themselves off instead of their firelocks. These, and other equally reasonable suppositions, kept me in England, until I began to fear, from the accounts of slaughter sent home, that there would not be a Kaffir left to try my guns upon. However, as I knew from experience that despatches intended for a public a long way off were apt to be put in a very trumpet-speaking style, and how that through a little bit of brass a little puff can make a big noise, I started for the Cape in the good ship Harbinger, still in the hopes of proving the usefulness of this new weapon.