THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY.

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sentation took place, on the 22nd of October, at the Guildhall, and was conducted with all the ceremony usual on the rare occasions when potent sovereigns and successful generals have been similarly honoured. The list of the latter includes some of the greatest soldiers this country has produced-for the city authorities have ever jealously guarded the admission into their Valhalla of heroes—and reads almost like an epitome of our military history. The roll commences before the time of Monk and Marlborough, and, beginning with the first year of this century, includes the following names: Sir Ralph Abercrombie, fresh from his achievements in the West Indies, and just before he embarked for that expedition to Egypt, destined to be fatal to himself, but glorious to his country. Sir David Baird, who, with General Harris and Colonel Wellesley, beat down the power of Tippoo Sultan at Seringapatam, and wrested Cape Colony from the Dutch. The Iron Duke and his Lieutenants, Graham and Beresford, and others; the bluff old Blücher, called by his soldiers 'Marshal Forward;' Barclay de Tolly, and Platoff, the bold and remorseless leader of the Don Cossacks; and the Austrian General Swartzenburg, the victor of Leipsic-a remarkable group, the military representatives of the allied nations, whose sovereigns visited the Prince Regent in 1814.

Our Indian triumphs supplied some of the most noted recipients of civic swords of honour. Among these were Nott, Sale, and Pollock, the three veterans who upheld our honour in Afghanistan after it had been dragged in the mire through the incompetence of other commanders. Sir Charles Napier, a year later, earned his sword for his marvellous campaign in Scinde; and then came Lord Gough, who retrieved his

command of the Expedition to the Gold Coast, by which he obtained results conducive to peace, commerce, and civilization on the Continent of Africa. The whole of the work, executed in silver-gilt, enriched with fine gold and enamel, is richly chased.

laurels at Goojerat, and Lord Hardinge, the hero of Albuera and Ferozeshur, where the sceptre of empire was nearly wrested from our hands by the soldiers of the Khalsa; and Sir Harry Smith, the victor of Aliwal. Sir William Williams was the next recipient for his defence of Kars, aided by Lake and Teesdale; and then there appeared upon the scene, to receive a reward he had earned by fifty years' hard service in Spain, America, China, India, and the Crimea, that fine veteran, Lord Clyde, who was quickly succeeded by his brother-in-arms and equal in fame, that Bayard of the Indian army, sans peur et sans reproche, Sir James Outram, both so soon to lie in the Abbey. Last on this roll of glorious names was Lord Napier of Magdala, the conqueror of Theodore, and the friend of Outram, whose high opinion of his military talents has been fully justified. And now there came into the city, to receive the civic honours, a General, young in years when compared with any of those who preceded him, but not unworthy to enroll his name among theirs as that of a soldier who had done the state some service on many fields and in varied climes.*

Soon after Sir Garnet Wolseley's return from Ashantee, he was appointed Inspector-General of the Auxiliary Forces, in succession to his friend Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir James Lindsay. In February, 1875, he was called upon by the Government to proceed to Natal, and assume temporarily the direction of military and civil affairs. The colonists of Natal were much excited by the outbreak of Langalibalele's+ tribe-a vexed question, the merits of which we would not

During the present century 68 individuals have received the Freedom of the City of London, of whom 26 were distinguished soldiers and sailors, 12 representatives of royalty, the remaining 30 being eminent statesmen, travellers, judges, scholars, and merchants.

+Langalibalele was brought from Natal to Robben Island in August, 1874, and was soon after removed to the place on the mainland in the Cape Colony, where he has been since detained.

THE NATAL DIFFICULTY.

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presume to discuss—and were irate at the efforts made by Bishop Colenso* to obtain from the Colonial Office a re versal of the sentence of banishment passed on that chiet, who was accused of rebellion. Hence there was much soreness towards the governing powers in this country, and considerable tact and discretion were required to manage the colonists and remodel their institutions. Another object of his mission, not inferior in importance to the political problem, was to inquire into and report upon the question of military defence. The Zulu King, Cetewayo, was said to be restless and ambitious, while his army of 40,000 men, well disciplined and fairly well armed, were spoken of as the bravest and most athletic warriors in South Africa, and as desirous of 'washing their spears' in the blood of the English colonists across the Tugela.

*

Bishop Colenso received as much abuse for his action in defending Langalibalele as for his famous work on the Pentateuch. Mr. Walter Macfarlane, Speaker of the Legislative Council, addressing his constituents, said of the Bishop: He runs amuck, like a drunken Malay, against every. thing Colonial; publishes a book in England, criticizing the Government and its acts; through his access to the public press, he gets his incorrect, one-sided views impressed on the people; converts, it is said, Lord Carnarvon to his views; upsets the Governor on charges which are not first sub. mitted to that officer by the authorities in Downing Street for explanation or refutation; gets our whole Kafir policy altered, and takes or gets credit to himself among the ignorant and unreflecting for being the only English friend in South Africa of the much-injured Kafir.'

CHAPTER VIII.

THE NATAL MISSION.

Sir Garnet Wolseley proceeds on a Special Mission to Natal.-Reception at Durban and Maritzburg.-Natal Politics and Parties.-The Constitution Amendment Bill.-Triumph of Sir Garnet Wolseley's Policy.-His Progress through Natal.-Returns to England. -Is appointed High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief of Cyprus.

SIR GARNET WOLSELEY was personally disinclined to accept the honourable, but not very grateful, task of reforming the administration of Natal; but in this instance, as throughout his career, he never suffered his private wishes to stand in the way of a manifest duty, and he left England at four days' notice. He could ill be spared from his important office at the head of the Auxiliary Forces, with the position and requirements of which he had become familiar, and it was rather singular that the Government could not find a Colonial ex-Governor, or a civilian of experience, to set Natal affairs in order; it was, however, considered desirable that the Colony should be placed in a state of defence, so that there might be no excuse for a repetition of the panic into which the white colonists-who only numbered 17,000 as against 350,000 Natives-had been thrown by the recent rebellion of Langalibalele, and Lord Carnarvon, instead of applying for the services of a military officer for this special duty, decided upon placing the supreme direction of civil and military affairs in the hands of a man who had recently been so successful in the dual capacity.

SIR GARNET SAILS FOR NATAL.

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Sir Garnet Wolseley sailed in the Windsor Castle, in the latter part of February, accompanied by Mr. Napier Broome as Colonial Secretary, and the following Staff: Colonel G. P. Colley, C.B., who had special experience of Natal affairs between 1859-61; Major Butler, C.B.; Major H. Brackenbury, R.A., Military Secretary; and Lord Gifford, V.C., aide-de-camp-all of whom had been tried in the hard Ashantee school, and had certainly not been found wanting. The Windsor Castle made the passage to Cape Town in twenty-four and a half days, during which Sir Garnet and his Staff were very comfortable, the ship being well found by her owners, the Messrs. Donald Currie, differing greatly from his experiences in his voyages to China, Canada, and the Gold Coast. At Madeira Sir Garnet met the Channel Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, when the Agincourt saluted him with 17 guns. At the Cape, Wolseley and his Staff were hospitably entertained by Sir Henry and Lady Barkly, and drove to Constantia, which all visitors to the Cape know so well, with its beautiful prospect and delicious grapes, and rode 'round the Kloof,' not less celebrated for its fine mountain and sea views. A few days before Sir Garnet reached the Cape, the flying squadron had arrived from Monte Video, under the command of Admiral Randolph, who had received instructions from the Admiralty to conform to Wolseley's requirements, in the event of the outbreak of a Kafir war, which was anticipated, owing to the excited feelings of the Natives. In order to give due effect to the importance of the Natal Mission, the Admiral placed at the disposal of Sir Garnet H. M.S. Raleigh, of 22 guns, Captain G. Tyron, C.B., who had superintended the naval transport department in the Ashantee Expedition.

The Raleigh arrived at Durban on the 29th of March (Easter Monday), and, on the following morning, Wolseley landed, under the usual honours, while the inhabitants,