THE SINEWS OF WAR INCREASED ACTIVITY. 20/ sufficient, have extra bacon for his men instead of the boiled mutton. The tea, sugar, &c, was supplied in quantities sufficient for daily requirements.

It should be mentioned that beside the contingent of bluejackets a considerable force of marines were taken from Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth for the Nile service, while some were also drafted from Suakim. The detachment from the Egyptian army, which was to serve beyond Wady Haifa, were picked men and mostly negroes.

It may be added, as we have been noting the provisions for victualling the troops, that "the sinews of war" — the sum of ,£100,000 in gold — was sent to Lord Wolseley almost immediately after his arrival, being shipped in the steamer Australia, which left the Albert Docks on the 24th of September along with the Deccan to receive the camel corp and other troops at Portsmouth.

The money arrived by railway from the Bank of England, and was contained in strong boxes about a foot in length, each containing 4000 sovereigns. The boxes were lifted on board in big baskets, which shot them into the hold like coals, to be picked up carefully, counted and checked, and packed away in the iron safes of the bullion room. This apartment, when the hatches were down, could only be approached from a lazarette entered through the first-class saloon, and was perfectly safe from intrusion. The coin was for the pay of the troops in Egypt and for the hire of native auxiliaries. A portion only, therefore, would be debited to the special war vote. Altogether, a quarter of a million pounds was sent from the bank, 150,000 being taken to India in the Chusan, a fine new ship belonging, like the Australia and Deccan, to the Peninsular and Oriental Company.

The prevailing activity in our dockyards and arsensals had lewsigns of hurry, for there were ample stores, and though the later consignments and the boats were not completed without a rush against time, very little confusion was observable. It may be imagined, however, that, to say nothing of Alexandria and Cairo, at Assiout and Wady Haifa the scene was bewildering, and only the custom of command and the appointment of officers of