The Government is decidedly unlucky in all that relates to
Zululand. The first steamers with reinforcements on board were so loaded with stores, that it was impossible to give them enough coal for the voyage to the Cape, and they were accord- ingly ordered to coal at St. Vincent. They made a rapid voyage thither, but on arrival found that the "coaling facilities" there were so imperfect, that they might just as well have made a slow one. Two of them were detained, one for five and the other for six days, and the remainder had not started on Thursday evening. Indeed, it was not certain when they would start. Not only was there great delay in loading—due probably to a deficiency of lighters—but according to Mr. A. Egerton, there were only one thousand tons of coal on the island, and ' there was not coal sufficient to meet the demand." How long the later transports will be detained, there- fore, it is impossible to say. More coal is reported by tele- graph to have arrived, but the transfer from ship to ship is a very tedious process. Days are invaluable in an expedition of this kind, and the country would not have grumbled if the Admiralty had taken up twice the number of steamers, and so been enabled to load direct for Cape Town. The steamers will now not be at Durban till near the end of the month, and the Tegiments have then to march some sixty miles, so that the new army cannot be formed before the middle of April.
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