The Chief of Coomassie has failed to reply to the
ultimatum, and an expedition has therefore been ordered against him. It will he a small one, consisting of three hundred picked men from battalions at home, a West India battalion of four hundred men, and about seven hundred of the armed and drilled Houssa Police, making a total force of fourteen hundred men. The force will be supported by a battery of Maxim-guns, and by thirty picked officers of different specialties, to manage supplies, transport—which will be chiefly by native coolies—bridge-making, a telegraph: line, &e. The whole will be commanded by Major-General Sir Francis Scott, who, as head of the police on the sold Coast, possesses unrivalled experience. It is possible
that _the Chief may agree to receive the Resident, and 'govern by -his advice; but in any ease the expedition will proceed to the capital,. as it is necessary to impress the " Court " with a conviction that it can no longer resist. The Resident will, we presume, in any case be provided with a fortified post, and a guard strong enough to withstand a. sudden dmeute. The Admiral will not send marines to accompany the expedition, but they will be held in reserve with, we hope, half a West India regiment. - If we are to. govern more of West Africa, that excellent force shotild be. increased by another regiment. With our own West Indian negroes and the Zulus under British rule we could raise am excellent little "African corps d'armie "of, say, eight thousand men.
Previous page
