It was natural for Sir Bartle Frere, amidst the difficulties
of 1880, to ask the War Office to send out Evelyn Wood. It thus happened that it fell to Wood to inaugurate the negotiations with the Boers in 1881 after Colley's defeat at Majuba. The task was distasteful to him, for he had reported that with the reinforcements which were arriving he could make certain of beating Kruger's forces. Nevertheless he behaved as a loyal servant of the Crown, recognizing that a soldier must have no politics. His next work was in Egypt, when he created a nem Egyptian Army. From 1893 to 1901 he was continually at the War Office either as Quartermaster-General or Adjutant- General. Sir Evelyn Wood's somewhat excitable manner pre- vented some people from appreciating his great intellectual strength and his essential coolness in organization. As regards his geniality, his joy of life, and his courage both in the field and in sport, they were self-evident, and justly made for him countless friends. We may be allowed to add that we shall specially miss him, as he often wrote letters to these columns.
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