The full accounts of the recent attack on the stronghold
of Nana—a West African chief whose territory lies within the Niger Coast Protectorate—show the action to have been a very spirited one. Nana declared that no one should trade without his permit, and fired upon a steam-pinnace sent up a creek to reconnoitre. This fire wounded every man in the launch, including both the engineers, and stopped the engines. They were, however, started again by one of the wounded engineers. With his foot hanging half off, he dragged himself along to the engines, started them, and enabled the launch to get away. After this experience, it was decided not to attack Nana's stronghold by the creek, but to turn the position by ,cutting a way through the bush. This was a most difficult soperation, as the bush was a dense jungle, and the ground soft and treacherous,—" one unbroken quagmire." Naturally 'the difficulty of getting the guns over the morasses was stupendous. " One of the Blue-jackets in desperation offered -to carry a seven-pounder gan on his shoulders, and this task he accomplished with a man on each side to prop him up. Planks had, however, to be laid down to prevent him from sinking into the morass." The cutting away of the bush had a great effect on the natives. When their position had heen turned by this flank movement, they simply fled and left 'their battery of guns in the hands of the British. Finally, Nana's town was stormed, and his cannon, of which he had a great number, spiked. The new troops raised by the Pro- tectorate gave an excellent account of themselves, and worked 'well with the Blue-jackets.
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