on the 7th of January, the head-quarters of the regiment,
under Colonel Maxwell, with A and E Companies, marched to Inquabim, the
first stage; being followed the next morning by G and H Companies, under
Captain Butler; while B Company remained at Prospect Hill to furnish the
necessary garrison guards at Cape Coast Castle.

The head-quarters arrived at Dunquah on the 8th, where C Company had
been halted by Colonel Colley, who was in charge of the transport and
communications, and had already been actively engaged driving in
carriers and furnishing escorts for the convoys of provisions.

On the 9th, at 1.30 a.m., A Company, under Captain Shearman, paraded
and marched into the Ecumfie district for the purpose of driving in
carriers from that neighbourhood, and, at the same hour, the
head-quarters and E Company continued their march to Mansu, where they
arrived the same evening.

Provisions being now urgently required at the stations immediately in
front of Mansu, 78 men of E Company, being all that were available, and
140 of the 42nd Highlanders, started at three o'clock in the morning of
the 12th, as carriers, each man with a load of 50 lb. weight, besides
his arms and accoutrements. On the evening of the same day Captain
Butler, with H Company, arrived at Mansu.

The carriers continued deserting by whole tribes, and the need of them
had become so urgent, that orders were issued to shoot any attempting to
desert, while parties of the regiment were continually passing backwards
and forwards between Dunquah and Mansu as guards over the convoys. To
relieve the pressure, 94 men of G and C Companies left Dunquah on the
13th with ninety-four 50-lb. loads, and, reaching Mansu the same day,
started next morning at daybreak for the Prah.

On the 17th, Captain Butler marched with H Company to Essecooma, a place
about twenty miles due east from Mansu, to drive in carriers, and a
similar party was sent out next day from Dunquah, under Lieutenant
Roper, to Adjumaco and Essiaman.

During all these arduous duties, and since the 8th of January, so great
was the scarcity of provisions at the front, that the non-commissioned
officers and men of the regiment were placed upon half rations of salt
meat and biscuit, without the grocery ration.

On Sunday, the 18th of January, the transport being now in sufficient
order, owing to the number of carriers driven in from the surrounding
districts by the regiment, the advance of the army com