h Government. So wroth was the king when he heard that Cameron
was going to Egypt--a country Theodore disliked--that he ordered the
arrest of the British consul and two missionaries, named Sterne and
Rosenthal. They were thrown into a dungeon, in the year 1863. Great
indignation was aroused in England. When, however, it was known that
Theodore had some grounds for thinking that he had not been treated with
full courtesy, Mr H.J. Rassam, then at Aden, was sent with Lieutenant
Prideaux and Dr Blaine on an embassy to Theodore, taking with them
friendly letters from the British Government, together with handsome
presents; and it was expected that upon their arrival and explanation
the prisoners would be released.

The king at first received them courteously, but, his mood soon
changing, they too were seized and thrust into prison. The British
Government in vain endeavoured to procure their release; but finding
this impossible, an expedition was prepared.

As the Red Sea lies under the jurisdiction of the Indian Government, it
was at Bombay that the preparations were made, and the command was given
to Sir Robert Napier, then commander-in-chief of the Bombay army, with
Sir Charles Staveley second in command. Vast numbers of ships were
taken up for transport, 30,000 animals were purchased in India, Arabia,
Egypt, and the Mediterranean, and 15,000 troops received orders to
embark. An advance party under command of Colonel Merewether, arrived
at Zula, a tiny village in Annesley Bay, and preparations were at once
commenced for the disembarkation of the troops and stores upon their
arrival. HMS _Satellite_ and other men-of-war also arrived in the bay,
and the work of making the piers and preparing store-houses commenced.
The construction of the piers, and the duty of landing the stores, fell
upon the naval force, and were admirably performed, the manner in which
the Jacks worked under a blazing sun eliciting the warmest encomiums
from the military officers. Water was terribly scarce, and the boilers
of the men-of-war were kept constantly at work distilling for the use of
the transport animals and troops.

When the expeditionary force marched inland a Naval Brigade of eighty
men with two rocket tubes, commanded by Captain Fellowes of the _Dryad_,
was organised. These marched forward, and speedily took their place
with the advanced division, under General Staveley. Their arrival was
warmly greeted in the camp, their ch