at once acknowledge him
as her son. But the Dowager soon declared her unabated faith; sent
small sums and then larger, and finally made up her mind to forward
the four hundred pounds. Meanwhile she sent to him, as well as to her
other Australian correspondents, much family information. Among other
things she told him that there was a man named Guilfoyle at Sydney,
who had been gardener for many years at Upton and Tichborne, and
another man in the same town named Andrew Bogle, a black man, who had
been in the service of Sir Edward. Mr. Gibbes's client lost no time in
finding out both these persons, and soon became pretty well primed. It
was shortly after this period that it became known in Victoria and New
South Wales that there was a man named Thomas Castro, living in
Wagga-Wagga as a journeyman slaughter-man and butcher, who was going to
England to lay claim to the baronetcy and estates of Tichborne. From
the letters and other facts it is manifest that it was originally
intended to keep all this secret even from the Dowager. "He wishes,"
says his attorney, Mr. Gibbes, "that his present identity should be
totally disconnected from his future." It happened that one Cator, a
Wagga-Wagga friend of the Claimant, whose letters show him to have
been a coarse-minded and illiterate man, was leaving for England
shortly before the time that Castro had determined to embark. Whether
invited or not Cator was not unlikely to favour his friend with a
visit in the new and flourishing condition which appeared to await him
in that country. Perhaps to make a virtue of necessity, Castro gave to
Cator a sealed envelope, bearing outside the words, "To be open when
at sea," and inside a note which ran as follows:--

"WAGGA-WAGGA, _April 2nd_, 1866.
Mr. Cater,--At any time wen you are in England you should
feel enclined for a month pleasure Go to Tichborne, in
Hampshire, Enquire for Sir Roger Charles Tichborne,
Tichborne-hall, Tichborne, And you will find One that will
make you a welcome guest. But on no account Mension the Name
of Castro or Alude to me being a Married Man, or that I have
being has a Butcher. You will understand me, I have no
doubt. Yours truely, Thomas Castro. I Sail by the June
Mail."

All this secrecy, however, was soon given up as impracticable for
articles in the Melbourne, Wagga-Wagga, and Sydney journals, quickly
brought the news to England, a