hat was vague in the Claimant's account of his past life,
there were, at all events, two statements of a precise and definite
character. These were, first, that he had been at Melipilla, in Chili,
and had there known intimately a man named Thomas Castro, whose name
he had afterwards assumed; and, secondly, that in 1854, he had been
engaged as herdsman to Mr. William Foster, of Boisdale, in Gippsland,
Australia. If he were an impostor, these statements were undoubtedly
imprudent. But they served the purpose of establishing the identity of
his career with that of the man whom he claimed to be, for Roger
Tichborne had, undoubtedly, travelled in Chili; and, according at
least to the tramping sailors' story, embodied in the Dowager's
advertisement, he had been carried thence to Australia. The importance
attached by his supporters to these apparent tokens of identity
sufficiently explains the Claimant's explicitness on these points.
Melipilla is a long way off; and Boisdale is still further. It may
have been supposed that witnesses could not be brought from so far;
but vast interests were at stake, and the defendant in the Chancery
suit speedily applied for Commissions to go out to South America and
Australia to collect information regarding the Claimant's past
history. The proposition was strenuously opposed as vexatious, and
designed merely to create delay, but the Court granted the
application. Then the Claimant asked for an adjournment, on the ground
that he intended to go out and confront the Melipilla folks, including
his intimate friend Don Thomas Castro, before the Commission; and also
to accompany it to Australia. The postponement was granted, a large
sum was raised to defray his expenses, and he finally started with the
Commission, accompanied by counsel and solicitors, bound for
Valparaiso and Melipilla, and finally for Victoria and New South
Wales. When the vessel, however, arrived at Rio. the Claimant went
ashore, declaring that he preferred to go thence to Melipilla
overland. But he never presented himself at that place, and finally
the Commission proceeded to examine witnesses and to record their
testimony, which thus became part of the evidence in the suit. The
Claimant had, in fact, re-embarked at Rio for England, having
abandoned the whole project; for which strange conduct he made various
and conflicting excuses. Even before he had started, circumstances had
occurred which had induced some of his supporters