in which Colonel Bush and his officers slept.  They wasted so much ammunition on this useless display of fury that the buildings were completely riddled.  A few of the old soldiers opposed them, and were wounded; but it fortunately happened that they were, to an inconceivable degree, ignorant of the right use of firearms—­holding their muskets in their hands when they discharged them, without allowing the butt-end to rest against their shoulders or any part of their bodies.  This fact accounts for the comparatively little mischief they did in proportion to the quantity of ammunition thrown away.

’The officers and sergeant-major escaped at the back of the building, while Colonel Bush and Adjutant Bentley came down a little hill.  The colonel commanded the mutineers to lay down their arms, and was answered by an irregular discharge of balls, which rattled amongst the leaves of a tree under which he and the adjutant were standing.  On this Colonel Bush desired Mr. Bentley to make the best of his way to St. James’s Barracks for all the disposable force of the 89th Regiment.  The officers made good their retreat, and the adjutant got into the stable where his horse was.  He saddled and bridled the animal while the shots were coming into the stable, without either man or beast getting injured.  The officer mounted, but had to make his way through the mutineers before he could get into San Josef, the barracks standing on an eminence above the little town.  On seeing the adjutant mounted, the mutineers set up a thrilling howl, and commenced firing at him.  He discerned the gigantic figure of Daaga (alias Donald Stewart), with his musket at the trail:  he spurred his horse through the midst of them; they were grouped, but not in line.  On looking back he saw Daaga aiming at him; he stooped his head beside his horse’s neck, and effectually sheltered himself from about fifty shots aimed at him.  In this position he rode furiously down a steep hill leading from the barracks to the church, and was out of danger.  His escape appears extraordinary:  but he got safe to town, and thence to St. James’s, and in a short time, considering it is eleven miles distant, brought out a strong detachment of European troops; these, however, did not arrive until the affair was over.

‘In the meantime a part of the officers’ quarters was bravely defended by two old African soldiers, Sergeant Merry and Corporal Plague.  The latter stood in the gallery, near the room in which were the colours; he was ineffectually fired at by some hundreds, yet he kept his post, shot two of the mutineers, and, it is said, wounded a third.  Such is the difference between a man acquainted with the use of firearms and those who handle them as mops are held.

’In the meantime Colonel Bush got to a police-station above the barracks, and got muskets and a few cartridges from a discharged African soldier who was in the police establishment.  Being joined by the policemen, Corporal Craven {175} and Ensign Pogson, they concealed themselves on an eminence above, and as the mutineers (about 100 in number) approached, the fire of muskets opened on them from the little ambush.  The little party fired separately, loading as fast as they discharged their pieces; they succeeded in making the mutineers change their route.