My dear William, —... The Transit has done her work very well, she steams 8 knots an hour at half power, burning a little more than three-quarters of a ton [of coal] an hour, and last week we sailed entirely, averaging 190 miles a day. The Himalaya started two days after us, and arrived three days before, but owing to the enormous amount of coal she consumes, will only leave here eighteen hours before us; she sailed at 11 p.m. to-day, and we shall sail at daybreak to-morrow, so we run an even race between us. The Barracouta has just arrived from China with the news of the loss of the Raleigh, Commodore Keppel,* which ran on a rock near Macao — all hands saved.... The Kaffirs are starving and coming over to us in great numbers, thereby giving a reinforcement of labour which is very much wanted in the colony. It appears that the Kaffir chief, Kreli, employed a ruse with the view of making all the tribes submit unconditionally to him. He sent a prophet among them who told them that if they would destroy all their cattle upon a certain day, the whole of the cattle that the English had taken from them, together with all their warriors killed during
the last fifty years, would be restored to them. Kreli was in hopes that when once reduced to starvation they would all come in to him and thus swell his forces. They killed their cattle accordingly, but when reduced to the most wretched state of starvation, instead of going to him they are coming over to us, and people here are really sanguine that the Kaffir wars ' are over. I hope so. We expect to reach Singapore in about five weeks.... We have had no sickness on board ship whatez;er; it is capitally fitted up for troops, and the troops give me very little trouble.... I never was better or jollier in my life, having plenty to occupy me.... — Ever your affectionate brother,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Stephenson
Isle of Banca, July 11, 1857.
My dear Mother, — I hope you have not been alarmed at the news of the Transit, for we are all safe and well. We struck on a rock at 9.30 a.m. in the Straits of Banca, to the S.E. of Sumatra, on Friday morning the loth July, about 3 miles off the shore, and 15 to the north of Minto, a town on the coast of the island of Banca. It was a lovely morning, the sea perfectly calm, and we were all hanging about the poop under the awning, gazing at the beautiful island we were passing, when suddenly we felt three heavy bumps and the ship stopped. We were on a rock of three fathoms depth, though on sounding astern from off the poop there were nine fathoms, and all round the ship six. She filled at once, the water completely covering the engines and lower troop deck in about half an hour, for it was amidships near the engines that she struck fast. The boats were all lowered immediately and filled with troops, whom we marched in with all dispatch, not giving them time to dress, so that they are mostly on shore without shoes and stockings and without one
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
single coat. Some firelocks, ammunition, and a few beakers of water were hurried into the boats, and off they shoved. We are now safe on shore, enjoying ourselves immensely, expecting to be sent for from Singapore in a few days. The officer who takes this to Singapore is waiting, so I must most reluctantly finish my narrative and sign myself j^'our affectionate son,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother
Isle of Banc a, July 18, 1857.