The Life of Major-General Sir Robert Murdoch Smith, K. C. M. G., Royal Engineers (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. THE CYRENE EXPEDITION. GARRISON DUTY AT MALTA--DUMARESQ'S MONKEY--MURDOCH SMITH PROPOSES THE CYRENE EXPEDITION--LETTER FROM SIR JOHN BURGOYNE--START OF THE EXPEDITION--LANDING AT BENGHAZI--SUPPOSED BLOODTHIRSTY INTENTIONS--DESPATCH TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL--JOURNEY UP COUNTRY--COMMENCEMENT OF WORK AT CYRENE--TEMPLE OF DIONYSOS--RELATIONS WITH THE ARABS--MOHAMMED EL ADOULY--TEMPLE OF APOLLO--FINDS OF SCULPTURE--VISIT OF H.M.S. ASSURANCE--A NARROW ESCAPE--AMATEUR SORCERY--EXPLORATION OF THE CYRENAICA--A SCOTCH TURK--TEUCHIRA AND PTOLEMAIS--A SERIOUS DISTURBANCE--ATTACK ON THE CASTLE AT GHEGHEB--A FEAT OF ENDURANCE--UNRULY NEGROES--AN AWKWARD INCIDENT--EXCAVATION OF THE ACGUSTEUM--IMPERIAL PORTRAITS--FEVER--ARRIVAL OF H.M.S. MELPOMENE--TROUBLE WITH THE ARABS--A BLACKMAILER--FRIENDS IN NEED--EMBARKATION OF THE STATUES--SUCCESS OF THE EXPEDITION. From June 1859 to November 1860 Murdoch Smith was employed on garrison duty at Malta, being attached to the 17th company of the Royal Engineers, commanded by Captain W. H. H. D. Dumaresq. An interesting duty fell to his lot during this period. Early in 1860 a man-of-war was sent to Leghorn to salute the Sardinian flag. Murdoch Smith was sent on board her, and he had an opportunity of seeing Rome and Naples for the first time. At Malta, as at Chatham, the chief occupation of his spare time was boating, and he made many adventurous excursions round the island. He continued to cultivate assiduously his taste for music, and he occasionally played second violin at the opera. Among his Malta reminiscences he used often to recall the doings of a well-known member of the R.E. establishment there in those days, Dumaresq's monkey, an animal of whose resourceful iniquities many stories were told. One of the weirdest of th...