May 12th. 1900:
Letter from Lord Strathcona to Colonel Steele:-
"Lieut. Agar Adamson, Captain in the Governor General's Foot Guards, left London yesterday on board S.S. "Assaye" with fifty men as reliefs for the Strathcona Horse. This was arranged at the suggestion of the War Office. The detachment sailed from Montreal in the "Vancouver" on the 2nd inst., and arrived at Liverpool on the 10th. idem. They proceeded immediately to London and embarked on the "Assaye" as before mentioned. I am sending you herewith copy of letter addressed to Captain Adamson in explanation of the financial arrangements which were made by Lord Strathcona.
NOTE;- In a private letter from Dr. McEachran he calls attention to the difficulties with regard to the horses. In the first place, their purchase in mid-winter and conveyance to South Africa, considering the extremes of climate enroute, was prejudicial. Then again, he had local difficulties to contend with, both in the West and at Halifax, where horses kept over from previous contingents were suffering from catarrhal fever. Then again, the delay at Montreal was not good. Altogether a chapter of accidents seems to have happened which could not have been forseen. Dr. McEachran states that had the business been done in summer the whole transit could have been effected with very little loss.
