LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 126, 5 March 1879, Page 3

LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA.

The newly-appointed Commander-in-Chief in South Africa is thus spoken of in "Men of the Time":— The Eight Honorable Sir Robert Cornells Napier, Baron Napier of Magdala, is. the son of Major G. F. Napier. Koyal Artillery, by Catherine, daughter of Cv.Jrhigt.on Carrington, Esa., of Blackmails, Burbadoes, was born in Ceylon in 1810. He received his education at the Military College, Addiseombc, entered the corps of Bengal Engineers in 1828, and served with distinction in the Sutlej campaign, at the conclusion of which, having attained the rank of Major, he was selected by the late Sir Henry Lawrence for the responsible post of Engineer to the Durbar of Lahore. He was by this position enabled to acquire that special knowledge of the Punjaub and its resources so essential to a judicious development of the latter, should the tide of events necessitate the undertaking of such a task by the Indian Government. He was constantly referred to when Moolraj rebelled, on all questions connected with the reduction of Mooltan, at the siege of which he was present as senior Engi- : neer; and at its fall accompanied General Wish's force to the fords of the Chenaub, j ■where, after the junction with the main j under Lord Gough, he served as one of Sir John Cheape's •' right hand men" at the battle of Goojerat. He was f promoted to the rank of Colonel, and named Chief Engineer under the new Punjaub administration, when he was enabled to carry out his ong-cherished plans for covering that almost trackless country with arteries of military and commercial highways, after constructing magnificent canals destined to fertilize the arid Dooab, and eventually to cause the construction of numerous public buildings, barracks, (fee, requisite to the efficient administration of the province. He was engaged in the discharge of these onerous duties for some years, until summoned to Calcutta to assume the post of Chief Engineer ol Bengal. During the mutiny of 1857 he served in the capacity of Chi.f Engineer with the army of Sir Colin Campbell, and the part he player" in the suppression of the rebellion greatly enhanced his previous high reputation. It was he who at the siege of Lucknmv plaMied that bridging of the Goomtee river which exercised so great an influence on the operations for the overthrow of the enemy, and he was afterwards appointed to the -. command of the force employed to destroy the rebels reunited under Tantia Topee ; but on Sir Hugh Rose claiming the execution of this task, Colonel Napier acted as his second in command. His services in China as second in command under Sir Hupe Grant are well known, and he was rewarded by being made Major-General, a K.C.8., and successor to the late Sir J. Outram, as a Military Member of the Council of India. This post he resigned in ■January, 1865, when he was nominated to succeed Sir W. Man-field as Com-mander-in-Chief at Bombay, with the local rank of J Jen tun ;int-General ; and ' in 1807 he received the appointment to command the expedition intended to rescue the Abyssinian captives, and was made a Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India, He achieved a, brilliant success. King Theodore was thoroughly defeated in an engagement on the heights of Islamgie, April 10, 1868, and. so~n afterwards released his prisoners. The English commander followed up tin's riclory by the storming of Magdala on the 13th, when Theodore, in despaii, comitted suicide. On Sir Robert Napier's return to England in July, he received the thanks of the Parliament ; the sum of L2OOO per v annum was settled on him and his next heir, in consideration of his services ; he was elevated to the peerage by the title of Baron Napier of Magdala (July 14); was presented with the freedom of the City of London and a sword of the value of 200 guineas (July 21); and received other marks of honor. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, December 16, 1879. In January 1870, he was appointed to succeed Sir William Mansfield as Commander-in-Chief of the forces in India, with the local rank of General; and in May following he was nominated fifth ordinary member of the Council of the Governor-General of India,