Chapter I: Front Matter

MY GRANDMOTHER]

LOOKING BACK

BY

CAPTAIN THE HON.

SIR SEYMOUR FORTESCUE, K.C.V.O., C.M.G.

(ROYAL NAVY)

_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON

FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK

BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS

1920

DEDICATION

TO

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA

MADAM,

Your Majesty in so readily consenting to accept the dedication
of this humble volume, has only added one more to the long
list of gracious favours, that I have constantly received at
the hands of Your Majesty, ever since the day on which I was
fortunate enough to commence my service, as Equerry-in-Waiting
to the late King Edward.

The portion of this book that deals with that period, relates
something of the manifold activities of that monarch, and, as
regards myself, is the time of my life to which I look back
with the greatest pleasure, both on account of the honour it
was personally to serve so illustrious a Sovereign, and also
because of the great and unvarying kindness that was extended
to me by my beloved Master and the members of his family.

It has been a labour of love to write of those days, and has
given me an opportunity of expressing, however inadequately,
some of the gratitude that I feel towards those, who made the
years that I spent in His Majesty's household, the happiest of
my life.

I have the honour to remain, Madam,
Always your Majesty's devoted servant,

SEYMOUR FORTESCUE.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. EARLY DAYS 1

II. GUNROOM LIFE IN THE 'SEVENTIES 16

III. THE DARDANELLES IN 1878 75

IV. EGYPT IN 1882 91

V. FROM GALATZ TO SOUAKIM VIA LONDON 118

VI. THE CHANNEL FLEET AND MEDITERRANEAN STATION 144

VII. THE ROYAL YACHT 173

VIII. EQUERRY TO THE PRINCE OF WALES 200

IX. ON THE HEADQUARTER STAFF IN SOUTH AFRICA 228

X. SOME SCOTTISH HOUSES 250

XI. KING EDWARD'S FOREIGN TOUR 264

XII. MARIENBAD AND OTHER HEALTH RESORTS 289

XIII. SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF AN EQUERRY 305

XIV. MORE RECOLLECTIONS OF AN EQUERRY 319

XV. A VISIT TO THE NITRATE FIELDS 333

XVI. 1910 354