Ashanti War, Ghana, 1873: a British soldier resting beneath a mosquito net in a tropical landscape. Wood engraving, 1873.

"A description of the dress provided by our Government for the British soldiers employed on the Gold Coast, and to be worn instead of their regimental uniform, appeared in our paper three weeks ago. It included the head-curtain or veil attached to the Indian helmet of pith and canvas, to be used occasionally for protection against the mosquitoes, sand-flies, and other noxious insects of that country. This curtain, invented by Major Sydney Millett, of the 23rd (Royal Welsh) Fusiliers, consists of a gauze bag mounted on two light hoops of elastic steel, which may be either drawn up and rolled around the top of the helmet, like an Indian 'puggaree,' or may have its lower hoop let down, so as to cover the face and neck. It will be found a great comfort in sleeping at night, as shown in the illustration."--Illustrated London news, loc. cit. p. 598. The designer of the mosquito net, Major (subsequently Lieutenant-Colonel) Sydney Crohan Millett (1836-1879) was also the author of a musical play, All at C, or, The captive, the coffee & the cocoatina, published by Samuel French, 1870