ALL ALONE REFLECTIONS PROCURE INSTRUIVIENTS. 335 



pedition, and nearly one hundred pounds sterling in ready 

 money. This change in our original plans proved of great 

 inconvenience to me, inasmuch as we had already sunk everv 

 available shilling of our small capital in the intended expedi- 

 tion to Walfisch Bay. However, it was all successfully ar- 

 ranged, and in the early part of January, 1853, they took 

 their departure. 



Thus once more I was alone. I could not help reflecting 

 on the difficulties of my position. Two of the best men that, 

 perhaps, ever set foot on African soil, with whom I had 

 shared hardships and privations of no trifling character, had 

 left me to seek their fortunes in remote climes. On me alone, 

 then, devolved the task of watching over and improving the 

 united interest of myself and Hans. Another duty, not less 

 urgent, claimed my attention, namely, that of solving the 

 grand geographical problem — the discovery of a route from 

 the west coast to the Lake Ngami. 



On mentioning my tiying position to some Cape friends, 

 they coolly advised me to dispose of my goods and return to 

 Europe. I turned in disgust from the proposal, which only 

 served to urge me to renewed exertions. My spirits rose in 

 proportion to the difficulties. 



Immediately on the departure of Hans and John Allen, 

 I hastened to attend to my own affairs. I was tolerably well 

 suppHed with every thing but servants and instruments for 

 taking astronomical observations. After much search and 

 many bargains, I succeeded in getting together a very fair set 

 of the latter, consisting of a large, good-working sextant, a 

 box-sextant for taking angular bearings, two artificial hor- 

 izons (one of colored plate-glass mounted in brass, with lev- 

 eling screws, and another for mercury), an excellent azimuth 

 compass, one or two good pocket-compasses, three boiling- 

 point thermometers for ascertaining heights of places above 

 the level of the sea, two telescopes, one for common field- 

 work, and the other large enough for occultations, a chro- 



