LETTER IV. 51 



Swing yourself into your saddle and ride on ; the 

 men may dwell five minutes, but if they see the 

 ' boss ' has gone they will soon follow. And so 

 I found it, for hardly had I lost sight of Hope 

 and entered the forest, when I heard the trot of 

 my baggage - animals, and the jangling of the 

 leader's bells. In all my other shooting or 

 exploring expeditions, I have travelled light 

 and gone hungry. On this occasion I was 

 determined to ' do ' myself well. For the benefit 

 of any who want to know how to arrive at similar 

 comfort en route to their shooting-grounds, I 

 offer the details of my equipment. I am bound 

 to confess I look upon my outfit as luxurious 

 in the extreme, but as a party of Americans 

 preceded me, with a squadron of baggage- 

 horses bearing * light groceries,' including cham- 

 pagne and a mahogany night-commode, my own 

 seemed to the guide of Spartan simplicity by 

 contrast. 



With me I had a man and a boy, three horses 

 for packing, and three for myself and the men to 

 ride ; two tents (a big one for them, and a little 

 one for me), two axes, two frying-pans, a teapot, 

 together with stores, of which I annex a list. It 

 is Mr. W.'s bill, and gives -a fair idea of stores 

 necessary for four people for a month, and the 

 cost thereof. 



42 



