I 1 2 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



not disguise from myself the fact that, my friend was 

 seriously ill. 



I had no time to be lonely, for there was lots to 

 do about camp before the sun went down, not the 

 least important of which was washing all our dirty 

 clothes. These had accumulated from constant 

 postponement of what is ever to me a most dis- 

 agreeable job. A hunting trip to Africa will cease 

 to make husbands wonder why the household is 

 always upside down on washing days, and not un- 

 frequently his wife fussy and out of temper. How- 

 ever, I will give an invaluable hint to those who 

 choose to follow in my footsteps or do as I have 

 done. After having thoroughly cleansed your dirty 

 apparel, rinse them finally out in clean water, in 

 which a dessert-spoonful of essence of pennyroyal 

 has been mixed. Few insects can bear the smell 

 of this extract, although it is far from objectionable 

 to the human family. Moreover, it is an excellent 

 disinfectant. 



Over the camp fire that night, with Sunday's 

 assistance, I manufactured a fishing rod that in 

 strength would have pulled out a porpoise. On it I 

 lashed rings, and a cross piece to the butt to serve 

 as a reel. The whole being constructed of cane, it 

 was remarkably light. For line I had about fifty 

 yards of hard twisted hemp, almost as thick as an 

 ordinary lead pencil, and much resembling whipcord 

 in fabrication. My hooks were the largest and 



