2 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap, I. 



The first glimpse of the shores of Africa awakened 

 in my bosom the strongest emotions. I ah'eady saw 

 realized those fairy dreams which had haunted my 

 imagination, and felt within my grasp the substance 

 of those shadows which had long strewed my path. 

 On arriving at Cape Town, I was so fortunate as to 

 meet with Dr. Andrew Smith, the well-known ta- 

 lented leader of the scientific expedition which had 

 just returned from the interior, who afforded me in- 

 formation of the highest value, and gave me accounts 

 of what I should see in the way of sport, which de- 

 termined me to lose no time in taking the field. A 

 few days sufficed to complete our arrangements and 

 purchases. /Fhe former were confined to obtaining 

 passports, visiting the children of missionaries whom 

 we expected to meet, and engaging a servant, whose 

 name will frequently appear, in lieu of a Mahomedan 

 whom I had brought from India, and who, havino- 

 already seen enough of the Cape of Good Hope, pre- 

 ferred retiu-ning to eat his curry with true believers, 

 to undergoing contamination amongst accursed Ka- 

 firs or infidels. Our purchases comprised every 

 article that we fancied could be of service to us in 

 a country where few of the necessaries and none of 

 the luxuries of life can be obtained, in which no cir- 

 culating medium exists, and where even mercantile 

 transactions are conducted exclusively by barter. 

 Beads, buttons, brass wire, common trinkets, cheap 

 gewgaws, and ornaments of the baser metals, formed 

 no inconsiderable items of our expenditure, not for- 

 getting an abundant supply of snuff and tobacco. I 



