O EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. II. 



with our safety. On this occasion, however, he had 

 strangely forgotten to lay in supplies for the road, 

 and we fared badly in consequence. 



I do not profess to write a journal, and may 

 therefore spare my reader the annoyance of perusing 

 on every page those uninteresting details connected 

 with the interior economy of a ccifila, which are 

 doubtless too often the cause of a volume being 

 thrown aside in disgust. Once for all let me state 

 that we usually rose with the dawn, breakfasted at 

 nine or ten, or as soon as water could be obtained, 

 and after halting an hour for that meal, continued 

 our pilgrimage until a favourable spot presented 

 itself for the nocturnal bivouack. Whilst the cattle 

 were turned out to graze for a couple of hours, 

 joyous fires sent forth their cheering influence in 

 various parts of our gipsy camp ; and when sup- 

 plies were to be had, sundry cooks were presently 

 discharging the important functions of their office. 

 Pots, kettles, and gridirons, were in universal de- 

 mand, and after washing down a meal comprising 

 nothing beyond plain baked, fried, or boiled, with 

 libations of tea or coffee — the second edition of 

 which became the acknowledged perquisite of the 

 followers — every one betook himself to sleep as best 

 he might, either in, below, or about the waggons ; 

 the scramble for places usually involving a sevc/e 

 hustling and kicking match, if it did not end, as 

 was too frequently the case, in a battle-royal. 



In the course of the journey few other incidents 

 occurred worth mentioning-. With the assistance 



