Hints from mv own Experience. 119 



cases were of such weak and flimsy material that 

 after being opened they became useless. More 

 than that, the packing of the articles was so de- 

 fective that many things were broken, especially 

 an elaborate stove, and lamps of more than one 

 kind. An expensive canteen, on being opened, 

 was found to be defective in many articles. I 

 could cite other instances of carelessness and neg- 

 lect, Avhich ought to be most carefully guarded 

 against, for in a country such as this defects in 

 the original equipment cannot be made good, will 

 always produce vexation and inconvenience, may 

 sometimes be attended with consequences still 

 more serious. At Kimberley servants and grooms 

 were engaged, waggons, oxen, mules, horses pur- 

 chased. Here a2:ain I Avould advise the traveller 

 who has to make purchases at Kimberley to 

 personally inspect and examine every article 

 ordered and to see to the packing of it. One large 

 wholesale house to whom I had special letters of 

 recommendation, supplied us with many shocking 

 hi\([ articles of the most shoddy description. Also 

 some essential parts of the mining equipment 

 which had been ordered were found on arrival here 

 not to have been sent. The state of the expedition 

 as I found it on arrival here was as follows : — In 

 addition to those gentlemen I have already 

 mentioned, it had been joined by Captain the 

 Honourable Charles Coventry, of the B.B.P., who 

 had obtained three months' leave. Also I had 

 been fortunate in securing the ser\' ices of Mr. Hans 

 Lee, a well-known and most successful hunter. 



