We start for Hartley Hill. 247 



to the west, traversing some swampy and difficult 

 ground. The distance by this road to Hartley 

 Hill is computed at about fifty-three miles. The 

 upper road, which I calculate to be nearly seventy 

 miles in length, proceeds first nearly north-west 

 from Fort Salisbury, afterwards turning to the 

 Avest and south, and this road also crosses in parts 

 swam23s and marshy ground. A new road lying 

 between these two and following higher levels is 

 noAv in course of construction ; when completed, 

 communication between these two important 

 centres ouo'ht to l^e o-peatlv facilitated. It may be 

 mentioned that in the rainy season the two existing 

 roads are said to be altogether impassable either 

 for the lightest vehicles or even for horses alone. 

 Our arrano-ements were that Messrs. Perkins and 

 Rolker, accompanied by Captain Williams, were 

 to proceed as quickly as possible by the loAver road, 

 whereas Hans Lee and myself preferred to follow 

 the upper and longer route, along which we were 

 assured we should find considerable quantities 

 of o-ame. I left Fort Salisburv in the mule wao-o-on 

 on the afternoon of August olst, having made 

 arrangements during the course of the da}^ with a 

 young and enterprising auctioneer for the sale at 

 Fort Salisbury, in the early days of October, of the 

 whole plant of my expedition. This will be an 

 interestino; sale as the first of its kind which has 

 taken place in the country. We trekked about 

 seven miles, encamping for the night in a small 

 grove. One of the three natives whom I mentioned 

 in a former letter as joining us on our departure 



