222 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



spoilt. It appears the weather glass has unexpectedly fallen, and the vessel is obliged 

 to be off some hours before her time. Many of my intended letters are therefore 

 stopped, pray tell Douglas and Uncle Hubert I had intended writing to them, you will 

 hear no more from me, for I fear a very long time. I explained the reason why in full 

 to Darwin, in my letter to him. Goodbye then, give my affectionate love to all the 

 family. I start into the country in 4 or 5 days. 



Ever your affectionate son, Frank Galton. 

 Aiidersson is an excellent fellow and desires to be remembered to you. 



Lat. 22.7, Long. 17. About Deer. 1850. 

 Dearest Mother, This letter cannot I think be less than 6 months on the road, as 

 it is pretty far by land from the Cape. In the first place we are all in excellent health, 

 high spirits and thorough travelling order, though we have had an immense deal of 

 trouble and some hardships. The weather too is warm, 157° (one hundred and fifty 

 seven degrees) Fahrenheit in the sun at midday and from 90° to 100° in the coolest 

 shade, under thick trees and that sort of shade about 110° to 115°. This appeared 

 quite incredible to me, but I have compared 7 thermometers of 5 different makers and 

 they all agree, so there can be no doubt about it. The air is not oppressive at all — we are 

 at the furthest missionary station and not further, and now I will tell you all the story 

 in order. The ship sailed away from Waltisch Bay which is 3 miles of heavy sand 

 from fresh water; we were employed about 10 days in getting every thing thence to the 

 water in the cart with the mules. When there we were 18 miles from a Missionary 

 Station. It took nearly 3 weeks to get everything there. It is the only liveable place 

 in that part, as the water at the first place was execrable, so bad that I had to distill 

 every drop we drank. I kept a still going night and day and so we were supplied. 

 After resting the mules we packed plenty of iron things, guns and so forth, making 

 a very heavy load in the cart, to buy oxen with about 180 miles up country. I got 

 3 oxen here on the backs of which, some more things were packed and with a good sort 

 of ruffian, originally a Tailor, subsequently a kind of Missionary, and now a ruined 

 cattle dealer for a guide away we went. The men had all to walk. Andersson crossed 

 40 miles of desert in great style and made another 24 miles journey after, when the 

 mules were sorely knocked up ; we were obliged to let them and the horses feed at niglit 

 in the river and seeing no tracks of lions about, we did so without much fear. What was 

 our horror the next morning on going down — when we saw, not a mule or a horse, but 

 their tracks going full gallop in a drove, and by their side, tlie tracks of six lions, full 

 chase. A little further on, my pet mule lay dead, and a lion eating it ; by the side 

 a wolf waiting for his turn, again a little further my biggest horse just killed and nothing 

 more to be seen. We ran up to where the cart and encampment was, 2 miles off at the 

 top of the steep banks of the river ; provisioned and armed 4 men for two days and sent 

 them off after the mules, and the rest of us hunted the lions, but unsuccessfully all day. 

 They had got among the rocks and we could not track them. In the evening we went 

 down to get the flesh to eat, for all our live stock had perished and we were very hungry 

 and then Andersson (who is the best fellow in the world) and myself went up well 

 armed, to watch the carcass of the mules from a charming place in the rocks just over 

 it, and which we agreed no lion could possibly climb and made sure of making a good 



