2 Life and Letters of Francis (7alfon 



powers. It wiu to aid others in Uie oxpluralion of the then unknown ) tarts of tlio world, 

 wpeoially of Africa, of whoso totiil Irnf^h as luuch liiid been seen by me in my two journeys as 

 p8rh*pi by anyone else tlien living. Being placed on the Council of tlie Hoyitl Geogrii|ihical 

 Society', I thoroughly utilised that position to fulfil my object." 



Gallon in the first place set alxiut making travel an art to in; learnt, 

 and in the next place ne determined to niake the traveller a real con- 

 tributor to geogi'aphicid discovery. 



Those who have watched the development of geography as an academic 

 tiuining in recent years must be struck by the manner in which Galton 

 foresaw its expansion anil must, perliaps, occasionally wonder whether its 

 inatructoi-s might not still learn something from (ialton's early geographical 

 writings. In much the same way Galton's Art of Travel first publislied in 

 1855 — and in the fifth edition of 1872, reaching the most catholic compre- 

 hensiveness compatible with pocket dimensions — remains still a treaisury not 

 only for the professed tniveller, but for the leaders of boy-scouts and girl- 



fuides; nay, there are metiiods to be learnt in the Art of Travel which may 

 ring profit to the ordinary household of today '. Even what appears on the 

 surface especially intended for the e.xplorer may be found on can^ful reading 

 to have a home-stayer's application. Thus: 



"Travellers are apt to expect tiM> uiuch from their medicines, and to think that savages will 

 hail them as demigods wherever they go. iiut their patients are generally cripples who want 

 to be ma<le whole in a moment, and other suchlike impracticable cases. Powerful emetics, pur- 

 gatives and eye washes are the most |R)pular physickings. 



The traveller who is sick, away from help, may console himself with the proverb, that 'though 

 there is a great diffen?nce between a good physician and a l)ad one, there is very little between 

 a good one and none at all'." (5th Ekln. p. 14.) 



or again : 



" Shirl-deeves — When you have occasion to tuck up your shirt'slceves, recollect that the way 

 of doing so is, not to liegin by turning the cuffs inside out, but outside in — the sleeves must be 

 rolle<l up inwards towards the arm, and not the reverse way. In the one case, the sleeves will 

 remain tucked up for hours without U-ing touched; in the other, they become loose every five 

 minutes." {Ibid. p. 116.) 



It is diflScult to give a rc^sume of the ylrt of Travel. By the riltli edition 

 Galton seems to have thought of most things that any type of traveller 

 would require in any possible climate or country. From outfit and servants 

 to medicine, fire, tents, fuel, food, treatment of animals, signalling, surveying, 



' Iloyal Geographical Society: Honorary General Secretary 1857-63, Foreign Secretary 

 1865-66, Member of the Council either by election or ex officio almost continuously from 1854 

 to 1893, Vice-President 1866-72, 1879-86, IM.SS^I. 



' How simple and obvious some of these suggestions are and yet how much might still be 

 learnt frrim them! Powders for medicinal use should l>o mixed with coloured floui-s to distin- 

 guish emetics from aperients or to emphasise {K>isons; where ammonia and the 'blue bag' are 

 not available— on a walk or at a picnic party — oil of nicotine scrapt^ from a pipe, generally at 

 hand, will i-elieve the pain of a wasp or Ixje sting. Or, again, such simple directions as those 

 oonccniing blistered fet^t where In^yond the usual soaping of the insides of the stockings lx;foro 

 a King walk, we read "after some hours on the i-oud, when the fet^t are l)eginning to be chafed, 

 take off the shoes and change the stockings; putting what was the right sto<-king on the left 

 foot, and the left stocking on the right ftMit "; — and when a blister is formed jxmra little brandy 

 or other spirit into th<' palm of the hand and drop tJiUow from a lighted candle into it, rub the 

 feet with this niixturo on going to rest, and "on the following morning no blister will exist." 



