82 With Feet to the Earth 



have time and wealth a-plenty, but I ad- 

 dress myself just now to poor folks. Nat- 

 urally, I had a base of supplies, warm 

 clothes for the voyage, and all that, but it 

 was in London. I commend this practice 

 of securing a base. Here, it will be your 

 home ; abroad, it will be the capital of the 

 country you are visiting, or, if your trip is 

 hasty, London. The modern agency will 

 keep your steamer-chair and trunk (great 

 humbug having to pay for a seat when you 

 pay one hundred dollars for your passage, 

 and greater humbug having to give a 

 sovereign to a waiter who would have 

 brought your meals to you if you had 

 wanted any), will hold or forward letters, 

 receive books, photographs, and souvenirs 

 that you must send back to yourself when 

 your pockets are full, cash checks and 

 letters of credit, if you have things like 

 that, secure passage on trains and steamers, 

 and will be useful in many such ways. 



A point to consider is the distance to be 

 covered in a daily march, and here you 

 find it an advantage to be alone. If your 

 associates are elderly and slow, they will 



