PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE 9 



close range with the .475 cordite, and then perhaps 

 fervently wish that we had the paradox or a balloon. 



After getting our arsenal, we then had to get 

 the cartridges, all done up in tin boxes of a weight 

 not exceeding sixty pounds, that being the limit of 

 weight which the African porter is expected to 

 carry. There were several thousand rounds of am- 

 munition, but this did not mean that several thou- 

 sand lions were to be killed. Allowing for a fair 

 percentage of misses, we calculated, if lucky, to get 

 one or two lions. 



After getting our rifles and ammunition under 

 satisfactory headway, we then saw that our seventy- 

 two "chop" boxes of food were sure to be ready in 

 time to catch our steamer at Southampton! 



And yet these preliminary details did not half 

 conclude our shopping preliminaries in London. 

 There were camping rugs, blankets, cork mat- 

 tresses, pillows and pillow cases, bed bags, tow- 

 els, lanterns, mosquito boots, whetstones, hunt- 

 ing and skinning knives, khaki helmets, pocket 

 tapes to measure trophies, Pasteur anti-veno- 

 mous serum, hypodermic syringes, chairs, tables, 

 cots, puttees, sweaters, raincoats, Jaeger flannels, 

 socks and pajamas, cholera belts, Burberry 

 hunting clothes, and lots of other little odds and 

 ends that seemed to be necessary. 



The clothes were put up in air-proof tin uniform 

 cases, small enough to be easily carried by a porter 

 and secure enough to keep out the millions of ants 

 that were expected to seek habitation in them. 



