xxviii Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



precautions, and listen to the specious bland- 

 ishments of the Tropical outfitter and his 

 kind, who care not a jot, so long as they can 

 load up the unwary with a long list of the 

 most useless paraphernalia of the truly gaudy 

 kind, which a sane person can well imagine 

 but fights shy of. Of course the demand has 

 created quite a number of emporiums where 

 everything one buys is good and useful at an 

 equitable price, but the tendency is still to 

 turn out stuff which only a pampered multi- 

 millionaire would find any use for. My advice 

 is to select as few items of gear as possible 

 at home, with just enough tropical kit to carry 

 one through the sea trip to your destination. 

 Out on the spot there is ample provision for 

 all the proper and actual requirements the heart 

 desires. It is often a sight fit for the gods to 

 witness the arrival of a self-conscious " kid " 

 fresh from home. The fellow-passengers on 

 the way out have probably been treated ad 

 nauseam, to his peacock glory ; his will be the 

 finest of leather trunks (for the rain and mould 

 to spoil and the white ants to have a feast 

 upon) ; his the shiniest of tan shoes, the 

 gaudiest of " puttees" or leggings (for riding 

 fence-rails, as only in exceptional cases pro- 

 bably will he be able to straddle a pony) ; 

 his the latest cut of riding-breeches and fancy 

 coats with dozens of pockets contrived all over 

 them in the most startling manner ; his the 

 cummerbund of rainbow hue and fancy socks 



