CHAP. I.] MY DOGS. 13 



was honest in the extreme, and with whom I received 

 an excellent character ; next, I liired Timboo, a black, 

 liberated by one of our cruisers years ago, on capturing 

 a slave-ship in the Mozambique. He, too, had an 

 admirable character, and could do a little of everything. 

 I do not think he would have joined me had he not 

 been suspected of too active interference (on the loyal 

 side) during the late anti-convict movement, which 

 made it convenient for him to leave Cape Town for 

 a season. There was some story about his having 

 had a personal conflict with an influential leader of 

 the opposition. Timboo was an excellent gi'oom, and 

 had some acquaintance with oxen. Besides him, I got 

 John St. Helena, as waggon driver, and his broflier, for 

 leader; John Williams, a square-built, impudent, 

 merry fellow, and a right useful servant, was another 

 leader ; and a young scamp, Gabriel, who clung to my 

 heels wherever I went in Cape Town, and who under- 

 took to be agent in getting me dogs, horses, or anything 

 else, begged so earnestly to go with me, that I enrolled 

 him also in my corps. I stUl wanted a second waggon 

 driver, and at the last moment took a man out of a 

 waggon-maker's shop, though I did not much like him. 

 As for dogs, although I was assured that I could find 

 any number in the country, still I thought that a few 

 Cape Town mongrels would be of no harm, and Gabriel 

 brought me a whole pack for approval, at an uniform 

 rate of 2s. 6d. each ; one good dog was given to 

 Andersson, and by entreating that a sentence of exe- 

 cution, which was passed on a fine-looking Newfound- 

 land, for trespassing in the barracks, might be commuted 



