CHAP. I.] CHANGE OF ROUTE. 7 



His father had crossed Africa from Mozambique to 

 Benguela, and he himself had travelled much, and was 

 in intimate relation with the chiefs of many of the 

 surrounding parts. He chanced to be passing through 

 Cape Town when I was there en route to Eio. He took 

 the kindest interest in my plans, gave me very full 

 information vipon what he knew of the mterior, and 

 subsequently furnished me with credentials to different 

 Portuguese gentlemen at the more distant of their 

 settlements. If I had been vmder no sort of tie, I 

 should have slaved at learning Portuguese in Cape 

 Town until the first ship sailed for Mozambique, and 

 then have gone by her — but I was engaged to take my 

 travelling companion by some means of conveyance, 

 by which he could bring home a complete collection of 

 the Natural History of the country ; and Signore Pereira 

 told me that no beasts of burden were used in the 

 interior of Mozambique, but that all luggage was 

 carried on men's backs, and the traveller himself in a 

 palanquin. This way of travelling would never have 

 answered the object Andersson had in view, and I 

 therefore did not feel justified in proposing it to him. 

 At last a plan was suggested, and very strongly urged 

 upon me, chiefly by some merchants, of sailing to 

 Walfisch Bay, and thence travelling with waggons ; 

 this was the idea I finally adopted. I heard that 

 though all was desert by the sea coast between the 

 Cape Colony and Benguela, yet that beyond this desert 

 not only habitable but very fertile country was to be 

 found. As to distance, Walfisch Bay was of all places 

 most favourably situated for an excursion into the 



