4 MY STOCK-IN-TEADE. [chap. i. 



uniforms, burning-glasses, swords, gUt belts, immense 

 bracelets, anklets, yards of picture chains for neck- 

 laces, Jews'-harps, mosaic rings; lastly, I explored 

 tbe shops of Drury Lane for some theatrical finery, 

 and a magnificent crown rewarded my search, which 

 I vowed to place on the head of the greatest or 

 most distant potentate I should meet with in Africa. 



On the 5th of April, 1850, everything was prepared ; 

 I and my boxes were on board an East Indiaman ; 

 my last adieu was said, the very last line sent off 

 by the pilot boat, and we were off for the Cape. 



I had plenty of occupation on board ship in arranging 

 my things, trying to learn the Bechuana language, 

 practising with a sextant, and reading up books ; so 

 that the time passed as agreeably as can be expected 

 in a sea voyage. It so happened that the ship in 

 which I had taken my berth carried a; number of 

 emigrants — a fact which the careful agent only let us 

 find out at the last moment — but I liked the crowding 

 and bustle of it amazingly. The emigrants were not 

 in the least in the way of the cabin passengers, for we, 

 of course, had the poop to ourselves ; and looking 

 down from it, the deck had all the appearance of a 

 crowded fair. 



The emigrants were a squalid starved-looking set at 

 first, but six weeks of rest and good feeding made a 

 wonderful change in their condition ; and as we sailed 

 into the warm weather, and they could sit about the 

 decks, they began to think of their personal appearance, 

 and to wash and tidy themselves and put their clothes 

 to rights. It was amusing to see how soon they 



