304 TRAVELLING DRESS. [chap. x. 



by shoes. In Southern Africa I never covilcl walk 

 barefooted; independently of the thorns, there was 

 something in our state of health wliich made small 

 wounds difficult to heal, and caused scratches in the 

 foot and hand to fester. Our very Damaras could 

 not travel even with their own sandals, much less 

 could we leave off shoes entirely. I was the more 

 surprised at this, as in previous travelling in North 

 Africa I had become nearly independent of them. I 

 recollect climbing Jebel Barkal, which is a well-known 

 rugged hill, -with, very sharp stones in it, near the 

 fourth cataract of the Nile, barefooted. 



Without shoes and stockings I think I could not 

 even lay my feet to the ground during the hottest 

 time of the year. Once, owing to a mistake, I had 

 dismounted at a small spring of water and turned my 

 ox loose, who rejoined his comrades, and was driven 

 on with them to a more coi^ious watering-place, a 

 couple of miles a-head ; I had no stockings on at that 

 time, only shoes. Wlien I started on foot after the 

 party, the heat of the sand was so intense that I 

 positively was but just able to walk, although my skin 

 was pretty well case-hardened. I underwent real 

 suffering in that short distance, but the cool of thick 

 woollen socks, the thickest that English sailors ever 

 wear, was delicious when they were puUed on to my 

 blistered feet. 



I do not think that a perfect head-dress has yet 

 been invented by man. A light himting-cap is very 

 convenient among thick trees, but it cannot be used 

 as a nightcap in the bivouac. As regards colours of 



