230 . OUTFIT FOR JOURNEY. Chap. XIII. 



into their huts ; and two warriors, Ponuane and Mahale, brought 

 forward each a fine heifer calf. After performing a number of 

 warlike evolutions, they asked the chief to witness the agreement 

 made between them, that whoever of the two should kill a 

 Matebele warrior first, in defence of the waggon, should possess 

 both the calves. 



I had three muskets for my peoj)le, a rifle and double-bar- 

 relled smooth bore for myself; and, having seen such great 

 abundance of game in my visit to the Leeba, I imagined that I 

 could easily supply the wants of my party. Wishing also to 

 avoid the discouragement which would naturally be felt on 

 meeting any obstacles if my companions were obliged to carry 

 heavy loads, I took only a few biscuits, a few pounds of tea and 

 sugar, and about twenty of coffee, which, as the Arabs find, though 

 used without either milk or sugar, is a most refreshing bever- 

 age after fatigue or exposure to the sun. We carried one small 

 tin canister, about fifteen inches square, filled with spare shirting, 

 trowsers, and shoes, to be used when we reached civilised life, 

 and others in a bag, which were expected to wear out on the 

 way ; another of the same size for medicines ; and a third for 

 books, my stock being a Nautical Almanac, Thomson's Loga- 

 rithm Tables, and a Bible ; a fourth box contained a magic 

 lantern, which we found of much use. The sextant and artificial 

 horizon, thermometer and compasses, were carried apart. My 

 ammunition was distributed in portions through the whole lug- 

 gage, so that, if an accident should befall one part, we could still 

 have others to fall back upon. Our chief hopes for food were 

 upon that, but in case of failure I took about 20 lbs. of beads, 

 worth 40s., which still remained of the stock I brought from 

 Cape Town ; a small gipsy tent, just sufficient to sleep in ; a 

 sheepskin mantle as a blanket, and a horse-rug as a bed. As 

 I had always found that the art of successful travel consisted in 

 taking as few " impedimenta " as possible, and not forgetting to 

 carry my wits about me, the outfit was rather spare, and in- 

 tended to be still more so when we should come to leave the 

 canoes. Some would consider it injudicious to adopt this plan, 

 but I had a secret conviction that if I did not succeed it would 

 not be for lack of the " nicknacks " advertised as indispensable 

 for travellers, but from want of " pluck," or because a large 



