214 OUTFIT FOR JOURNEY. 



considering the light heart now left in my bosom, and 

 some faint efforts to perform the duty of Christian for- 

 giveness, I felt that it was better to be the plundered 

 party than one of the plunderers. 



When I committed the waggon and remaining goods 

 to the care of the Makololo, they took all the articles 

 except one box into their huts ; and two warriors, Ponu- 

 ane 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 Matabele 

 warrior first, in defence of the waggon, should possess 

 both the calves. 



I had three muskets for my people, a rifle and double- 

 barrelled smooth bore for myself ; and, having seen such 

 great abundance of game in my visit to the I^eeba, 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 obstacle if my com- 

 panions 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 beverage 

 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 Logarithm 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 luggage, 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 re- 

 mained 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 f ' impedimenta " as possible, and not forgetting 

 to carry my wits about me, the outfit was rather spare, 



