550 COLLECTIONS IN NATURAL HISTORY. 19— 22 Feb. 
As the 24th was the day fixed for commencing the journey to 
GraafFreynet, each one was busily employed in making, on his own 
account, such preparations as he thought necessary. I packed all my 
goods into the chests, and took particular care to secure them from 
the possibility of getting wet. Hans Lucas came to have a final 
consultation, and promised to be ready on the day appointed ; as I 
was resolved to take my departure with whatever number of men 
I might be able to procure by that time. 
In the course of this and the following day, Speelman 
shot four Springbucks ; which were dried as a part of the stock 
to be left with Gert and Hannah ; who were to remain at 
Klaarwater. 
20th. I completed my ornithological, and botanical catalogues, 
up to the present day. The numbers of the former were 169, 
and contained 81 species of birds, all shot since leaving the 
Groote-Doorn river in the Bokkeveld Karro. The latter was num- 
bered up to 2102, and contained almost as many species of plants. 
Of these numbers, 964 belonged to Cape Town and its vicinity ; 
while the remaining 1138 were collected on the journey; since the 
commencement of which, I had dried 5051 specimens. My insects 
were not proportionally numerous ; and this is to be accounted for, 
partly by the season of the year, and partly by the want of time for 
looking after them ; these objects not being easily discovered 
without especial search and much patience. I however never omitted 
to preserve all that fell in my way ; and, even at this rate, the col- 
lection was far from being a small one. My minerals were as yet but 
few, their weight in my waggon having hitherto deterred me from 
collecting as much as I otherwise would have done ; and from the 
same reason I had not yet ventured to preserve the skins of the 
larger quadrupeds. In the original plan of my travels, I did not 
propose returning again into the Cape Colony ; and it was on this 
account that I thought it absolutely necessary to abstain from 
loading my waggons with collections of objects of great bulk or 
weight. 
