Dec. 14, 1857.] MOFFAT’S BUSHMAN DISTRICTS, &c. 
77 
extensive ; But still presenting sucli difficulties that without an organised system 
of provisioning troops as suggested by Mr. Galton, it is impossible for them 
to traverse it. 
Mr. Pliny Miles, of the United States. — I have travelled through some 
of the wild parts of North America, and I can confirm Dr. Barth with respect 
to the danger of the natives discovering and destroying the caches. A method 
found successful for preserving a cache has been adopted by some American 
travellers. At a convenient distance from, but not too near the real cache, 
they make a false one, put in a small quantity of provisions, and make nume- 
rous footmarks about it. The Indians come and find the place, and suppose 
that it is the only cache there. But it requires a great deal of art to deceive 
them. In some seasons of the year travellers get along better with a supply 
of parched Indian corn than to rely entirely on animal food. The corn is light 
and very nourishing. Buffalo meat, dried and salted with care, and placed in 
caches, will keep a long time. I quite agree with Count Strzelecki as to the 
cause of the failure of the United States expedition. 
Mr. G-alton, f.r.g.s. — I ought to explain that I consider my method espe- 
cially applicable to untraversed tracts of open country, that resist the efforts of 
explorers on account of their aridity and extent, such as exist in many parts of 
Australia, and which it is the object of an advancing civilization to explore 
systematically. In countries that are half desert, where there are natives 
prowling freely about, my method would be of less service, even if the security 
of the caches were unquestionable. When expeditions were planned upon a 
large scale the caches and depdts might easily be guarded by encampments of 
small parties of men detached for the purpose. 
The Second Paper read was : — 
Narrative of a Journey in the Bushman and Namaqualand Districts of the 
Cape of Good Hope , with Map. By Robert Moffat, Esq., f.r.g.s., 
Government Surveyor. (1st Part.) 
Communicated by the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, f.r.g.s., H. M. Secretary of 
State for the Colonies. 
[This paper will be printed in full in the Journal.] 
The President. — Our fhanks are due to Mr. Moffat for his able memoir, and 
also to Mr. Labouchere of the Colonial Office for his kindness in communicating 
it. As the brother-in-law of Mr. Moffat, our valued friend Dr. Livingstone, is 
present, I will not occupy your time, but at once call upon him to explain 
what he knows of the region described. Before I do so, however, I must ex- 
press my sincere gratification at the announcement made by the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer in the House of Commons, that Her Majesty’s Government has 
decided to give due and becoming aid to Dr. Livingstone, so that he may pur- 
sue his researches in Africa, and overcome those difficulties which have hitherto 
prevented so many travellers from penetrating into the interior of Africa. I 
may also state that Government has written most explicit instructions to our 
minister in Portugal, to aid Dr. Livingstone by every means in his power, and 
to prefer a similar request to the Portuguese Government. I have only to ex- 
press my hope that the Government will appoint two or three men of science to 
accompany Dr. Livingstone, and to assist him in developing the natural his- 
tory and resources of the country, in accordance with wishes long entertained 
by ourselves, and in compliance with the request of the British Association for 
the Advancement of Science. 
Dr. Livingstone, f.r.g.s. — The first remark that I would make on Mr. Mof- 
H 2 
