CHAPTER III 
THE STARTING OF THE GREAT TREK 
My necessaries are embark’d 
Hamlet 
Occasion smiles upon a second leave 
Hamlet 
At three o’clock in the morning we joined our caravan, 
all in readiness, in the Square. It was still dark, but 
we could see the outline of the waiting camels loaded 
up like pantechnicon vans, and our ponies saddled in 
expectation of our coming. The Opposition, who had 
mapped out a different route, beginning by skirting 
the borders of the now barred reserve for game in the 
Hargaisa, got up to see us start and wish us “ Good 
hunting . 55 What our men thought of us and the ex- 
pedition generally I cannot conjecture. Outwardly at 
least they gave no sign of astonishment. Clarence 
gave the word to march, and we set out, leaving 
Berbera behind us, and very glad we were to see the 
suburbs a thing of the past. The flies and the sand 
storms there are most hard to bear, and a little longer 
sojourn would have seen both of us in bad tempers. 
We made up our minds from the first to have tents 
pitched every night under any circumstances, and 
never do any of that sleeping on the ground business 
which seems to be an indispensable part of the fun of 
