PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE 
11 
close shave, for only by sending them down by pas¬ 
senger train on that morning were they able to 
reach Southampton. Fortunately our hopes were 
fulfilled, and at last we received word that they 
were on board and were careening down toward 
Naples, where we expected to join them on the 
thirtieth. 
Studying the Lion’s Vital Spots 
After disposing of this important preliminary, 
we then had time to visit the zoo at South Kensing¬ 
ton and the British museum of natural history, 
where we carefully studied many of the animals 
that we hoped to meet later under less formal con¬ 
ditions. We picked out the vital spots, as seen 
from all angles, and nothing then remained to he 
done but to get down to British East Africa with 
