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BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
coffee. You see, as I have failed finally to pass my exams for the army, I must not be 
too particular, as there are younger brothers and sisters to be educated and put out 
in the world, and my father is not over well off; besides, I hear there is capital sport, 
and the climate is not so bad though one gets a touch of fever every now and then. 
The governor can only afford ^1000 to start me, and I am going to do my best 
not to cost him another penny before I am self-supporting. ... I think the country 
is called the British Central Africa Protectorate; it is close to Lake Nyasa, and is 
about 300 or 400 miles inland from the east coast. I am getting my equipment ready, 
and shall leave on the 1st of May by the Edinburgh Castle for Durban, where I change 
into the “ Rennie ” boat Induna , and so travel up the east coast to a place called Chinde 
which is at the mouth of the Zambezi. Here I change into the river steamer, and 
travel up the Zambezi and the Shire, and so on to Blantyre where I shall stay with 
the McClears and look about me. ... As to equipment, 1 I am not taking very much 
as I am told that most things can be got fairly good and cheap out there, and it saves 
one the bother of a lot of luggage, and the risk of loading yourself with things that you 
don’t want. I shall simply take along with me all my old clothes and a dress-suit in case 
there is any ‘society.’ Of course I am taking guns—a doubled-barrelled 12-bore shot 
gun, and an express rifle. I have been strongly advised not to take a helmet, as 
it is said to be a ridiculous kind of headgear for Central Africa, where one requires 
something like a light Terai hat, and where it appears you should always carry a white 
cotton umbrella when the sun shines. The helmet is cumbersome and ugly and does 
not shield the body from the sun. It seems from what I can gather that a chap gets far 
sicker from the effect of the sun on his body than on his head, and that the best way 
to avoid sun fever and sunstroke is to carry an umbrella wherever one goes. I shall 
take a good saddle with me and riding gear, as most of the people in the Shire 
Highlands (the name of the coffee district) ride about on ponies. I think as I pass 
through Durban I shall invest in a Basuto pony (they are said to be the best for the 
purpose) and take him along with me up to Blantyre. I hear they are very cheap 
at Durban, about £8 will buy a good one, and it only comes altogether to about ^25 or 
^(26 to convey the little beast up river to a place called Katunga, and there you get on 
his back and ride up to Blantyre. I shall also take out my bicycle as some of the roads 
are fit for cycling. Nearly everything else can be got on the spot, but my mother 
insists on giving me a small medicine chest, so that I can dose myself with quinine and 
other things if there is no doctor handy. I shall also take out a small photographic 
camera and plenty of books. 
“ And now good-bye for a bit in case I don’t see you again, but as soon as I get out 
there I will write and let you know what it is like.” 
“ Chiromo, British Central Africa, June 12 th. 
“Dear Fred, —I am now in British Central Africa, and before I get any further into 
the country as I have a day or two to spare here I will give you an account of what my 
journey was like. 
“ I managed to get my pony all right in Durban through Messrs. - and -, 
who seem to be universal providers in that city. I had to give ^9 for him but he is an 
extra good little beast. We changed into the Induna at this place. She was very 
crowded and therefore not very comfortable, but the journey to Chinde only occupied 
five days as we ran through direct. 
“ Chinde, you know, is one of the mouths of the Zambezi, and the only one which has 
a bar that can be crossed without risk by a well-navigated steamer. The Induna crossed 
the bar all right and landed us on the British Concession, a piece of land which was 
granted by the Portuguese Government for the use of the British Central Africa 
Protectorate so that goods can be transhipped here from the ocean-going steamers 
1 vide Appendix II., p. 185.—H. II. J. 
