APPENDICES 
18 7 
continued up to the knee. They are soon discarded in Central Africa as uncomfortable 
and unwearable. Field boots should be of tanned leather, laced up and only coming 
to the ankle. The soles should be thick, but the boots must be light and not cumber¬ 
some. When walking or riding, cloth gaiters from the ankle to the knee, or spats 
from the instep to half way up the calf of the leg, are comfortable, suitable, and usually 
worn. Cloth or canvas gaiters are better than leather, as leather becomes so hard in 
this climate. .Some people wear knickerbockers. This involves stockings however, 
and stockings are very hot for the legs, and the attempt to keep them up with garters 
causes a disagreeable constriction about the knee. It is much better to have trousers 
that can be pulled up slightly and the gaiters buttoned over them. The trousers 
can then be slightly folded over the top of the gaiter or the spat. A thick cloth 
cape to cover the shoulders and button round the throat is very convenient when riding 
or bicycling (and already a good deal of bicycling is done in Central Africa) or driving, 
when it is not convenient to take an umbrella. 
3. Umbrellas.—One black silk umbrella for the rain should be taken, but several 
good strong light sun umbrellas must be taken. These should be double-lined, with a 
space between the linings—white outside and green within. They must be very light 
to hold. The reason why a helmet is such a mistake as a protection from the sun 
is that besides being cumbersome and ugly, it at most shields the top of the head, or 
the head and neck. Where the sun is felt even more than on the head is on the 
shoulders and along the spine. To shield the body from the sun in fact, the only way 
is to carry a white umbrella, and this should be done on almost all occasions except 
when to do such a thing would be positively ridiculous, as, for instance, in the middle 
of a battle. There is no more effectual aid to the maintenance of health than to 
constantly carry a white umbrella when compelled to face the strong sunshine. 
4. Socks, &c.—Stockings I have already alluded to as inconvenient for various 
reasons. Socks should be of merino. Cotton socks though cool wear out very rapidly. 
The merino socks should be not too thick and viust be well-fitting to the foot, as if 
they are the least bit too large the redundancy of sock makes walking uncomfortable, 
and often causes blisters. Plenty of handkerchiefs should be taken, cotton and silk. 
One or two mufflers for the neck are good when the traveller is on the cold uplands. 
5. Boots.—In addition to ankle boots several pairs of light shoes should be taken, 
both shoes that can be blacked and that look smart, and tennis shoes. There should of 
course be one pair of slippers. Anyone who intends to stay any length of time at the 
European settlements will require at least one pair of nice-looking patent leather boots 
and a pair of pumps for evening wear. 
Generally, I may say this about clothing, that a man should always strive to dress 
neatly and becomingly in Central Africa, or he will quickly lapse into a slovenly state of 
existence. At Blantyre and at Zomba people are almost always expected to dress for 
dinner at the various dinner parties, and to appear nicely dressed at church on Sundays, 
and if anyone imagines he is going out amongst a lot of rough pioneers who chiefly dress 
in red flannel shirts and buckskin breeches, he will be vastly surprised when he finds out 
how very carefully and becomingly as a rule the men do dress in Central Africa, whether 
they be officials, missionaries, planters or traders. 
6. Guns.—As a rule guns, rifles and revolvers can be purchased in British Central 
Africa at the sales which take place from time to time of the effects of sportsmen who 
are returning home. Nearly every dry season a number of people come out to shoot big 
game, and to avoid the expense of the carriage often sell some of their guns before leaving 
the country. It is not as a rule wise for anyone who is not going to Central Africa 
specially for sport, to furnish himself with a large armament, before he gets to understand 
pretty clearly what kind of gun suits him best for that country. A double-barrelled 
12-bore shot gun is always very useful. The right barrel should be choke bore and the 
