d; and as they had
it in their power to dismiss them for bad conduct, it was to be presumed
that they could procure others.

It was more than three weeks before everything was ready for their
departure, and then the caravan was composed as follows:--

The persons who belonged to it were our three gentlemen; the servant of
Major Henderson; eight drivers of the teams of oxen; twelve Hottentot
and other hunters (for some of them were of a mixed race); two
Hottentots who had charge of the horses, and two others who had charge
of a flock of Cape sheep, which were to follow the caravan, and serve as
food until they could procure oxen by purchase or game with their guns:
so that the whole force of the party amounted to twenty men: two
Hottentot women, wives of the principal men, also accompanied the
caravan to wash and assist in cooking.

The animals belonging to the caravan consisted of fifty-six fine oxen,
which composed the teams; twelve horses, as Major Henderson could only
procure six at Algoa Bay, or they would have purchased more; thirteen
dogs of various sizes, and Begum, the baboon, belonging to Captain
Henderson: to these were to be added the flock of sheep.

The waggons were fitted out as follows, chiefly under the direction of
Major Henderson and Mr Swinton.

The first waggon, which was called Mr Wilmot's waggon, was fitted up
with boxes or lockers all round, and contained all the stores for their
own use, such as tea, sugar, coffee, cheeses, hams, tongues, biscuits,
soap, and wax candles, wine and spirits in bottles, beside large rolls
of tobacco for the Hottentots or presents, and Alexander's clothes; his
mattress lay at the bottom of the waggon, between the lockers. The
waggon was covered with a double sail-cloth tilt, and with curtains
before and behind; the carpenter's tools were also in one of the lockers
of this waggon.

The second waggon was called Mr Swinton's waggon; it was fitted up with
lockers in the same way as the other, but it had also a large chest with
a great quantity of drawers for insects, bottles of spirits for animals,
and everything necessary for preserving them; a ream or two of paper for
drying plants, and several other articles, more particularly a
medicine-chest well-filled, for Mr Swinton was not unacquainted with
surgery and physic. The other lockers were filled with a large quantity
of glass beads and cutlery for presents, several hundred pounds of
bullets, ready cast, and al