the land of footprints-第58部分

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's　allowance　of　plate；　cup　and　cutlery；　and　so　cuts　out　a　load　and　a　half　of　assorted　kitchen　utensils　and　table　ware。　He　even　does　without　a　tablecloth　and　napkins！　He　discards　the　lime　juice　and　siphons；　and　purchases　a　canvas　evaporation　bag　to　cool　the　water。　He　fires　one　gunbearer；　and　undertakes　the　formidable　physical　feat　of　carrying　one　of　his　rifles　himself。　And；　above　all；　he　modifies　that　grub　list。　The　purchase　of　waterproof　bags　gets　rid　of　a　lot　of　tin：　the　staple　groceries　do　quite　as　well　as　London　fancy　stuff。　Golden　syrup　takes　the　place　of　all　the　miscellaneous　jams；　marmalades　and　other　sweets。　The　canned　goods　go　by　the　board。　He　lays　in　a　stock　of　dried　fruit。　At　the　end；　he　is　possessed　of　a　grub　list　but　little　different　from　that　of　his　Rocky　Mountain　trips。　Some　few　items　he　has　cut　down；　and　some　he　has　substituted；　but　bulk　and　weight　are　the　same。　For　his　three　months'　trip　he　has　four　or　five　chop　boxes　all　told。

And　then　suddenly　he　finds　that　thus　he　has　made　a　reduction　all　along　the　line。　Tent　load；　two　men；　grub　and　kitchen；　five　men；　personal；　one　man；　bed；　one　man；　miscellaneous；　one　or　two。　There　is　now　no　need　for　headmen　and　askaris　to　handle　this　little　lot。　Twenty　more　to　carry　food　for　the　men…he　is　off　with　a　quarter　of　the　number　of　his　first　〃modest　safari。〃

You　who　are　sportsmen　and　are　not　going　to　Africa；　as　is　the　case　with　most；　will　perhaps　read　this；　because　we　are　always　interested　in　how　the　other　fellow　does　it。　To　the　few　who　are　intending　an　exploration　of　the　dark　continent　this　concentration　of　a　year's　experience　may　be　valuable。　Remember　to　sleep　off　the　ground；　not　to　starve　yourself；　to　protect　yourself　from　the　sun；　to　let　negroes　do　all　hard　work　but　marching　and　hunting。　Do　these　things　your　own　way；　using　your　common…sense　on　how　to　get　at　it。　You'll　be　all　right。

That；　I　conceive；　covers　the　case。　The　remainder　of　your　equipment　has　to　do　with　camp　affairs；　and　merely　needs　listing。　The　question　here　is　not　of　the　sort　to　get；　but　of　what　to　take。　The　tents；　cooking　affairs；　etc。；　are　well　adapted　to　the　country。　In　selecting　your　tent；　however；　you　will　do　very　well　to　pick　out　one　whose　veranda　fly　reaches　fairly　to　the　ground；　instead　of　stopping　halfway。

1　tent　and　ground　sheet　1　folding　cot　and　cork　mattress；　1　pillow；　3　single　blankets　1　combined　folding　bath　and　ashstand　（〃X〃　brand）　1　camp　stool　3　folding　candle　lanterns　1　gallon　turpentine　3　lbs。　alum　1　river　rope　Sail　needles　and　twine　3　pangas　（native　tools　for　chopping　and　digging）　Cook　outfit　（select　these　yourself；　and　cut　out　the　extras）　2　axes　（small）　Plenty　laundry　soap　Evaporation　bag　2　pails　10　yards　cotton　cloth　（〃Mericani〃）

These　things；　your　food；　your　porters'　outfits　and　what　trade　goods　you　may　need　are　quite　sufficient。　You　will　have　all　you　want；　and　not　too　much。　If　you　take　care　of　yourself；　you　ought　to　keep　in　good　health。　Your　small　outfit　permits　greater　mobility　than　does　that　of　the　English　cousin；　infinitely　less　nuisance　and　expense。　Furthermore；　you　feel　that　once　more　you　are　〃next　to　things；〃　instead　of　〃being　led　about　Africa　like　a　dog　on　a　string。〃



APPENDIX　V。　THE　AMERICAN　IN　AFRICA

WHAT　HE　SHOULD　TAKE

Before　going　to　Africa　I　read　as　many　books　as　I　could　get　hold　of　on　the　subject；　some　of　them　by　Americans。　In　every　case　the　authors　have　given　a　chapter　detailing　the　necessary　outfit。　Invariably　they　have　followed　the　Englishman's　ideas　almost　absolutely。　Nobody　has　ventured　to　modify　those　ideas　in　any　essential　manner。　Some　have　deprecatingly　ventured　to　remark　that　it　is　as　well　to　leave　out　the　tinned　carfare…if　you　do　not　like　carfare；　but　that　is　as　far　as　they　care　to　go。　The　lists　are　those　of　the　firms　who　make　a　business　of　equipping　caravans。　The　heads　of　such　firms　are　generally　old　African　travellers。　They　furnish　the　equipment　their　customers　demand；　and　as　English　sportsmen　generally　all　demand　the　same　thing；　the　firms　end　by　issuing　a　printed　list　of　essentials　for　shooting　parties　in　Africa；　including　carfare。　Travellers　follow　the　lists　blindly；　and　later　copy　them　verbatim　into　their　books。　Not　one　has　thought　to　empty　out　the　whole　bag　of　tricks；　to　examine　them　in　the　light　of　reason；　and　to　pick　out　what　a　man　of　American　habits；　as　contrasted　to　one　of　English　habits；　would　like　to　have。　This　cannot　be　done　a　priori；　it　requires　the　test　of　experience　to　determine　how　to　meet；　in　our　own　way；　the　unusual　demands　of　climate　and　conditions。

And　please　note；　when　the　heads　of　these　equipment　firms；　these　old　African　travellers；　take　the　field　for　themselves；　they　pay　no　attention　whatever　to　their　own　printed　lists　of　〃essentials。〃

Now；　premising　that　the　English　sportsman　has；　by　many　years'　experience；　worked　out　just　what　he　likes　to　take　into　the　field；　and　assuring　you　solemnly　that　his　ideas　are　not　in　the　least　the　ideas　of　American　sportsman；　let　us　see　if　we　cannot　do　something　for　ourselves。

At　present　the　American　has　either　to　take　over　in　toto　the　English　idea；　which　is　not　adapted　to　him；　and　is…TO　HIM…a　nuisance；　or　to　go　it　blind；　without　experience　except　that　acquired　in　a　temperate　climate；　which　is　dangerous。　I　am　not　going　to　copy　out　the　English　list　again；　even　for　comparison。　I　have　not　the　space；　and　if　curious　enough；　you　can　find　it　in　any　book　on　modern　African　travel。　Of　course　I　realize　well　that　few　Americans　go　to　Africa；　but　I　also　realize　well　that　the　sportsman　is　a　crank；　a　wild　and　eager　enthusiast　over　items　of　equipment　anywhere。　He…and　I　am　thinking　emphatically　of　him…would　avidly　devour　the　details　of　the　proper　outfit　for　the　gentle　art　of　hunting　the　totally　extinct　whiffenpoof。

Let　us　begin；　first　of　all；　with：

Personal　Equipment　Clothes。　On　the　top　of　your　head　you　must　have　a　sun　helmet。　Get　it　of　cork；　not　of　pith。　The　latter　has　a　habit　of　melting　unobtrusively　about　your　ears　when　it　rains。　A　helmet　in　brush　is　the　next　noisiest　thing　to　a　circus　band；　so　it　is　always　well　to　have；　also；　a　double　terai。　This　is　not　something　to　eat。　It　is　a　wide　felt　hat；　and　then　another　wide　felt　hat　on　top　of　that。　The　vertical…rays…of…the…tropical…sun　（pronounced　as　one　word　to　save　time　after　you　have　heard　and　said　it　a　thousand　times）　are　supposed　to　get　tangled　and　lost　somewhere　between　the　two　hats。　It　is　not；　however；　a　good　contraption　to　go　in　all　day　when　the　sun　is　strong。

As　underwear　you　want　the　lightest　Jaeger　wool。　Doesn't　sound　well　for　tropics；　but　it　is　an　essential。　You　will　sweat　enough　anyway；　even　if　you　get　down　to　a　brass　wire　costume　like　the　natives。　It　is　when　you　stop　in　the　shade；　or　the　breeze；　or　the　dusk　of　evening；　that　the　trouble　comes。　A　chill　means　trouble；　SURE。　Two　extra　suits　are　all　you　want。　There　is　no　earthly　sense　in　bringing　more。　Your　tent　boy　washes　them　out　whenever　he　can　lay　hands　on　them…it　is　one　of　his　harmless　manias。

Your　shirt　should　be　of　the　thinnest　brown　flannel。　Leather　the　shoulders；　and　part　way　down　the　upper　arm；　with　chamois。　This　is　to　protect　your　precious　garment　against　the　thorns　when　you　dive　through　them。　On　the　back　you　have　buttons　sewed　wherewith　to　attach　a　spine　pad。　Before　I　went　to　Africa　I　searched　eagerly　for　information　or　illustration　of　a　spine　pad。　I　guessed　what　it　must　be　for；　and　to　an　extent　what　it　must　be　like；　but　all　writers　maintained　a　conservative　reticence　as　to　the　thing　itself。　Here　is　the　first　authorized　description。　A　spine　pad　is　a　quilted　affair　in　consistency　like　the　things　you　are　supposed　to　lift　hot　flat…irons　with。　On　the　outside　it　is　brown　flannel；　like　the　shirt；　on　the　inside　it　is　a　gaudy　orange　colour。　The　latter　is　not　for　aesthetic　effect；　but　to　intercept　actinic　rays。　It　is　eight　or　ten　inches　wide；　is　shaped　to　button　close　up　under　your　collar；　and　extends　halfway　down　your　back。　In　addition　it　is　well　to　wear　a　silk　handkerchief　around　the　neck；　as　the　spine　and　back　of　the　head　seem　to　be　the　most　vulnerable　to　the　sun。

For　breeches；　suit　yourself　as　to　material。　It　will　have　to　be　very　tough；　and　of　fast　colour。　The　best　cut　is　the　〃semi…riding；〃　loose　at　the　knees；　which　should　be　well　faced　with　soft　leather；　both　for　crawling；　and　to　save　the　cloth　in　grass　and　low　brush。　One　pair　ought　to　last　four　months；　roughly　speaking。　You　will　find　a　thin　pair　of　ordinary　khaki　trousers　very　comfortable　as　a　change　for　wear　about　camp。　In　passing　I　would　call　your　attention　to　〃shorts。〃　Shorts　are　loose；　bobbed　off　khaki　breeches；　like　knee　drawers。　With　them　are　worn　puttees　or　leather　leggings；　and　low　boots。　The　knees　are　bare。　They　are　much　affected　by　young　Englishmen。　I　observed　them　carefully　at　every　opportunity；　and　my　private　opinion　is　that　man　has　rarely　managed　to　invent　as　idiotically　unfitted　a　contraption　for　the　purpose　in　hand。　In　a　country　teeming　with　poisonous　insects；　ticks；　fever…bearing　mosquitoes；　in　a　country　where　vegetation　is　unusually　well　armed　with　thorns；　spines　and　hooks；　mostly　poisonous；　in　a　country　where；　oftener　than　in　any　other　a　man　is　called　upon　to　get　down　on　his　hands　and　knees　and　crawl　a　few　assorted　abrading　miles；　it　would　seem　an　obvious　necessity　to　protect　one's　bare　skin　as　much　as　possible。　The